Marshall pays homage to an oral storytelling tradition. In "Shaping the World of My Art," Marshall describes listening as a child to her mother and her mother's friends telling stories in the kitchen of their brownstone. Marshall calls these women the "kitchen poets" for their skillful use of language. Marshall learned early that the key to good storytelling is characterization, and in this novel, the simple linear plot turns on character portrayal.

The drama and suspense in the narrative is married to the characters — especially Selina — and their search for identity. The language of Marshall's immigrants is indeed poetic, dramatic, and alive, and often leavened with irony and humor.

Defining oneself and establishing self autonomy is not new to literature nor to African-American letters, but Marshall's first novel is in a sense atypical in its portrayal of strong female protagonists. Brown Girl...