This beautiful softcover edition is in near fine condition, with no marks or tears and only minimal shelf wear. The pages are crisp and unmarked, and the book remains tight, square, and well-preserved. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, published in 1970, is her first novel and one of her most profound and controversial works. Set in the 1940s in the African American community of Lorain, Ohio, the novel centers around Pecola Breedlove, a young Black girl who yearns for blue eyes, believing that possessing them will make her beautiful and worthy of love. The novel explores complex themes of identity, race, beauty, and the psychological damage caused by societal prejudices. Pecola’s tragic story unfolds as she faces neglect, abuse, and discrimination, ultimately leading to her mental breakdown. Through Pecola's journey, Morrison shows the destructive effects of racism and the ways it distorts self-perception and individual worth. Initially met with controversy due to its graphic content. The Bluest Eye has since become a cornerstone of American literature and a key work in the study of race and African American experiences.