Sula is the story of two black women, Sula Peace and Nel Wright, and their community of Medallion, Ohio in the early 20th century. The novel follows their lives from childhood to adulthood and death. As children, Sula and Nel are inseparable friends who seem to complete each other. However, as they mature, their differences lead them down divergent paths. Sula becomes a free-spirited woman who defies societal norms, while Nel conforms to expectations and marries.

Key events in their childhood include Sula accidentally causing the drowning of a neighborhood boy, Chicken Little, and the burning of Sula's mother Hannah. These traumatic incidents shape the girls' perspectives on life, loyalty and morality.

As an adult, Sula returns to Medallion and becomes an outcast, blamed for all the town's troubles. She has a brief, possessive love affair with a man named Ajax. After he leaves her, Sula becomes isolated and dies at age 30.

Nel, now a middle-aged woman, reflects on her relationship with Sula after visiting Eva, Sula's grandmother. She realizes that her friendship with Sula, not her marriage, is what she has truly mourned all these years