Motherhood, the meaning of family, the gentrification of a neighborhood that families have spent generations defining...all of these are tackled in Caul Baby. Beautifully written

The premise of this book drew me in, however the concept was different once underway. The writing felt flat and detached in a way that prevented me from connecting to the characters. I was curious as to where the story was going simply because it was so unusual, but not for the sake of a connection to the characters, which felt imbalanced. The main character was facing a difficult situation that I could related to, but I didn't connect with her or feel the emotions she was feeling. Something was off. I felt as if I was reading about the story rather than the story itself. As I described it to a friend, I felt as if I was still reading flap cop.y.

A family of caulbearers (women who give birth to their babies en caul which grant them healing abilities) in Harlem has been making a living by selling their gifts, mostly to the wealthy white denizens of Manhattan. When Laila, a woman who has experiences a number of miscarriages already, reaches out the this family seeking their gifts, their comfortable existence is upended. Jerkins explores motherhood, family, gentrification, and community in this stunning and supernatural novel.

This is a unique novel that spans over 2 decades about tradition, belonging, & family. A baby born with a caul is considered magical, born with a gift to heal and extremely rare. Set in Harlem, the infamous Melancon women have been selling bits of their caul to heal others in exchange for large sums to maintain their lifestyles, status & to etch their life into Harlem long term. But it turns out, this comes with consequences. The dominating matriarch hides them within the confines of their brownstone home because she believes in how highly valuable their caul is. As Harlem is gentrified through the decades, and people start to get pushed out of the neighborhood, the Melancon’s brownstone and their own lives crumbles within those walls. With the women inside desperate to get out from under their oppressive matriarch, their need to survive goes head to head with outsiders who blame them for the not helping their own black women.

Laila is the latest to be turned down, after losing numerous pregnancies, she was desperate for the caul to save her last pregnancy. As Laila’s life unravels and she goes into depressive psychosis, her niece, Amara starts to plan her revenge against the Melancons but she has her own secret as well.

Hallow is the newest baby born with a caul. She is the successor of the Melancons but has she gets older, she has plans of her own to give back to the black community. I felt a bit let down by the ending. I wanted more of this part of the book – where Hallow sparks a plan to help out the community.

I really enjoyed this novel once I got into it, but the introductory chapters seemed irrelevant until about the last 1/3 of the book. Those events and characters came back into focus later, but some interplay between the two storylines throughout the book would have helped. All in all, an interesting read about folklore, family, even gentrification in Harlem. Highly recommend.

I’m judging a 2021 fiction contest. It’d be generous to call what I’m doing upon my first cursory glance—reading. I also don’t take this task lightly. As a fellow writer and lover of words and books, I took this position—in hopes of being a good literary citizen. My heart aches for all the writers who have a debut at this time. What I can share now is the thing that held my attention and got this book from the perspective pile into the read further pile.

Stunning prose. “Her body was desolate land, each crack in her earth a forewarning from the last child to future ones that this place was no home. Some of the fetuses grew, saw the dents of their past siblings in her womb, and joined them in the ether. After they disappeared, they left a hollow hole as a reminder of what could have been.”

This book is very well-written and the writer is definitely talented. The prose is sharp and insightful, and there's both humor and depth. The story feels unique and vibrant, but wasn't quite for my personal taste, which is why it's 4 instead of 5 stars. Even still, I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested; you won't be disappointed by the writer's excellent sentences, and the pacing is great.

Caul Baby is Morgan Jerkin’s first novel, following two books of nonfiction/memoir. The novel follows two main families: the Melancons, born with the gift of the caul, a protective layer of skin with the capability for healing themselves and others, and the sisters Leila, Denise and daughter Amara. While Leila suffers the trauma of miscarriage and seeks the help with from the Melancons to get the protection of the caul, another baby is born with caul in the circle of these women. The narrative bounces back and forth between the families after their birth, following the rippling effects of the choices each woman makes and how it ultimately brings them together, despite grief and rage. It’s hard to talk about the plot without spoilers, but it kept me flipping through. The concept is fascinating and Jerkins does well to layer the redemptive emotions of the characters against the questionable actions they take from the responsibility they feel to their families. There’s also the larger themes of community and connection, with gentrifying Harlem serving as the backdrop for distrust within and between families and neighbors.

I appreciated watching the character development of women coming into their strength and fighting the desire of freedom versus the roles expected of them. Jerkins teases out this tension over the course of the novel for multiple characters. At the same time, there were moments of exposition that felt a bit contrived, and the end of the novel felt too much like a roll of credits and rush for a happy ending. That said, it’s a worthwhile read and one I hope to discuss with some folks here.

Loved this book—the writing was spot on and the story was unlike one I had ever read before. I appreciated the intersectional storytelling and the fact that all of the characters were flawed yet sympathetic. Highly recommend this book!