Song of Solomon

First published in 1977, Song of Solomon is Toni Morrison’s richly imagined novel of family, memory and the search for belonging. Milkman Dead, born into a prosperous Black family in Michigan, grows up insulated by his father’s wealth and estranged from the histories that might give his life meaning. When the possibility of hidden gold draws him towards his family’s southern roots, his journey becomes something far more profound: an encounter with generations of ancestors, buried truths and the stories that survive beyond written records. Along the way, Morrison conjures an unforgettable cast of characters, among them the enigmatic Pilate Dead, whose independence and deep connection to the past stand in striking contrast to Milkman’s restless self-absorption.

Blending the rhythms of oral storytelling with biblical allusion, folklore and the shape of the epic quest, Song of Solomon explores the relationship between personal identity and collective memory. Morrison’s prose moves between the everyday and the mythic, finding extraordinary depth in the lives, language and traditions of Black American communities. Awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1977, the novel established Morrison as a major voice in American letters and remains one of the central works in her exploration of ancestry, freedom and the legacies that shape the living.

From the book

“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”

— Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon

On Song of Solomon

“The last 100 pages are a triumph.”

— John Leonard, The New York Times Book Review