Why read Suck on the Marrow?

Book cover of Suck on the Marrow

Book description

**Winner of the American Book Award

**Silver Medalist for the California Book Award

Suck on the Marrow is a historical narrative, revolving around six main characters and set in mid-19th century Virginia and Philadelphia. The book traces the experiences of fugitive slaves, kidnapped Northern-born blacks, and free people of color,…

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Poetry

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Why read it?

1 author picked Suck on the Marrow as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

DeMisty D. Bellinger

Author

It’s a beautiful book, from the cover to the notes. It’s a neo-slave narrative that follows various enslaved, then freed people. Through this book, I learned how poetry collections can be explorations of history based on fact.

Like any good collection, reading one poem compels you forward, but each poem can stand on its own. She is a master of form. For instance, her persona poetry is powerful. The first poem in the book, “The Trapper’s Boast,” devoid of empathy, shows the business of slavery from an undesirable point of view.

But what is moving is the ability to fall…

From DeMisty's list on The best books with poetry inspired by history.