Precious

About “Precious”

This 1996 novel by Sapphire tells the story of Precious Jones, a sixteen-year-old illiterate Black girl who has never left Harlem. Pregnant by her own father for the second time, she is kicked out of school when the pregnancy becomes obvious, and placed in an alternative teaching program where she learns to read and write. The novel takes the form of Precious's diary, honestly recording her relationships and her life.