The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Jerkins, Morgan. Caul Baby. HarperCollins, 2021.

Morgan Jerkins’ third-person omniscient narrative, Caul Baby, follows the lives of the Melancon and Danville women as they navigate motherhood in present day Harlem. At the outset of the novel, Laila Danville was pregnant and afraid that she would miscarry again. She sought the help of the Melancon women who sold caul. The regenerative skin was said to have healing powers that protected anyone who wore it close to their bodies. Landon Thomas, Josephine Melancon’s lover and business associate, arranged a meeting between the women. Laila was denied caul and miscarried shortly after. Meanwhile, her niece, Amara, was secretly pregnant. As a young woman attending university, she was afraid that having a baby would jeopardize her familial connections and career. She confided in Landon who agreed to help her hide the pregnancy and find an adoptive family. He suspected that Amara was carrying a caulbearing child and told Josephine that she could adopt the child as her heir. Josephine was unable to have children and agreed to the scheme.

As Hallow grew up, she felt isolated from the rest of her family. Maman and Josephine were singular in their pursuit of money and seemingly nonchalant about Hallow’s emotional needs. While Hallow was not allowed to leave the brownstone, Maman brought her along to a community meeting. After the crowd dispersed, the matriarch held a lighter to Hallow’s hand to demonstrate the healing qualities of her skin. Hallow was horrified and confided her fears to her aunt, Iris, who was an outcast amongst the Melancon women. When Iris was a baby, Maman forgot to brew caul milk for her and vicariously she was afflicted by visions and voices in her adult life. Iris validated Hallow’s suspicion that Josephine was not her birth mother and confirmed that her biological mother was still alive.

In Part Two, Amara was Assistant District Attorney. She felt conflicted by her desire to further her career and her desire to help the community of Black women in Harlem. Amara wanted to do both, but the legal system felt at odds with her community’s needs. After she announced her campaign to run for District Attorney, Amara returned to Harlem to ensure that no one discovered her pregnancy twenty years ago. She knew that Landon, the Melancons, and Laila’s stories were intertwined but she was not sure how. Her desire to win the election continued to be rooted in the longing to dismantle the Melancon family’s empire.

At Blessed Waters Doulas, a birthing center in Harlem, Amara gave a speech to women in the community. As she orated, the doula who delivered her baby stood and revealed that Hallows was Amara’s daughter. She lifted Hallow’s sleeve to reveal the caul and the women were disgusted that a Melancon infiltrated their space. Amara attempted to quiet the crowd to no avail. Police officers barged in and sprayed tear gas on the women. Helena fled the scene to warn her mother and aunt that the crowd was heading for the brownstone. She helped them escape before the mob through Molotov cocktails through the windows. Maman refused to surrender and ripped off her last piece of caul instead of leaving. At the close of the novel, Helen and Iris rejuvenated their relationship and embraced a bohemian lifestyle. Amara resigned from her job and Hallow began to learn how to be part of both a family and a community.