{"product_id":"recitatif-story-toni-morrison-9780593315033","title":"Recitatif by Toni Morrison","description":"\u003csection class=\"product-description\" style=\"color: #1a1a1a; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.75em; margin-bottom: 15px; border-bottom: 2px solid #8B0000; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eRecitatif: A Story\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \n  \u003ctable style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 0.95em; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n    \u003ctbody\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000; width: 30%;\"\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003e9780593315033\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003eISBN-10\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003e0593315030\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003eAuthor\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eToni Morrison\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003eContributor\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eZadie Smith (Introduction)\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003eBinding\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eHardcover\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003ePublisher\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eFebruary 2022\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003ePages\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003e96\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003eSubjects\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eLiterary Fiction, Short Story, African American Literature\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n  \u003c\/table\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eExtended Synopsis\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eOriginally published in 1983, \u003cem\u003eRecitatif\u003c\/em\u003e stands as Toni Morrison’s only short story and functions as a profound literary experiment in racial ambiguity. The narrative traces the intersecting lives of two women, Twyla and Roberta, who first forge a fleeting but deep bond as eight-year-old girls placed in the St. Bonaventure shelter. Bound by their shared innocence and the mutual uncertainty of their familial situations, they find solace in each other's company. However, as they grow into adulthood, their paths continue to cross in vastly different socio-economic contexts—at a diner, in a grocery store, and amidst a charged school integration protest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eThroughout these reunions, the evolving dynamics of their relationship reveal shifting perceptions, unreliable memories, and unspoken socio-political tensions. Morrison executes a brilliant structural maneuver by deliberately omitting explicit identifiers regarding which character is Black and which is white. This intentional ambiguity forces readers to continuously confront their own ingrained assumptions, biases, and the subconscious reliance on racial coding. Featuring eloquent prose and deep psychological insight, this stand-alone edition offers a timeless exploration of empathy, the fault lines of memory, and the human impulse to categorize others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eIntended Audience\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eThis thought-provoking work is ideal for adult readers of literary fiction and essential material for literature courses and book club discussions. It is highly recommended for audiences interested in structural literary experiments, the psychology of memory, and rigorous academic analyses of race and identity in American literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eToni Morrison\u003c\/strong\u003e (1931–2019) was an internationally revered novelist, essayist, and editor whose monumental works redefined the landscape of American literature. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, she was celebrated for her visionary power and poetic narrative style, deeply examining the intricacies of African American history, identity, and belonging. Her most famous works include the Pulitzer Prize-winning \u003cem\u003eBeloved\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSong of Solomon\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Bluest Eye\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAccolades \u0026amp; Recognition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul style=\"margin-bottom: 25px; padding-left: 20px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eAuthored by a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning literary master.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eFeatures an exclusive, insightful introduction by critically acclaimed, bestselling author Zadie Smith.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eIncludes integrated discussion questions designed for academic and book club engagement.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eRelated Titles\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul style=\"margin-bottom: 25px; padding-left: 20px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eBeloved\u003c\/em\u003e by Toni Morrison\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eSong of Solomon\u003c\/em\u003e by Toni Morrison\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eThe Bluest Eye\u003c\/em\u003e by Toni Morrison\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"Book\",\n    \"name\": \"Recitatif: A Story\",\n    \"author\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Person\",\n      \"name\": \"Toni Morrison\"\n    },\n    \"contributor\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Person\",\n      \"name\": \"Zadie Smith\"\n    },\n    \"isbn\": \"9780593315033\",\n    \"numberOfPages\": \"96\",\n    \"publisher\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n      \"name\": \"Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group\"\n    },\n    \"datePublished\": \"2022-02\",\n    \"bookFormat\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/Hardcover\",\n    \"description\": \"Toni Morrison’s only short story, Recitatif, is a brilliant experiment in racial ambiguity, featuring an introduction by Zadie Smith.\"\n  }\n  \u003c\/script\u003e\n\n  \u003chr style=\"border: 0; height: 1px; background: #8B0000; margin: 30px 0;\"\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.1em; letter-spacing: 0.5px;\"\u003eBust-Down Books: Armed With Education\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"Bust-Down Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50306275246395,"sku":"0593315030","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9780593315033.jpg?v=1781021844","url":"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/recitatif-story-toni-morrison-9780593315033","provider":"Bust-Down Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}