Laila desperately wants to become a mother, but each of her previous pregnancies has ended in heartbreak. This time has to be different, so she turns to the Melancons, an old and powerful Harlem family known for their caul, a precious layer of skin that is the secret source of their healing power.
When a deal for Laila to acquire a piece of caul falls through, she is heartbroken, but when the child is stillborn, she is overcome with grief and rage. What she doesn’t know is that a baby will soon be delivered in her family—by her niece, Amara, an ambitious college student—and delivered to the Melancons to raise as one of their own. Hallow is special: she’s born with a caul, and their matriarch, Maman, predicts the girl will restore the family’s prosperity.
Growing up, Hallow feels that something in her life is not right. Did Josephine, the woman she calls mother, really bring her into the world? Why does her cousin Helena get to go to school and roam the streets of New York freely while she’s confined to the family’s decrepit brownstone?
As the Melancons’ thirst to maintain their status grows, Amara, now a successful lawyer running for district attorney, looks for a way to avenge her longstanding grudge against the family. When mother and daughter cross paths, Hallow will be forced to decide where she truly belongs.
Engrossing, unique, and page-turning, Caul Baby illuminates the search for familial connection, the enduring power of tradition, and the dark corners of the human heart.
I spent the two days that it took me to read Caul Baby in a state of utter enchantment. For me, there is nothing better than reading a book that takes me to places that I've never been before and teaches me things that I knew nothing about. Caul Baby is one of those books, it's an exquisitely woven story that deals with issues that are intriguing and fascinating. It is also packed with incredibly crafted characters who are colourful and flawed and oh so human.
Laila lives in Harlem and wants nothing more than to be a mother. She has suffered the devastating loss of miscarriage many times and for this current pregnancy she is determined that she will do everything she can to ensure that her baby survives.
The Melancon family have lived in their crumbling mansion in the district for many years. The family are both feared and revered in the neighbourhood. Their women are caul-bearing, and legend says that a piece of their caul; a protective layer of skin that covers most of their bodies, can protect an unborn child, along with preventing and curing many illnesses.
However, the Melancons refuse to do business with Laila, and she loses yet another baby. This tragedy is the final turning point for Laila and she sinks ever further into despair as her life crumbles around her; her marriage ends and she loses her home.
Meanwhile, Laila's own niece Amara, is pregnant with a child she doesn't want. Secretly, she gives birth and her daughter, who she calls Hallow is taken into the Melancon home, to be raised as one of their own. Hallow is special, she too has a caul, and will be the source of great income for the family.
What a wonderful premise this is and it is beautifully written too. Jerkins has captured this community so well, thrusting the reader into the age-old traditions and religious beliefs that are held. The onset of gentrification is apparent though, and it is clear that the Melancons are more concerned with hard cash than with helping their own, leading to further mistrust from the existing community.
The women characters are the stars of this novel. Each one is beautifully portrayed; from matriarch Maman to the deeply disturbed Laila, they almost jump from the pages with such clarity and vision.
It's a complex and intricately woven story with hints of magical realism that reminded me at times of Alice Hoffman's work. At the heart though, it's a story of community, deceit and deception. There are themes of greed and illicit love and most of all, of the power of belief and how money can destroy family.
A wonderful story, one that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended.
A visiting professor at Columbia University and a Forbes 30 under 30 Leader in Media, Jerkins's short form work has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone, ELLE, Esquire, and The Guardian, among many others.
She is based in Harlem.
Twitter @MorganJerkins
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