Sassafrass, Cypress and Indigo Hardcover – August 1, 1982

"Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo" by Ntozake Shange weaves together the varied experiences of three sisters and their mother as it moves through the past, present, and future of not only their lives, but the lives of mystical and real African-American woman who came before and will come after them. Shange, famous for her choreopoem, "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf," which grew from her own suicide attempts, again explores the way African-American women are as diverse in personalities and emotions as the colors of the rainbow while showing the beauty and hardships that come from being a woman. Shange proves herself to be a beautiful storyteller as well as one willing to experiment with writing forms, mixing prose with poetry, music, and dance. Using just her words, Shange shows emotions through detailed descriptions of moves that allow the characters in her book to dance out of the pages. Shange’s book reads as a celebration of the accomplishments made by the Black Arts Movement, with its realization that the expressions of joy and sorrow would be inadequately portrayed with prose alone. Readers need to hear the music and poetry and see the characters’ movements in their minds in order to truly understand the characters, and, by extension, humanity in general.Shange never allows her book to drift away from its focus on women. Relationships are often destructive to the women. In one scene that seems to call back to the rape discussion in "For Colored Girls" in which the lady in blue says rape is often “bein betrayed by men who know us,” Sassafrass berates men who are speaking disrespectfully about women, telling them, “don’t you ever sit in my house and ask me to celebrate my inherited right to be raped.” Critics of Shange have said that she turned on her own race with her descriptions of violence done to African-American women by African-American men. By not focusing on stories of white man’s violence against African-American women, however, Shange keeps her focus on the widespread violence and disregard of women rather than allowing her stories to drift into debates about the status of race relations. Shange also expertly shows the internal battles women fight to be independent in a society that expects women to give themselves completely to men. Shange herself said she pictured Cypress when writing "For Colored Girls," which helps show why many of the ideas expressed in "For Colored Girls," such as the lady in green’s lamenting of a man who “almost walked off wid all my stuff,” meaning her personality and dreams, arise in "Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo."

A great read!! This book tells the lives of 3 southern sisters trying to create a free life during the black arts movement. Each sister has her own story and through trial and error they create a living and are there for one another. This book shows the power and beauty of back women and what it means to find yourself and live free. The girls teach us to follow our passions and to believe in our own truth despite what others may think. Life may not turn out the way you imagined but that does not mean you have failed. Through it all you family will always be there. Love love love the book. I recommend this book as one every black woman should read. This book deserves all five stars. This is a short read that will inspire you to live life fuller.

What a wonderful, mesmerizing surprise! My adult daughter's late mother is African-American, and suggested this book for our discussion. Little did I expect that I would encounter one of the most memorable characters in all of my reading life. Hilda Effania, mother of the three daughters named in the book's title, copes with the newness of cultural practices faced by her three daughters but her love and wisdom remain movingly steady, as does her unconditional love.

im at a lost for words. This is one of thee best books I have ever read and I read a lot. Her writing style is very visual most off the time I felt like I was right there going through it to. This book is definitely for those with a s connected spirt and a sense of roots.

Beautifully written book. Phrases are an amazing mix of prose and poetry. L

I like the story line. Her writing style can be a little aggravating at times. The thoughts of the ladies can be so flowery, it makes the author look as if she’s trying to hard. It’s not needed. She’s already a good story teller

A comprehensive, southern and African inspired taste of speculative fiction/magical realism that looks at the African American reality through the lens of one family and their ties to their ancestors and their individual living magic.

I originally purchased this book after seeing the movie for colored girls. I had criticized the movie without reading the play and I wanted to see what exactly the author's writing style was like.I enjoyed the way the chapters are set up jumping from Sassafrass to Cypress to Indigo once I was consumed in one story the next chapter moved on to another sister or a little from their mother. Another reviewer had said the story line isn't nail biting but the books presentation definitely keeps you from getting bored. I want to read the book again to see what I missed the first time I read it.The book is heart-warming story of a group of women who unconditionally love one another.