Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo (1982) by Ntozake Shange is a novel about three African American sisters—Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo—and their journey toward empowerment. Set in the 1960s and 1970s, it explores their individual quests for identity through a narrative woven with dreams, diary entries, recipes, and spiritual elements tied to their Gullah heritage. The novel begins in Charleston, South Carolina, with Indigo’s coming-of-age and moves through Sassafrass's struggles as an artist, Cypress’s challenges in the dance world, and the sisters’ eventual reunion. Themes of family, self-actualization, and empowerment resonate throughout the story.
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