Toni Morrison weathered tragedy throughout her life. Her youngest son died of pancreatic cancer. He was in his 40s when he died, according to NPR. His Simon & S… See more

Morrison’s surviving son is named Harold Ford Morrison but is often known as Ford Morrison. … See more

Morrison’s mother is often credited with inspiring her daughter’s love of words. She was “both musical and highly imaginative and inspired her daughter’s blossoming love of liter… See more

According to BBC, Morrison’s father was a welder who “also held down other out-of-hours jobs in order to support his family.” Morrison’s dad’s name was George. He worked in s… See more