Home › Fiction › Brown Girl, Brownstones
Critically Recognized
  • Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paule Marshall book cover
  • Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paule Marshall book cover
1 2

Brown Girl, Brownstones

by Paule Marshall

Ambition, inheritance, and belonging in Brooklyn

$16.68 USD
$27.80 USD $16.68 USD
Save 40%

Paperback New

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.
Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praised by Saturday Review as “passionate” and “compelling”

    Attributed critical praise for the novel.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Ambition, inheritance, and belonging in Brooklyn

Set in Brooklyn during the Depression and World War II, Paule Marshall’s coming-of-age novel follows Selina amid her parents’ opposing visions: her mother’s effort to build a future in the city and her father’s longing to return to Barbados. Poverty and racism shape Selina’s everyday circumstances, while the close-knit Barbadian immigrant community gives the story a specific social and cultural setting. The novel also brings West Indian and African-American identities into conversation, framing Selina’s growth through questions of family, memory, and where home might be.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in coming-of-age fiction centered on a young African-American woman.
  • Readers seeking novels about Barbadian immigrant communities and cross-cultural identity.
  • Readers interested in fiction set in Brooklyn during the Depression and World War II.

Themes

Coming of age and self-discoveryFamily ambition and nostalgiaPoverty and racismImmigration, identity, and belonging

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"An unforgettable novel, written with pride and anger, with rebellion and tears." -- Herald Tribune Book Review"Passionate, compelling . . . an impressive accomplishment." -- Saturday Review"Remarkable for its courage, its color, and its natural control." -- The New Yorker
Selina's mother wants to stay in Brooklyn and earn enough money to buy a brownstone row house, but her father dreams only of returning to his island home. Torn between a romantic nostalgia for the past and a driving ambition for the future, Selina also faces the everyday burdens of poverty and racism. Written by and about an African-American woman, this coming-of-age story unfolds during the Depression and World War II. Its setting -- a close-knit community of immigrants from Barbados -- is drawn from the author's own experience, as are the lilting accents and vivid idioms of the characters' speech. Paule Marshall's 1959 novel was among the first to portray the inner life of a young female African-American, as well as depicting the cross-cultural conflict between West Indians and American blacks. It remains a vibrant, compelling tale of self-discovery.
Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews

You may also like

View all