Caul Baby

By: Morgan Jerkins

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times bestselling author Morgan Jerkins makes her fiction debut with this electrifying novel for fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Jacqueline Woodson that brings to life one powerful and enigmatic family in a tale rife with secrets, betrayal, intrigue, and magic.

Laila desperately wants to become a mother, but each of her previous pregnancies has ended in heartbreak. This time has to be different, so she turns to the Melancons, an old and powerful Harlem family known for their caul, a precious layer of skin that is the secret source of their healing power.

When a deal for Laila to acquire a piece of caul falls through, she is heartbroken, but when the child is stillborn, she is overcome with grief and rage. What she doesn't know is that a baby will soon be delivered in her family—by her niece, Amara, an ambitious college student—and delivered to the Melancons to raise as one of their own. Hallow is special: she's born with a caul, and their matriarch, Maman, predicts the girl will restore the family's prosperity.

Growing up, Hallow feels that something in her life is not right. Did Josephine, the woman she calls mother, really bring her into the world? Why does her cousin Helena get to go to school and roam the streets of New York freely while she's confined to the family's decrepit brownstone?

As the Melancons' thirst to maintain their status grows, Amara, now a successful lawyer running for district attorney, looks for a way to avenge her longstanding grudge against the family. When mother and daughter cross paths, Hallow will be forced to decide where she truly belongs.

Engrossing, unique, and riveting, Caul Baby illuminates the search for familial connection, the enduring power of tradition, and the dark corners of the human heart.

©2021 Morgan Jerkins (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Good performance.

The narrarator was good. Took to long to get to the main point of the story. The ending was wrapped up to fast.

Loved It

I enjoyed this book from start to finish! Good read! Definitely well written and I enjoyed the voices.

Unique Story

The story was interesting. Characters were well developed. My only complaint is that it came to a conclusion too quickly. Some of the mid-story stuff could have been shortened to allow for more development at the end.

love the story

it was a great story, I was happy to know that it was not about discrediting black woman.

Riveting Read!

Listened to it straight through. Mystery, a touch of macabre, history and action kept me engaged.

Thoroughly enjoyed!

I loved the story. There are real families of healers. A great nod to the history of a people believed to be forgotten.

I love you

I think you could have a good chance . I am very interested. I think you

Is this real?

For me, the mark of a good story is if it has me wondering if what’s going on in it is real. That’s what first struck me about “Caul Baby,” it’s a work of fiction but it’s written like the circumstances were snatched right from real life. The other thing that marks this a good book for me is days after finishing it, my mind wandered back to what happened to the ladies as the book was ending and I wanted to go back and listen to that part again. Good job, Morgan Jerkins! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Not Sure About This One

There’s a lot of what I would call the Louisiana back story mixed in with a modern scenario. There are also a lot of unnecessary details not needed to make the story work. Most puzzling is the last chapter where it was said that no one knew what happened to Josephine followed by a detailed description of what happened to Josephine. Nevertheless the less, I wish Morgan a successful career and look forward to more of her work.

Caul Baby Reader Review

Book was an enjoyable read but a lot of holes in plot. It's worth reading.