Table of Contents

Part I God, Gods, and Spirits in African Life: Song of Solomon, Beloved, Tar Baby, and Jazz; Chapter 1 Ancient Ancestral Folklore in Song of Solomon; Chapter 2 The Influence of African Cosmological Beliefs in Beloved; Chapter 3 Tar Baby and the Ancient Folktales of Africa; Chapter 4 Jazz and African Ancestral Cultures and Traditions; Part II A Circle of Friends: Communities of Women in The Bluest Eye, Sula, Tar Baby, Beloved, Jazz, and Paradise; Chapter 5 The Failure of Community in The Bluest Eye; Chapter 6 The Rejection of Community in Sula; Chapter 7 Ancient Properties and Communal Connection in Tar Baby; Chapter 8 The Power of Community in Beloved; Chapter 9 Jazz and Community Values; Chapter 10 Paradise : The Final Frontier;