Paradise

Published in 1998, 'Paradise' is Toni Morrison's longest novel and concludes a trilogy that includes 'Beloved' and 'Jazz'.

The story is set in the all-black town of Ruby, Oklahoma, which was founded by nine African American clans in the 1940s.

The novel explores the town's self-imposed isolation and its rigid hierarchies, as well as the tension between Ruby and the nearby Convent, a former mansion inhabited by a group of women with troubled pasts.

The narrative is structured into nine sections, each named after a female character, and it delves into themes of community, violence, and the search for a utopian 'paradise'.

The book also examines Christian theology, particularly through the contrasting visions of two reverends, and highlights the importance of love, self-determination, and freedom.