Home

By Toni Morrison

The latest novel from Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison.
 
An angry and self-loathing veteran of the Korean War, Frank Money finds himself back in racist America after enduring trauma on the front lines that left him with more than just physical scars. His home--and himself in it--may no longer be as he remembers it, but Frank is shocked out of his crippling apathy by the need to rescue his medically abused younger sister and take her back to the small Georgia town they come from, which he's hated all his life. As Frank revisits the memories from childhood and the war that leave him questioning his sense of self, he discovers a profound courage he thought he could never possess again. A deeply moving novel about an apparently defeated man finding himself--and his home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: May 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9780307399748

Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison (1931–2019) was a Nobel Prize–winning American author, editor, and professor. Her contributions to the modern canon are numerous. Some of her acclaimed titles include: The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1988. She won the 1993 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Reviews for Home

[barrettlucero · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this novella. Morrison's characters are always the best; they are friends to you, enemies to you, precious to you. I loved the ideas about home - how home dictates us to be, how we struggle to be away from home and part of home. And she perfectly shows how one moment can mean many different things to each person who witnesses it.

[quondame · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A reminder of the brutal violent injustices of racism and the cost of war. The narrated to an outsider form of the central character's section is a bit of a puzzle for me.

[abbeyhar · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not a bad book, but I didn't see a compelling reason for it to be written. If this was a debut book, I would maybe have liked it more - but it certainly won't stick with me like beloved or the bluest eye did. To me it seemed like she was writing this just to write.

[kk1_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is so strange. It is like someone chanting a dark litany. It is rhythmic and short, and all the events in it are almost biblical in proportion. Death and abuse, and yet the voice telling it is so pared back, that it feels slightly unreal. This has a really disturbing scene in it, in the midst of the Korea war.

[aapremlall · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Incredibly touching story, especially right now with the racial tension in America. It touches on many aspects of enslavement and how despite being uprooted, one still finds home in their roots. I have to admit, I absolutely loved the compost and integrated pest management mentions.

[ffortsa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I listened to this short book. Some of the text is set in italic, which I wouldn't have known, but the intent was clear enough from Toni Morrison's classic, slow, deliberate reading.Is this a book about the effects of the Korean war? Some. Is it about the effects of Jim Crow in the south? Some. Also a young man's trip through trauma to manhood, and the bonds of siblings, and the call of home. Listen to it if you can. I recommend it.

[steve02476 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting story and characters, moving, but not exactly my kind of book.

[castlelass · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Story of siblings Frank Money and his sister Cee who grow up in an abusive environment in the small town of Lotus, Georgia. Frank returns from the Korean War suffering from PTSD. While he was away, Cee married, moved to Atlanta, and was deserted by her husband. Frank is notified that Cee is in trouble, so he travels to Atlanta to find her. On the way, he reminisces about his life.

Morrison is describing a time of systemic racism, and vividly describes the harsh realities her characters face. There is a lot of disturbing content in this book, such as eugenics experiments, a man beaten to death, killing of a young girl by a soldier. In addition to racism, we find gender inequality, sexism, poverty, and senseless violence.

I loved Morrison’s A Mercy. I could not love this one. It is one disturbing scene after another. I did not find anything new or enlightening – only a litany of atrocities. It is not something I should have ever picked up.

[juva_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Frank Money is a Korean War vet who must make a perilous journey home after receiving a cryptic message that his sister is near death. He must navigate hospital wards, racist thugs, and his own shell shocked hallucinations. Frank's memories and the voices of his loved ones weave together to form the rich tapestry of this novel. Beautifully written, touching, haunting - a novel not easily forgotten.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Toni Morrison captures an elusive image--home--and drives it home through a series of circumstances and dream-like vignettes that show how idealized it is, but how much it drives our emotional selves. The relationship between brother and sister is by far the most beautiful part of the book. 4.5 stars.

[writestuff_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Weeks later, when her baby, delivered on a mattress in Reverend Baily’s church basement, turned out to be a girl, mama named her Ycidra, taking care to pronounce all three syllables. Of course, she waited the nine days before naming, lest death notice fresh life and eat it. Everybody but Mama calls her “Cee.” I always thought it was nice, how she thought about the nae, treasured it. As for me, no such memories. I am named Frank after my father’s brother. Luther is my father’s name, Ida my mother’s. The crazy part is our last name. Money. Of which we had none. - from Home, page 40 -Frank Money has returned from the Korean War with anger, regret, guilt and the need for redemption. He arrives back in an America where racism is still dividing the country. As he travels to his hometown of Lotus, Georgia to rescue his little sister from an abusive situation, he remembers scenes from his childhood. His memory of Lotus is not a good one and he does not think of the place as home.Lotus, Georgia, is the worst place in the world, worse than any battlefield. At least on the field there is a goal, excitement, daring, and some chance of winning along with many chances of losing. Death is a sure thing but life is just as certain. Problem is you can’t know in advance. – from Home, page 83 -But, what Frank finds in Lotus is not just a sister in need, but something less tangible that binds him to the place. Deep in the south he finds himself immersed in the rich African-American culture and reconnecting to the people who are there to carry him forward.Toni Morrison’s newest novel explores the scars of war (both physical and emotional), the depths of grief and regret, and the road to recovery. Morrison does not spare the reader the ugliness of racism in the mid-century south, a blight on American life which robbed people of their dignity and freedoms. She also touches on the medical experimentation which impacted black women during that time – something I had very little knowledge of until I read this novel. I researched this topic after reading Home and found this article which notes:In the US South, throughout the the 1960s and 1970s, federally funded welfare state programs underwrote the coercive sterilization of thousands of poor black women. Under threat of termination of welfare benefits or denial of medical care, many black women “consented” to sterilization procedures. Within southern black communities knowledge of the routine imposition of non-consensual and medically-unnecessary sterilization on black women was well known – a practice so common it came to be known as a “Mississippi appendectomy.” (Roberts 2000)Home is a sparse book (less than 150 pages) which packs a big punch. Morrison’s writing is poetic, rich, and character-driven. She makes a huge impact on the reader with very few words – one reason, I believe, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993.Readers who appreciate literary fiction will want to read Home, a novel about a man who must return to his past in order to move forward into his future.Recommended.

[bibleblaster · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A small book...in a good way. Less ambitious, perhaps, than other Morrison novels; more readily accessible; less "magical realism" elements. But comes with the punch of a short story. Easy, expert brush strokes of characterization, setting, and the slow circling of a powerful memory until the reader ultimately arrives back where it all started (but knowing the place for the first time.)

[idiotgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Particularly liked this book being read by Toni Morrison (pushed to the 4). Soft, deep, quiet voice. Very nice for the first person male. Made me think about it being a book by a woman, even as I read.

[dchaikin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

72. Home by Toni Morrison2012, 148 page Kindle ebookread Nov 4-17Rating: 4 starsKorean veteran Frank Money, called Smart by his friends, gets a note that his sister, Cee, has died. Somehow he knows this means she needs help. He leaves his girlfriend in Washington state and heads south with just a little money, to make his way to his hated hometown in rural Georgia.He his haunted by his Korea days. As he travels to find and help his sister, he works through his memories and interacts with several chance helpers along the way, all within the black community. It's an Odyssey of sorts.This is the first Morrison that I have actually enjoyed since Beloved. It's not as complex or ambitious as her great books. Instead it was just a pleasant place to spend some time. I liked Frank and enjoyed his experiences and felt bad about his troubles.

[kristina_brooke-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh my! What a beautifully told story. I could not put it down. Toni Morrison is an extremely talented writer and I think I may need to reread all of her books this summer.

[gvenezia-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A bit disappointed with this one. Morrison's natural talent for story-telling carries the novel, but there is a noticeable lack of depth and beautiful prose. Probably my least favorite of Morrison's, although I did enjoy the story and thought there was potential, just that the supports of the story (prose, diction, symbolism, syntax) did not form the rooted, steady foundation found in most of Morrison's work.

[paulagraph · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Classic Morrison. Prose here particularly spare. Of her previous novels, reminded me most of Jazz.
Hard but hopeful?

[mojomomma_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Frank overcomes the demons of his Korean War service to journey back to Georgia to rescue his sister from the eugenics doctor that employs her. Then he faces some of the demons from their impoverished childhood in Lotus, Georgia.

[glichman_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another home run by Toni Morrison. In one short novel, so much is dealt with: PTSD, race issues, loss of loved ones, sexuality, and more.

[rmckeown_9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Toni Morrison has written ten novels, and while Sula, the story of two friends raised together, who take wildly different paths toward womanhood, remains my favorite, reading a Toni Morrison novel is always an interesting and thoroughly entertaining experience. She has received the National Book Critics Circle Award, a Pulitzer Prize, and in 1993, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Home is her tenth novel.Frank Money has returned from the Korean War physically and psychologically damaged. To make matters worse, he returns to an America in the depths of the Jim Crow era, with lynchings and cross burnings. The murder of Emmett Till, and the bold stand by Rosa Parks were still in the future. He returns to his home, but finds it oddly strange – he barely recognizes once familiar people and places. He finds his younger sister suffering from medical abuse, and tries to rescue her. In order to do that, he must return to the Georgia town he hated all his life.Morrison describes Frank’s train ride home from Portland, Oregon. She writes, “Passing through freezing, poorly washed scenery, Frank tried to redecorate it, mind painting giant slashes of purple and X’s of gold on hills, dripping yellow and green on barren wheat fields. Hours of trying and failing to recolor the western landscape agitated him, but by the time he stepped off the train he was calm enough. The station noise was so abrasive, though, that he reached for a sidearm. None was there of course, so he leaned against a steel support until the panic died down” (27). Clearly, Frank suffered from what we now recognize as PTSD. However in 1952, Frank was unlikely to get help from the government, and he certainly was not likely to find any help or support in the community at large. Frank goes on a shopping trip for some new clothes with Billy. They buy Frank a suit at Goodwill, then head to a shoe store for work boots. When they come out of the store, they walk into some police activity. Morrison writes, “…during the random search outside the shoe store they just patted pockets, not the inside of work boots. Of the two other men facing the wall, one had his switchblade confiscated, the other a dollar bill. All four lay their hands on the hood of the patrol car parked at the curb. The younger officer noticed Frank’s medal. // ‘Korea?’ // ‘Yes, sir.’ // ‘Hey, Dick. They’re vets.’ // ‘Yeah?’ // ‘Yeah. Look.’ The officer pointed to Frank’s service medal. // ‘Go on. Get lost, pal.’ // The police incident was not worth comment so Frank and Billy walked off in silence” (37). Sounds a lot like the recently discontinued New York City policy of “stop and frisk.”Will Frank rediscover the courage he had in Korea? If you have not read Morrison in a while, Home, at a mere 145 pages will reintroduce the reader to this though-provoking, powerful writer. If you have not read anything by one of America’s great literary treasures – tsk, tsk – Home is a great place to start. 5 stars--Jim, 4/14/14

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

 This isn't a very long book, and it isn;t very hard to read, but it packs a punch - but it is surprisingly hard to put a finger on exactly why that is. Frank & Cee are brother & sister in the south. He escapes the deadbeat town by heading off to the Army and Korea. Cee gets into all sorts of scrapes, having always had her bog brother to look after her, she heads straight off the rails without him and ends up in a bit of a pickle. Cee's problem gets to Frank by a letter and he duly turns up to save her. But this time he can't out it right on his own and so they return to the small town that he hated so much. As time has passed, his experience of the town is much altered, and both of them show a sense of growth as people and the relationship between them changes. There is not a great deal of information in here, and you don't always know what is happening, or that what you do hear is the truth. But it is a compelling read.

[weeziesbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“Home” by Toni Morrison was a short book and easy to follow. It tells the story of Frank Money, his sister Cee and the lives they led as black Americans living in the South during very difficult times. Frank has always taken care of his sister from childhood, throughout the fleeing from Texas to their grandmother’s house until he is sent to fight in Korea. He returns a different person as many do after the terrors of war, but he still tries to save is sister again but there is an overarching question for me of who really needed saving. The characters in the book are very good, but it is a story with many sub plots for a short novel and connecting with the characters was difficult. It is a story of survival, discrimination, family and relationships. I give it a 3 star rating.

[c.archer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an incredibly beautiful but so painful story of an African American brother and sister (Frank and Cee), who grew up in the 50's. Their parents were basically forced from their home in Texas and left to move their family back home to Georgia where they move in with Grandpa and his resentful and selfish wife. The children are raised in poverty and without a speck of sentiment or kindness since their parents are working continuously to try to make ends meet. The only thing they have is each other. That tie is a strong one the later moves Frank to return, post-Korea, to the home that he has no desire to ever see again to save his sister.Ms. Morrison writes of loss, both of persons and self, and redemption. She uses no spare words, and because of that each sentence holds much meaning. Home is a quick read that will stay with me for a long time.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Powerful, painful, and moving.

[chrisblocker · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Toni Morrison is master of the English language. It doesn't matter if she's talking about flowers, or shoes, or syphilis, there is a rhythm to her words that feeds beautifully from one sentence to the next. It's that thing called “flow” students of creative writing are taught, the same flow instructors of creative writing have difficulty teaching. If I were a teacher of creative writing, and a student asked me to explain flow, I'd open up any Morrison novel to a random page of narrative and begin reading aloud. I'd ask the class to pay close attention to the placing of each noun and verb, the structure of one sentence and the next, the choice and sound of each word. I imagine it is an experience to hear Morrison read aloud.

Morrison is also a very talented storyteller, when she has a story to tell. I've heard it said that she ran out of stories in the late 1980s (the Nobel curse, some say). I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I do feel that of the handful of Morrison novels I have read, the most memorable were those from the first half of her career. Her newer works are still brilliant in their language, but as I walk away from them, I feel as if I've read a beautiful collection of poetry that offered no lasting imagery.

Home is such a work, however a clear step up from the previous A Mercy, a novel so thin on story it is forgotten before one can return the book to the shelf. The chronology and perspectives of Home are presented in a way which capitalizes on the language but doesn't do as much for the story. Nevertheless, there is a story here, still thin but recognizable, memorable and slightly haunting.

Before I return to any of Morrison's post-Beloved titles, I believe I'll explore her entire catalog of the 70s and 80s. I like both storytelling-Morrison and linguistic-Morrison, but most days I'd take a good story over a beautifully crafted drawn-out vignette.

[janeajones · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to start the year's reading on a high note, so I decided to read Morrison's latest book. It fit the bill -- spare, profound, humane. Morrison's recent books don't have the rich and lush descriptions of Song of Solomon or Beloved, but their resonance continues to ring deeply as she reveals the heart of the American experience.

[elsyd_19 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Better a short story in a magazine than a book. Cee's story, while the most interesting is left undeveloped.

[tangledthread · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Toni Morrison's newest book, Home, is a beautifully written story about a sister and brother growing up in Jim Crow south. Frank Money is a Korean war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress. His sister, Cee, has suffered trauma of her own. Together they find home, and healing.

[peggygillman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Much like The Pairs Wife, I wasn’t thrilled by this book until the end. It was a little bit of a surprise ending as we find out that the soldier who killed the little Korean girl was our hero. And the sister became a bastion of strength. This was a good little book. 6/15/12

[tea58 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel, Home,is mainly about Frank Money and his sister, Cee and their family. The brother and sister love one another deeply. However, the love between a brother and sister can’t protect neither one from the sharpness of emotional pain. While Frank fights on the war front in Korea, Cee is home in Lotus, Georgia fighting poverty and discrimination during 1938. Toni Morrison’s novel helped me see better the underside of war. Still, there is no way, I believe, to fully understand a veteran’s battle without fighting in a war like these men and in our time women. It hurts to lose one friend to death. How must it feel to lose three close friends? I think the pain would be unimaginable. War brings out the worse in the best of men. This is one of the secrets from the war so disturbing to Frank’s mind.Then, there is the pain only truly understood by another woman. When a woman wants a child and finds out this is not possible for whatever reason life becomes deeply painful like a deep scratch without a scab. Children are all around her. Where can she hide from what her heart so desires? Cee fights with the fact daily that she can’t bare a baby. Cee begins to see the faces of children wherever she goes or while she is looking at whatever she looked at around her.“You know that toothless smile babies have?” she said. “I keep seeing it. I saw it in a green pepper once. Another time a cloud curled in such a way it looked like….”Ultimately, the novel confirms that life is possible after the worst of circumstances comes my way. The spirit is indomitable it seems.“The sun, having sucked away the blue from the sky, loitered there in a white heaven, menacing Lotus, torturing its landscape, but failing, failing, constantly failing to silence it: children still laughed, ran, shouted…”