Book Cover
Beloved
By Toni Morrison
"Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Toni Morrison’s Beloved is a spellbinding and dazzlingly innovative portrait of a woman haunted by the past. Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has borne the unthinkable and not gone mad, yet she is still held captive by memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. Meanwhile Sethe’s house has long been troubled by the angry, destructive ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved." - Goodreads
Why was this book challenged?
Banned book element tile
Reasons: Sexual Content, Racial Content, Religion, Violence
According to the American Library Association, Beloved by Toni Morrison has been targeted for censorship over the years for numerous reasons, including: claims that it is “sexually explicit," “violent," and it has also been challenged on the grounds of religious viewpoint.
According to an interview with Time magazine, Emily Knox says of Beloved: “What [Toni Morrison] tried to do is convey the trauma of the legacy of slavery to her readers. That is a violent legacy... Her books do not sugarcoat or use euphemisms. And that is actually what people have trouble with.”
Read more about how Toni Morrison’s Beloved became a hot topic of discussion in the 2021 Virginia Governor’s Race
See our Frequently Asked Questions webpage for more information about Critical Race Theory and why books that address issues of racism are being targeted for censorship.
Ways to read this book at STCC!
Members of the STCC community have full borrowing privileges at the STCC Library, located in Building 19, 2nd Floor, provided they are actively registered in the college system and their records are in good standing.
Database access and e-content is available to all students, faculty, and staff using the following credentials:
Username: STCC ID number
Password: Last name in capital letters.
Print Book
Additional Resources and Accessibility
If you prefer to listen to your books, or if the print or eBook versions of this book are checked out at STCC, you have additional checkout options through Massachusetts public libraries. CW/MARS and Boston Public Library eCards will give you access to eBook and Audiobook versions of this book. You can also download the Libby app to listen to audiobooks on your smartphone. These resources are outside of STCC Library, please consult your local public library for any questions regarding these outside resources.
Check public libraries in Western Massachusetts via CW/MARS:
Residents of Massachusetts can sign up for a Boston Public Library eCard, to access their digital materials such as eBooks and downloadable audiobooks. Follow the instructions on the BPL's website: