HEY guess what, when Toni Morrison says something is "required reading" you should listen to her.

This is so powerful and also beautifully-written. I knew this was an important book for me (for all Americans) to read but I thought it might be a bit of "homework" (just an unfortunate attitude I have sometimes about reading nonfiction even though I generally enjoy it), but the style is so lovely it kept me turning the page through material that was hard to read.