It is told through the voice of a girl, who has already had a child at the age of 12, and is pregnant with another at the age of 16 from her father. She is obese, illiterate, dirt poor and living in a seedy flat in harlem with a mother from hell. The american fiction writer and poet sapphire was born ramona lofton in 1950. Sapphire, author of the novel push, talks about writing the book and the making of the film. Sapphire releases graphic sequel to push more than a decade after the novel push was published, audiences can learn about the son of push s heroine, precious. Sapphire s first book became the oscarwinning film precious but, she says, her new novel is so dark that hollywood is unlikely to call. Precious avoids this because she already knows quite well what her earliest memory of her mother is the smell of mamas vagina in my face. In 2011, sapphire published a followup to push with the novel the kid, which focuses on the life of abdul jones, the son of precious.
Both of the books are in excellent condition and the service was prompt and friendly. What is the significance of the novels title, push. Used books may not include companion materials, may have some shelf wear, may contain highlightingnotes. Though she loves math, she can barely read or write. Push by sapphire push is the story of claireece precious jones and her heartbreaking account of her life for two years. The protagonist, precious jones, is an illiterate sixteenyearold girl who lives in. The film stars gabourey sidibe, monique, paula patton, and mariah carey. Based on the novel push sapphire interview youtube.
Precious, a black american teenager, appears to have everything going against her. Sapphire is the author of american dreams, a collection of poetry that was cited by publishers weekly as one of the strongest debut collections of the nineties. Based on the novel push by sapphire, a film that won two academy awards and was directed by lee daniels. Precious jones, an illiterate sixteenyearold, has up until now been invisible. Push is the 1996 debut novel of american author sapphire. Based on the novel push by sapphire from amazons fiction books store. Based on the novel push by sapphire 2010 paperback on. Based on the novel by sapphire, directed by lee daniels and written by. Based on the novel push by sapphire, or simply precious, is a 2009 american drama film, directed and coproduced by lee daniels. Push precious symbols, allegory and motifs gradesaver.
Fletcher, adapted from the 1996 novel push by sapphire. The novel brought sapphire praise and much controversy for its graphic account of a young woman growing up in a cycle of incest and abuse. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Push, her novel, won the book ofthemonth clubs stephen crane award for first fiction, the black caucus of more about sapphire. I made myself read it because i know there are women in this world who suffer fates as bad asor worse thanthat of precious.
She is a 16yearold africanamerican girl who has had an extremely difficult childhood, particularly because both of her parents have systematically abused her physically. The book push by sapphire is unlike any other book on the ap novel list. A few days later i received the book push only it was a paperback book and not the hardback book that was advertised. It has a heavy topic that may not be suitable for all readers. A novel by sapphire and a great selection of related books. Not that i wish that of any abuse victim, but it seems in those cases that is what usually happens. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 177 pages and is available in paperback format. Sapphire tells michele norris that she began the book in 1993, just as she. I contacted amazon and they were very nice and said they would send me the correct book.
The novel is a commentary by an angry precious about her down struggles. Precious lives with her mother mary, who abuses precious both physically and emotionally. Claireece precious jones is an obese, illiterate 16yearold girl who lives in harlem with her abusive mother mary. Plus, the book ended on the idea that precious would go on a live her great life, without any real explanation after that. Push opens to find precious fat, unloved, illiterate, deeply confused, routinely raped by her father, and physically and emotionally molested by her mother, enduring her second incestuous pregnancy. Her first novel, push, was published in 1996 and a little over a decade later became the academy award winning film precious. The novel push emphasizes the positive impact that education can have on an individual in american society. Check out our push by sapphire essay push is a novel written by sapphire white about the tough life of a poor, hiv positive, african american, 16 year old girl named claireece precious jones. How push became precious the gritty realism of the film precious is even more intense in the novel push, upon which the film is based. Mary does nothing but smoke, watch television and collect welfare through fraud as she doesnt ever look for a job and believes that education does nothing for precious, who she would rather also collect welfare if only to bring money into the household. The first edition of the novel was published in june 11th 1996, and was written by sapphire. Based on the novel push by sapphire is a hushed, damaged, morbidly obese 16yearold africanamerican girl from the lower depths of.
Hammed sirleaf im gonna break through or somebody gonna break through to me. The story gives detailed accounts of the physical, sexual and mental abuse precious faces from her father, mother, and the strangers she encounters on a daily basis. The main characters of this fiction, young adult story are claireece precious jones, blue rain. Thirteen years after its release, it was made into precious. Winner of the grand jury prize at the 2009 sundance film festival, precious. Push, told almost entirely in the first person, is brutally frank.
When her debut novel push came out 15 years ago, readers were enthralled and appalled by protagonist precious jones, the new york girl. Push by sapphire teaching childrens and adolescent. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Precious jones, an illiterate sixteenyearold, has up until now been invis. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Her first child whom she calls mongol has downs syndrome. Push by sapphire is a book about precious jones, a 16yearold africanamerican girl who has been abused her whole life by her father and mother, and was pregnant for the second time with her fathers child. So, in short, it was a great eye opener of a fictional story, but it was. At sixteen, precious is pregnantfor the second timewith her own fathers. Performance poet sapphire unflinchingly probes the consciousness of an alltooreal teenager from a severely abusive household. The film based on her novel premiered at the sundance film festival in january 2009.
Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic. The movie is set in 1987, and i dont think there was a theater back then whose marquee could. Based on the novel by sapphire, directed by lee daniels and written by damien paul grand jury prize and audience award winner at the 2009 sundance film festivalrelentless, remorseless, and inspirational, this horrific, hopefilled story newsday is certain to haunt a generation of readers. Why do you think sapphire has chosen to end the story where she does. Her 1996 novel push tells the story of claireece precious jones, an illiterate, obese, 16yearold girl pregnant with a second child by her own. At what points in her life is precious enjoined to push.
Push author revisits childhood abuse in second novel wbez. Themes in the book push by sapphire by hammed sirleaf on prezi. Sapphire is the author of american dreams, a collection of poetry which was cited by publishers weekly as, one of the strongest debut collections of the nineties. Later in the book, precious resists her therapists request that she try to recover her first memory of her mother. Precious is now a major motion picture based on the novel push by sapphire, starring gabourey gabby sidibe, monique, paula patton, mariah carey, and. I read the book for my feminist book club, and i was one of the few who actually finished itthe others were too put off the brutal reality of precious life. Precious jones, 16 years old and pregnant by her father with her second child, meets a.
Claireece precious jones is the main character of the story, and she also narrates the tale. With this much anticipated first novel, told from the point of view of an illiterate, brutalized harlem teenager, sapphire american dreams, a writer affiliated with the nuyorican poets, charts the p. Push by sapphire is the story of 16yearold claireece precious jones, who goes by the nickname precious. Marie, the only black girl in the eighth grade willing to befriend her white classmate lena, discovers that lenas father is doing horrible things to her in private. Push, her novel, won the book ofthemonth club stephen crane award for first fiction, the black caucus of the american library associations first novelist award, and, in great britain, the mind book of the year award.
Precious push movie tiein edition vintage contemporaries sapphire. The story of friendship between four african american women who lean on each other while waiting to exhale. She has been kicked out of school because of her being pregnant and the school has decided to send her to an alternative school called each one teach one as she takes the placement. Sapphire was approached about turning the book into a. An exlibrary book and may have standard library stamps andor stickers. Sapphire wrote the novel push renamed precious in a fractured. What is meant by this word, and how does precious respond to the. The first time we see precious with a book at school, she is having difficulty sounding out the words in a picture book and learning the. Study guide for push precious push also known as precious in its film version study guide contains a biography of sapphire, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and.