3.5 stars

Some babies are born with the amniotic membrane still covering the body which is referred to as a veil or caul. African Americans believe the caul holds special powers and provide the gift of side. The women in the Melanchon family has the unique ability to reproduce their caul when it is cut off and they are known for providing this magical, healing membrane to the whites in their community. This is the family's source of wealth and when they discover a precious child with a caul, they take her in to raise as one of their own. As little baby Hallow grows she notices that things are not quite right in the Melanchon household.

During this time, Harlem is experiencing gentrification and the black community has banded together against the Melanchon family because of their refusal to provide the healing power of the caul to them. CAUL BABY explores familial relationships, secrets, betrayal and prejudice within the black community, The elements of magic and the supernatural is what held my attention with this book.

A gorgeous book that both entertained and educated me. Jerkins has such a way with words and building a rich, vibrant world with her writing. I was gripped by the plot and didn’t want the story to end.

This was a daring, topical story but it fell flat for me. I’d just read a couple other, more successful, witchy books that seemed to more precisely get to what Jerkins was trying to do here. A huge fan of Jerkins’ nonfiction I would t dissuade anyone from reading her work. Perhaps if I had greater ties to either Harlem or the lore of the caul I might have found myself more invested. Alas it wasn’t for me.

I am very rarely a fan of magical realism. However, the characters and events in this story really drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite the BIG magical realism piece. The Melancon women were all born with a caul, which they keep and protects them from harm. They also discovered they can give (or sell) pieces of it to others to protect them from harm or illness. This has become their business and way of life. The Danville sisters encounter the Melancon's with a tragic outcome and the two families lives become inextricably intertwined, but neither knows it. The rest of the story takes place over 20 years, and comes to a dramatic climax. I did feel the middle of the story dragged on a little bit, and would have liked to hear a little more from the Danville side of the story during the middle of the book. Overall a great, compelling read.

This novel has a lot going on and it's all good. A successfully enthralling addition to the genre of magical realism. I honestly wouldn't have minded if it were longer--which is really saying something.

Caul Baby was my pick for PopSugar's 2021 Reading Challenge prompt for a book featuring magical realism. To most, magic might be the stuff of superstition, but to the characters in Morgan Jerkins' Caul Baby, it is very, very real. In this story highlighting the Black experience in Harlem, NY, babies who are born with a caul, an extra layer of skin draped over them at birth, possess mystical powers. Their caul can heal not only themselves, but others in need. In the case of Caul Baby, the Melancon women are known for being caul bearers, and they do indeed sell their caul, literal pieces of themselves, to those needing its healing powers.

Caul Baby focuses on two families - the caul-bearing Melancons, a multi-generational family who originally hail from Louisiana, and Laila, a woman desperate to bring a pregnancy to term, and her secretly pregnant niece, Amara. When Laila tries, but fails, to purchase a piece of caul from the Melancons and later suffers a miscarriage, the experience breaks her and she is never the same. She takes her wrath out on the Melancons, not knowing that her niece Amara is soon to deliver a caul baby and unknowingly give it to the Melancons by way of adoption. That baby is Hallow, who will become the saving grace that the Melancons need after their failure to produce caul-bearing heirs of their own. Years down the line, past meets present when Amara, now a successful assistant district attorney has her eyes on the Melancons and their seemingly shady dealings, not knowing that they are the ones who raised her daughter.

If you are a fan of black literary fiction - think Tayari Jones, Jacqueline Woodson, Jesmyn Ward - you have likely read a book like Caul Baby before, but what makes Caul Baby stand apart from other novels detailing the Black experience in America is the mysticism of the caul. While you will still get a family saga with Caul Baby, where multiple generations of Black women push back against the system put in place to pigeonhole and marginalize them, you also get a story steeped in Black culture and history. Altogether, this makes for a satisfyingly educational read.

Caul Baby's downside comes in its writing style. Jerkins writes this story from a distance, as if the reader is outside looking in. And while technically this is true, I prefer a more personal reading experience where I am allowed to get closer to the characters. Because of the distance Jerkins creates between the characters and reader, I felt sometimes detached and not invested in this story, although I was still entertained enough to follow through to see how it all plays out.

WHAT A COOL CONCEPT! Most people know about cauls, the extra membrane of skin that can be born over a baby's face and is considered good or bad, depending on the culture. In this case, cauls are precious and the Melancons control the market. The cauls protect them from harm, but they can sell it off for huge prices, piece by piece, but then they refuse to help someone and everything goes to hell. It's a great fictional debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Books for an e-ARC of this intriguing, thought-provoking debut fiction novel from Morgan Jerkins. A much longer review to follow but I very much enjoyed this novel.

Morgan Jerkin’s debut novel 𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙡 𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙮 labors through an abundance of issues affecting a Black Harlem community—disparities in Black motherhood, racial inequality in the justice system, and gentrification. Notwithstanding, this novel also births a series of other concerns for readers about the decisions we ultimately make for and about our family—it questions how much secrets, betrayal, trauma, and forgiveness factor into our generational legacies or curses. Both family lines—Melancons and Danvilles—must learn to embrace the truths that lay themselves bare and open when all the magic wears off and disappears.

What 𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙡 𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙮 pushes hard in this narrative is the struggle of Black motherhood. Vulnerability and motherhood—the road is tough and laden with difficulty for so many in America—but very much so for Black women. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, “researchers found that of the 658 women who died of maternal causes in 2018, Black women fared the worst, dying 2½ times more often than white women (37.1 vs 14.7 deaths per 100,000 live births).” So, when you read in the novel: “𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘦,” then it’s hard not to agree with the sentiment: “All skinfolk ain’t kinfolk!” Maman is not a likable character and failed to treat Black women in her Harlem community with the dignity and respect they deserved. Black women deserve the utmost care and opportunity to be mothers, too.

𝘾𝙖𝙪𝙡 𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙮 is a complex novel that expounds on so many other topics that my review cannot contain it so please make it one of your book babies before the year is out.

3.5 stars. I was taken by the plot of this book about a long-established family in Harlem who sell pieces of caul to help the sick and infertile. The family secrets, the upset neighbors, the politics of New York City all make for an intriguing storyline. However the writing didn't grab me and at some points bored me. I never felt a true connection to the characters. Still a worthy book with lots to discuss which would make it a good choice for a book club.

Caul Baby is imaginative. It is a story of black empowerment. Morgan Jenkins wrote this story with her heart and soul and her passion is evident in this book. Caul Baby while it has a magical realism element to it has the appeal of being about people that you know. It is a great book for anyone open to a unique telling of a black family's story and is searching for a creative take on this narrative.

A book best experienced without too much summary in advance, Caul Baby is a triumphant classic in the making. Although it contains elements of magic and mysticism, the novel is firmly planted in reality and addresses issues of race, class, exploitation, abuse and trauma, police brutality, and family secrets. The weight of these topics does not hold back an airy quality of the story, however, and in many ways the story and families at its center seem to exist outside of time. Motherhood transcends these bounds of magic and reality to allow story’s heart of hope to shine through.

Wow, from page one I was sucked in, I couldn't put this book down. Bravo Morgan, job well done.

I don’t even know where to even start with this book. First off, what the heck is a caul baby? Had to look that up and if you’re curious let me tell you. An en caul birth is when the baby comes out still inside an intact amniotic sac (caul). I looked up images and wow, creepy, but fascinating! So, the premise of this story is genius on Jerkins part, the story follows several generations of Black women, Laila wants more than anything to become a mother but has suffered several miscarriages. She hopes the Melancon family might help her; they are infamous in the community for their caul, a layer of skin with healing powers. The Melancons fuse this precious membrane to their babies at birth so that it can later be cut off and sold, mainly to wealthy, white customers. When Laila tries to obtain a piece to protect her unborn child, she is rejected, and the baby dies. I have read Jerkins last two books and in reading this one I can see the growth in her writing style.

I highly recommend this book, Thank you, @harperbooks for this gifted copy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COQXhmPLa...

New York Times bestselling author Morgan Jerkins is a prolific nonfiction writer. With her previous works, THIS WILL BE MY UNDOING and WANDERING IN STRANGE LANDS, she firmly established herself as a writer who is able to blend personal experience with social commentary in a way that resonates long after you turn the last page. With CAUL BABY, one of 2021's most highly anticipated releases, she takes her brilliance to another level and gives birth to her identity as a stellar fiction writer.

Morgan Jerkins' Caul Baby is one of those wonderful novels where the plot becomes increasingly tightly-knit while simultaneously broadening in scope. New characters have surprising connections to old characters; past events become forces in the present.

Caul Baby explores contemporary issues of Black identity—pregnancy and motherhood; gentrification; education, opportunity, and political compromise—and pairs these with a touch of what may or may not be magical realism, depending on your belief system. The pace of the novel feels slow at first because Jerkins takes time to explore her characters and to let readers get to know them; near the end, the pace picks up for a conclusion most readers won't see coming.

I don't want to say a lot about the plot here because a synopsis may make it sound like less than it is. Just trust me—if you enjoy contemporary fiction, this title belongs on your to-read list.

I received a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions are my own.

So this book took a minute for me to get addicted to it, but once I hit that sweet spot, baby, I couldn't get enough of this book. I switched from reading to listening, and the narrator brought this book to life for me. Shout out to Joniece Abbott-Pratt for narrating the hell out of this book!  

Morgan Jerkins takes us on a journey, ok?! She is a griot! In all the meanings of the word 'griot,' she is it. The way she explores the various topics in this book, was amazing! She has school in this book and teaches you all sorts of lessons that you didn't even know you NEEDED, ok?! I am so hyped by this book, this review is not going to be like all the others, I can already see, but I'm going to try to make sense of my thoughts about what I read in this masterpiece.

First of all, this book is about BLACKNESS. HISTORY. ANCESTORS. LOVE. HONESTY. HOPE. TRUTH. LOSS. CULTURE. EXPECTATIONS. RESPECT. WOMANHOOD. FAMILY. BONDS.

This book is a journey, and not a sprint... this book transcends all that you thought and makes you take a look into your internal biases, your external biases, how you were raised, how you are raising your kids, your life, your relationships, your self-worth... I can go on and on, there is just so much beyond what you read here in this story. Though she tells a great story, this book is so multilayered that you could talk about the issues in this book for decades. This book deals with grief, loss, betrayal, drama, history, family, Black motherhood, feminism, and a host of other topics. There is also a historical lesson on the significance of caul births, the magical properties that are believed to be associated with caul births, and how this family is trying to keep its history and bloodline intact for the future.

Laila Reserve is a woman you first meet in the story, and she takes you through tragedy and loss. You get to witness her pain and her desperation as she's trying to save her most recent pregnancy from loss. However, when she reaches out to the Melancon Family for some added protection, they turn her away, and she loses her baby, which sends her on a downward spiral deep into depression.

Laila's niece, Amara, has an unwanted pregnancy, and she decides to keep her pregnancy a secret and gives her baby up for adoption as she feels she is not ready to be a mother.

Josephine Melancon, has also experienced grief and pregnancy loss and is surprised when a baby is brought to her for her to raise. Although she's in the family business of selling caul to high end clients to, we see how this conflicts with her morals as she comes to understand that there is a price to pay to keep her family together.

Maman, the matriarch of the Melancon family, is tough, and she's not here to play. She's here to win and put her family in a better financial situation to last generations. However, there comes a point where even she can't protect everyone and has to make a decision on how she's going to either continue or let go.

Hallow, the precious 'Caul Baby,' is the future. We get to see her grow up and come to an understanding of how her life serves it's purpose in her family. However, she too is not immune to what's going on in her family's life and house, and she has to make hard choices in order to live life in a way that is going to make her happy.

Morgan Jerkins takes you on a history lesson of caul, and what that means in terms of the properties in which some people believe in its properties.

<i>The veil in African American culture is a mystical dimension of a spiritual belief system that traveled with slaves on the Middle Passage. An infant “born with a veil” of fetal membrane enveloping the head was interpreted as supernaturally gifted with a second sight, an ability to see into the future. Likewise, the seventh child of a seventh child would also be gifted with spiritual powers. The veil, also called a caul, like roots, charms, and conjurers, is a vivid aspect of African American spiritual, literary, and folklore tradition.</i>

There is also another duality about the caul, and how Blacks and Whites are different, and how white people have an inability to view Black people as worthy and treat Black people as something they appropriate or take from them, but don't want to be like or associated with, other than getting something they want from them that they deem valuable.

Jerkins also explores exploitation of how Black people can exploit or take advantage of each other for gain. In the case of Maman, she only views people based on how useful they can be to the household or to her financially, and if they are not useful, they should be discarded or abandoned.

Topics that I felt stood out to me:
- Black motherhood
- Loss (child loss, marital loss, parental relationship loss between mothers & daughters)
- Feminism
- Adoption (stigma of adopting in Black families)
- Infertility (lack of conversation about infertility historically in Black families)
- Marriage/relationships
- Gentrification (the dangerous presence of white people in Black communities)
- Karen's/Todd's (calling the police on Black people)
- Teen pregnancy
- Black culture/high expectations
- Black Bourgeoisie (looking down on regular Black people +negative thoughts of Black elite)
- Root magic/Blood magic/spiritual
- Being born special or "touched" in the Black community
- Child abuse
- Betrayal
- Drama, gossip & pettiness in Black communities
- Disrespect
- Mental health

TW: miscarriage, child abuse (cutting, burning, etc.), infertility, abandonment, mental health

Jerkins also has a brilliant sense of tension that she has in this book that keeps you captivated the entire time. She weaves this story together, and illuminates the cracks in the wall, the monsters hiding behind the doors, the beacons of light in the community, the safe havens that can be found, the love that is always there but can be misguided or misdirected, the miscommunication and untrustworthiness that can happen because of racial animosity, the generational trauma that plagues the Black community because of slavery and segregation and demoralization and criminalization of our people for hundreds of years, the post traumatic stress that envelops Black people from birth, the constant hands-out/touching/petting/appropriating of whiteness, the danger, trauma, and horror of gentrification in historically Black communities, and the resilience of Black women who are often left to fend for themselves when loss occurs.

Overall this book will leave you mesmerized with heavy thought. Morgan Jerkins created a masterpiece. Her book reminds me of Tina McElroy Ansa's book "Baby of the Family" which also discussed a caul birth, but Jerkins goes DEEP! This book will be on my mind for a significantly long time. 5 stars.

Thank you to Morgan Jerkins, NetGalley, and Harper Books for this book in exchange for a fair and honest opinion.

I enjoyed the weirdness of this book but did tire of the struggle after struggle. The writing is great and the atmosphere is rich.

Motherhood, the meaning of family, the gentrification of a neighborhood that families have spent generations defining...all of these are tackled in Caul Baby. Beautifully written

The premise of this book drew me in, however the concept was different once underway. The writing felt flat and detached in a way that prevented me from connecting to the characters. I was curious as to where the story was going simply because it was so unusual, but not for the sake of a connection to the characters, which felt imbalanced. The main character was facing a difficult situation that I could related to, but I didn't connect with her or feel the emotions she was feeling. Something was off. I felt as if I was reading about the story rather than the story itself. As I described it to a friend, I felt as if I was still reading flap cop.y.

A family of caulbearers (women who give birth to their babies en caul which grant them healing abilities) in Harlem has been making a living by selling their gifts, mostly to the wealthy white denizens of Manhattan. When Laila, a woman who has experiences a number of miscarriages already, reaches out the this family seeking their gifts, their comfortable existence is upended. Jerkins explores motherhood, family, gentrification, and community in this stunning and supernatural novel.