Unwaveringly staring into the abyss of slavery, this captivating novel transforms history into a narrative that is as powerful as the Exodus and as intimate as a lullaby. Sethe, the protagonist, was born a slave and fled to Ohio, but eighteen years later, she is still not free. She carries too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many horrific things happened. Sethe's new home is haunted by the spirit of her baby, who died nameless and whose gravestone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Filled with bitter poetry and a tension as taut as a rope, Beloved is an outstanding work.