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Books like Bailey's Café

Bailey's Café

1993Gloria Naylor

4.2/5

Bailey's Cafe is the first book I've read in a long time that shares the same kind of atmosphere of friendship, magic and lifelong connections as books like Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, except in this case, it's in a beautifully-written Brooklyn setting. Naylor is perfect at coming the elements of magical realism with detailed characters together, and while the book is short stories, it reads just like a full-length novel.No character in Bailey's Cafe is perfect, because they're not supposed to be. Instead they're all human beings who've chosen this small place to gather from time to time passing their stories around. Do these little cafes where everyone knows everyone even still exist anymore? The nostalgia element really adds an extra spark of charm to the story, but what really makes it an unforgettable book is the way these characters are old friends and everything is so interconnected. The author has a different sort of tone for each type of character yet somehow it all fits together as they seek redemption and hope in the one place that offers solace.I really loved this book and I'd definitely want to read it again. While at times quite dark and featuring less-than-savoury characters, that's part of what makes it so good. Both deep and vivid, Bailey's Cafe seems like one of those books that's just destined to become a classic in decades to come.

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