African-American Books

This book let me down a little because it wasn't what I anticipated. It really wasn't about Love or the gangster girl with the gangster guy so if that's what your looking for this is not the book for you... CREAM which was a Triple Crown publication was much better and a lot sexier.

The 1st story is simply an excerpt from TORN by Keisha Ervin which I had just finished so I didn't even read it in Street Love....

The 2nd story by Danielle Santiago's was some what sexy but moved really fast and ended dumb and unrealistic.

Quentin Carter's story the FINK was all about snitching and some lying skank! Lol

T. Styles' story cold as ice in my opinion was the best.. it was very different not what u expect and is suspenseful. It was like a movie! I loved how he wrote it and how in the end ALL of the open ended questions were answered the story will leave U satisfied.

Sullivan's B-More Love was straight it was more so about family tragedy, love, over coming negativity, and opposites attracting. I know its fiction but this story was just a little too FAKE 4 me I mean really nobody would get away with certain things that Jamal was doing without being locked up! But it was an okay read.

I would suggest this book be borrowed not bought! Lol

When you have the right ingredients and mix them well, the end result is a extraordinary product. And in the case of Street Love that's exactly what happened. Street love in a combination of five good authors who bring spark and interest to the literary world. While I have had this book for a minute, it is only of late that I read all of the stories. I found favor in each of the author's stories and wish that all of them were full novels. Each author, is truly worthy of Kudos...so my hats off to Keisha Ervin, Danielle Santiago, T. Styles, Quentin Carter, and Leo Sullivan. If you want five great short reads than this is what you have been looking for!
Great Job!

This was a good read. All of the stories were interesting but 4 some reason I could not get into Mr. Carter's story. Ms. Ervin's story is continued in the book Torn and I strongly urge U 2 pick it up, it gets alot better. Ms. Santiago's story is also continued in her book yet 2 be released, Allure of the Game. This was my first time reading Mr. Sullivan's work but I was extremely pleased. The book is very well written and a nice quick read.

All I have to say is that every last one of these stories were Hot,The authors did a great job and kept me on the edge of my seat!This anthology is a must read and worth your $ !!!!

STREET LOVE, an anthology by Triple Crown Publications contains
five dramatic, explosive short stories.

Keisha Ervin brings the heat with Mo and Quan in After the Storm. Mo
and Quan have been together for eight years. Even though the magic
has left the relationship, neither wants to be the first to say
goodbye. All of their respective secrets are about to be revealed
and this time, their relationship may crumble from the aftershocks.

The Game by Danielle Santiago is the story of Butta. He has fallen
in love with Arnessa, a drug dealer who enters the game to take care
of her younger sister. Arnessa catches unwanted attention from
rival, Suef and is focused on eliminating him. Will The Game catch
up with her when her little sister gets caught up?

Quentin Carter's contribution to STREET LOVE is The Fink, a story
about the trials and tribulations of being a snitch. After spilling
the beans on his best friend and business partner for a reduced
sentence, will Phelix be able to stay alive long enough to enjoy the
fruits of his labor?

Cold as Ice by T. Styles gives readers a glance into the life of
Pepper Thomas. Pepper is a young girl frustrated by the lack of
funds in her household, but a golden opportunity falls into her lap
after her criminal neighbors are robbed. Does Pepper have the heart
to go through with her plans?

Leo Sullivan provides STREET LOVE with B.more Love, the love story of
Ashley and Jamal. Ashley is a straight A student with no desire to
be with a baller and Jamal is a stick up kid. Drawn together by a
series of tragic events, will their newfound love last?

STREET LOVE is a complete anthology of some of urban fiction's
hottest authors. Each story is a love story with a twist on the
timeless themes of love, loyalty and honesty. All of the stories
included are strong enough to stand alone as a novel. Keisha Ervin's
newest release, Torn, is the continuation of After the Storm and is
one of the best books I have read in 2007. Vickie Stringer has done a
superb job of selecting the hottest stories to be included in STREET
LOVE. If you are a lover of urban fiction, you definitely add this to
your to read list.

This book was filled with excitment, mistery,strength,triumph,and personel growth. With this combination there was no way for me to put it down. I only stopped reading to relieve myself and there were times when I put that off. I am not a person who loved to read; but with this book, I read it until I finished. My family was glad to get me back. What an adventure it was to read "Afterwhile".

Since I grew up in the South, I found this book to be a nostalgic walk down Memory Lane. It is rich with true to life vignettes about being Black in the '50's & '60's in America. I particularly enjoyed the role the family played in the absence of her mother, documenting the sense of community that formed a nurturing womb for our growth and development.

I enjoyed Afterwhile because it was written from the world view or you could say the universal view of an African American Woman. I also liked it because it was a coming of age book for a Black Woman growing up in the 6o's, 70's through the 90's and so I could relate to it. It shows how you can persevere, love, and remain optimistic through all types of challenges. I also appreciated the part where Mary J. outlined ways of how she cared for and raised her children and how she was devoted to her family as well as her community. Thanks to the author for sharing this story with us.

"AFTERWHILE in it's content is an intriguing look back of a woman's past that also speaks loudly to the power of her character. This book from an exciting new author searches the debt of purpose, reconciliation and the high calling of a woman of power. Giving names and expressions to a small Southern town, AFTERWHILE pulls you into their lives with realism, accuracy and emotion...You'll want to repeat the journey...A inspirational affecting first novel."

The book "Afterwhile" did contain some juicy and revelaing stuff. But is was also full of typos and I found to be too full of characters whose profiles were not adequately developed. The author made a good attempt at organizing the book via the opening and closing with the letter to her friend. However, the table of contents suggested more insightful development of the plot or more spiritual development of the main character. Neither was achieved in my opinion. The author may have written an Iyanla Vanzant-style book of self disclosure, but she forgot to show adequate personal growth of the main character. Or perhaps the point is that the main character is still struggling with these issues. A good first try. Next time have a better proof reader and an exeperienced editor to strengthen what potentially could be a good book.

All Aunt Hagar's Children is a collection of short stories by Washington D.C. native Edward P. Jones, it is his third book and the first since winning the Pulitzer Prize for The Known World (2003). The stories are about black Americans in Washington D.C. during the 20th century. Each story revolves around family, society and self, detailing experiences emblematic of southern blacks who migrated to northern cities from rural roots: some found salvation and others a living hell. In all the stories there are transformative turning points in peoples lives. As Jones shows, they are often not conscious of what happened - life-altering events can happen in the course of the banal every-day, setting in motion life patterns that can be hard to break when it's forgotten or not noticed how it started. In some cases the patterns are passed down unconsciously generation to generation - like the devil, cycles of violence, poverty, addiction, sickness and ignorance stalk many of the characters for seemingly mysterious reasons, bordering on the mystic in some stories.

The stories are beautifully original, Jones employs authentic southern expressions creating a time capsule reverberating with fading folkways. Like the characters he writes about, Jones grew up poor in Washington. He had a strong mother - whom he dedicates the book too - and it contains many of her colloquial sayings. This is not a book to be read quickly, like the pace of southern culture, each sentence demands respect for plot structure, character development and the unique southern way of putting words together. I read this hoping to learn more about the black culture of Washington (and Baltimore up the road) and was not disappointed, but what an extra treat to have a world-class writer with a deep sense of humanity, empathy (and sometimes sly humor) show the way.

This author has done it again with brilliant illustrations of a city and families that touch the core of our compassion. No wonder he won the Pulitzer-he is amazing, and this is an amazing piece of work with suspenseful endings quite similar to Toni Morrison.

In his highly-acclaimed volume of 14 stories, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", Edward P. Jones draws portraits of African Americans who have migrated from the South to Washington D.C. The stories are set from around the beginning of the 20th Century to the present day. The stories describe many types of people from young children to old men and women and from the poor and illiterate to the highly educated. They speak of loneliness and change, of the frustration, sexual and otherwise, that results from moving to a new urban place, of criminality and drugs, and of education. The stories are short but deeply textured, as in tapestries(the title of the final story). Characters, histories and sub-themes are realized in brief spaces.

The writing style in these stories is a major factor in their success. All but two of the stories are told in the third person by an all-knowing narrator. (The exceptions are "Spanish in the Morning" told in the voice of a precocious young girl and the title story "All Aunt Hagar's Children told in the voice of a young Korean War veteran who hopes to move to Alaska in search of fortune and women.) The writing is full of Biblical allusions. Hagar, of course, was the concubine of the patriarch Abraham who was sent into the desert after she mocked the childlesness of Sarah who then became jealous of her. God spared Hagar and her childen. The figure of Hagar is used her for the outsider and the outcast -- symbolizing the lives of the African American characters of the stories. The language of the stories in its richness, difficulty, and frequent elliptical character, particularly in its repetition and in its use of names, also owes a great deal to the Old Testament. There is also much in the stories that reminds me of the African American preacher of Jame's Weldon Johnson's poem "God's Trombones". The rich, narrative voice of the stories is complemented by the contrasting voice of many of the characters with its slang, dialect, and frequent use of obscenity.

The stories develop character and place. Jones shows the reader a Washington D.C separate from the world of national politics familiar to most Americans. I have lived in Washington D.C. for many years. Jones's depictions of neighborhoods, streets, landmarks, stores, and people had a deep sense of familiarity. They also helped me see the familiar aspects of my city in a new way. The characters are true and believable in their many responses to living in Washington.

The stories I especially enjoyed included the first story "In the Blink of God's Eye" and the final story "Tapestries". Both these stories are set both in the rural South and in Washington, D.C., the former at the turn of the 20th Century and the latter in the 1930s. They both show the difficulties young married couples encounter with the change of place.

The story "Old Boys Old Girls" describes the life of a young man who spends years in Lorton prison and his attempt to make a life for himself when he is released. Jones contrasts the life of his down-and-out protagonist with the lives of his wealthy and successful family. "A Poor Guatamalean Dreams of a Downtown in Peru" tells of a young poor girl who achieves great academic success but whose life has otherwise been filled with catastrophe and loss. "All Aunt Hagar's Children" is a complex story filled with themes of womanizing, murder, family, and wanderlust. It is a compelling portrait of African American life in the Washington D.C. of the early 1950s and it touches briefly as well upon African American -- Jewish relations.

My two favorite stories were "Root Worker" and "Bad Neighbors" both of which explore themes of the search for love and finding it in unexpected places. The main character in "Root Worker" is a young successful woman doctor who gives up a planned vacation to travel South to consult a root doctor for what ails her mother. In the process, she learns a great deal about herself. "Bad Neighbors" tells the story of a large, poor family that rents a home in a middle-class black neighborhood where they are shunned and feared by their more successful neighbors. There are many turns as the story progresses, as the main character, a young woman who has become a nurse, gains a deeper understanding of people, status, and love.

Jones' stories depict African American life in a loving, involved manner but without polemicizing or blatant social criticism. They are rooted in African American life but, in their treatment of love, sexuality, change, and character speak universally as well. The stories are dense and thoughtful and will reward careful reading. I am pleased that many of my fellow Amazon reviewers have enjoyed this outstanding book and written insightfully about it.

Robin Friedman

In his second book of short stories, Edward P. Jones does a wonderful job of chronicling the African-American experience in All Aunt Hagar' Children. Just as Lost in the City did, Jones brings to life a city that is hardly ever written about, Washington, D.C., and uses fourteen tales to describe circumstances that include life inside of homes full of love, and those without and those that are wealthy and those that are struggling.

Jones' depictions are as real as it gets, thoroughly describing life for Blacks fleeing an angry South to a new beginning in their first experience of living an "urban" American life from the early 1900's all the way to the mid-twentieth century and the loneliness it may sometimes bring. For example, "In the Blink of God's Eye" is about a newlywed couple that moves from Virginia to Washington, D.C. From the way Jones writes, the reader would assume that the couple traveled all the way to Washington State, because that is just how much home was missed for the young bride and how far away it seemed to her. In the title story, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", a hopeless young man aspires to go to Alaska to hunt for gold but in the meantime, spends his days helping a neighbor solve the mystery of how her son was murdered while also dodging an ex-girlfriend that he perceives to be angry.

Overall, this reader really enjoyed Jones' ability to tell a story but at times, wanted it to be longer and did not feel that the short story version could give these stories justice. At other times, the story was just long enough to get to know the characters and get a meaning out of the story that could resonate. Avid readers of Edward P. Jones will definitely want to add this collection to their libraries and will pick their favorites within All Aunt Hagar's Children.

Reviewed by Lena Willis
APOOO BookClub

In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward Jones once again showers us with prose that is both concise and metaphoric. He is truly one of the great writers of our new century. His stories capture the intricacies of living in our complex and strife-torn world with true humanity and humility. For me, his strongest metaphor comes from the last story - the metaphor of a tapestry. It takes many years to create and is full of innumerable details, yet it produces a work that last for many years and enlightens many other lives. What a wonderful image and a challenge for us to live into. In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Jones has surely presented us with a tapestry that will live for years and enlighten lives.

Babylon Boyz by Jess Mowry kept me up all night reading to see what happened next. This is a story about Dante, Pook and Wyatt, three brothers who live in Oakland, Cali. Dante has a heart problem caused by his mom's addiction to crack before he was born. Pook is gay. And Wyatt is a cool fat dude. Babylon Boyz is a story about life in the hood and thuggers and drugs, but it's really a story about friendship and that it's more important to stay true to your friends than the game. Friends care about you, the game doesn't. If you like this book you should also like Voodu Dawgz, Skeleton Key, and Way Past Cool by Jess Mowry.

Babylon Boyz, by Jess Mowry, is a thrilling novel about inner city life. It's based around the lives of three youg teens. Starting out with the words "Hey Homo," it captured my attention right away. Pook is the homosexual who is out of the closet. Wyatt is very overweight and Dante is a Rastifarian with a serious heart condition. These boys are best friends who want more than anything to get out of Babylon, their dangerous ghetto. Throughout the story they encounter many problems including: dealing drugs, fights, gang problems, tagging bathrooms and running from Air Touch. (A big gangster/bully)
A quote that particularly stuck in my mind was: "We all just little black ants in Babylon, waitin' to get stepped on and too stupid to see it." It's kind of true because these boys know that they will never be good enough with society looking down on them all the time.
I guess the whole reason I liked the book was, even though the characters may come off rough edged or as black trouble makers they are not. If other people took the time, they would find a bunch of passionate young men.
I would recommend this book to all mature audiances because the content may not be appropiate for children.

(Submitted by Justine Spencer)

Life ain't always like some of you may live it the easy way- sometimes life sucks, and sometimes it ain't fun at all. And that's the way it is for these three homies, the Babylon Boyz.

Take Pook, tall, gorgeous, and gay. Always fighting for who he is, always wanting to get outta Babylon and be a doctor.

Take Dante, who's never had a chance. His mom was heavy into crack when she was pregnant with him, and died when he was born-born with a bad heart. If he's really good, no smoke, no alcohol, no excitement of any kind, he might live till he's 30.

Take Wyatt, over 300 pounds of flab with a 300 pound attitude to back it up. Don't mess with him-you don't want to know how he sneaks his gun into school every day.

For these brothers, life is not fun. Life is not easy. Everyday they fight the gangstas in the street and the jocks at school who hate gay boys, fat guys, and guys with bad hearts and a worse attitude.

These are the good guys, Pook, Wyatt, and Dante, but what will happen when they witness a crack dealer's arrest, and end up with his gun and the briefcase he threw out of the car just before the cops caught up with him? It could be money-money for a new heart, a medical education, a new start. It could be crack, crack that they could sell for that money. But either way, that briefcase is guaranteed to be danger. What will they do with it?

Jess Morwy wrote the awesome book, Babylon Boys about friends sticking together to stand strong in Babylon. The Babylon boys stick through rough times making good or bad choices to stick with one another. The book is written in third person narrative explaining what kind of life people in Babylon live. (Troubles you face in Babylon are watching for cops, protection to family, drugs, and even school problems as well). Babylon relates to real life in Chicago's South side and also New York's crime and hatred. Most cities face problems with drugs, cops, and wrong decision just like this book and more problems. There are lots of things to like about this book, such as when they make fun of one another in a profanity kind of way and get in fights with older people because they think they are not the same because they of a bad heart, are fat, or even gay. This book is an adventure for thrill seekers, or even a book to imagine and learn what it would feel like to live with troubles everyday and only way out is a illegal way out would you take it.

Since childhood, they have been best of friends, three troubled boys, Pook, Wyatt, and Dante. They want nothing more than to escape their ghetto, crime-filled neighborhood, where everyone around them seems like "little black ants...waitin' to get stepped on an' too stupid to see it." They have no way of reaching their dreams-until they discover two packets of cocaine worth thousands of dollars.

What would you do? Would you sell drugs at your school, deteriorating your community and getting the money YOU desperately need for medical school, a heart operation for your dying friend, and most importantly, a one-way ticket from behind the bars of your own neighborhood?

That's exactly what these three boys had to decide when Pook and Dante witnessed Air Touch, a rich and popular drug dealer, throwing a suitcase full of what they thought was money, out of his car window during a police chase. Later, they bring the suitcase home realizing they had brought home the same terrifying evidence that had killed Dante's own mother.

And everyone knows, "It only gets worse before it gets better." Not only was this incident a problem, dilemmas rained in regarding Pook's homosexuality, the homelessness of a younger boy the trio makes friends with, and Wyatt's obesity. And the new homeless "boy" has a great surprise for us all!

I would recommend this book to all mature readers age twelve and up, regardless of gender. Also, just because a tree died to make this book, doesn't mean you'll die reading it. Actually it's the complete opposite. Reading this book gave me a much closer view into our own great neighboring cities about how life really is for some kids like you and me. And not only does Mowry do a spectacular job of revealing the secrets of Oakland, California, she verbally indicates the setting of lower class residents all over the United States. If you're also in to fiction, this book is definitely calling your name! This book deserves to be put in every hotel side drawer in America!


Monique K.
Des Plaines, Ilinois

I used this book as a resource for teaching African art. My K-2 students love the pictures of the African animals and don't even realize they are "reading" as they recite the book's rhythms and rhymes along with me. Tying in art with social studies and culture is a great way to reinforce lessons! The students can't wait until Sit Tight and Read time - they all want to read this book again and again.

This was purchased so my Granddaughter could have one at her house because she loves the one at my house so much. An "old standard" that is loved for it's wonderful words and repetitions.

i saw this on reading rainbow when james earl jones narrated it. its my favorite story from the series because it shows how everything is connected, coming together to perform one action. it also inspired me to do cartoon based on how the protagonist made it rain.

After hearing James Earl Jones read this book on Reading Rainbow, I knew I had to buy it. My two very young sons (ages 1 and 2) sat entranced the whole time. Of course that may have been because it was the voice of Darth Vader, but hey, it's a great book all on its own. My husband now reads this book to them at bedtime every night.

I bought this book after having it recommended while taking a graduate level children's literature class. I was not disappointed! I grabbed this book to read aloud if I had extra time while substitute teaching for a kindergarten class. I thought the children would be more attracted to the rhyme and pattern of the words so imagine my surprise when the book sparked a lengthy discussion between 5 year olds about drought, Africa, animals, and culture! It prompted questions that I didn't even know they were capable of asking and had them making connections to weather in our own backyard and stories they heard on the news. This book is a reading, social studies, and science lesson in one!

As I read through the pages of this book, the war in the heavenlies between the Kingdom of God and the forces of darkness became even more real to me. This book provides insight into spiritual warfare that has to be unprecedented. Although it is fiction, it is still fact based. It's based on the word of God, the Holy Bible, and Brother Humphrey put a Holy Spirit inspired spin on it that should cause every person to understand how real Satan and his kingdom are. More importantly, it demonstrates the awesome power of God and proves that if we are on the Lord's side and He is for us, we are victorious over the works of the enemy in our lives. If there is the slightest propensity in the sinner to forsake the things of this world and live for God, this book will push them over into a place of total surrender to Him. In addition, it will frighten the believer into selling out to God totally and completely. I highly recommend purchasing this book because it is a true blessing. I thank God for Divinely placing it in my hands.

This book was TOTALLY AWESOME!!! I couldn't put the book down! (even almost got fired for bringing it on the sales floor!)I can't believe how great the book was. I can't wait to see if there is a second part continuing the search for the rapist! This is a book if you have any doubts about, just pick it up and read it, you will love it! An amazing story with a great ending!!

When Virginia Sills is found stabbed and raped in a dark alley, no one can possibly guess how twisted her story really is. Not even Virginia knows. On the verge of death, her Guardian Angel, Mahatiel, attempts to force her back into the land of the living. Ever stubborn, Virginia balks at every turn, endangering her soul and Mahatiel's life as the forces of evil gather to snatch her to themselves. Marcellus Grimes, an arrogant detective, is assigned to find Virginia's rapist. He has no idea of the darkness he will enter while on the search. Want-to-be detective Darrell, who takes a lot of abuse and ridicule from Marcellus, sees clues that Marcellus doesn't and he determines that he will find Virginia's abuser on his own and the race is on.

IN DARK THINGS David M. Humphrey, Sr. spins a tale of heaven and hell, of good vs. bad, God vs. Satan. He covers the fall of Lucifer from grace and the birth of all Lucifer's dark demons. He shows us the trials that Guardian Angels have as they try to protect their human charges. The book encourages the reader to listen to that voice that is telling us what to do: it could be God talking to us. It was an interesting story with a Christian message. In some places, it got just a bit preachy which slowed the action down. It was certainly an interesting story on the relationship of God, Satan and human beings.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Wow, what a gripping book, providing insight to the spiritual world. Through a fictional and gripping story, you are also taught and realize how little the everyday material world means in God's grand scheme of things, and how wonderful and powerful God is. Through his Son, Jesus, he has bestowed this power on us to use against the principalities of darkness.

Great read! I was glued to the pages as the lives were protected and saved by mighty angels and deceived and ruined as puppets by mighty the dark-things.
David's vision of Satan creating "Death" was awesome, I was in the lab, frozen as the plot unfolded and transformed the unwitting demon into Death it self. keep writing and your gift will make room for itself.

And keep praying the enemies/dark-things are not pleased when someone turns on the light.

I was surprised and disappointed with the level of bitterness that laced the pages of 'How to Succeed...,' by Earl Graves. That the U.S. remains racially divided is an unfortunate given, it has always been and will always be so. Mr. Graves pays little, if any, attention to the merits of early childhood education and the importance it holds later in life. I came across Black Enterprise magazine roughly twenty years ago and I fell in love with his concept of "delayed gratification," and the level of logic I thought the concept represents. With that in mind, I was expecting a methodical and proven strategy for success in America in spite of racism. Although this book does give the requisite good advice, (debt elimination and education) it's more a treatise of bitterness, than a self-help book of business mobility.

Earl Graves is one of the greatest and Prominent entrepreneurs in America. His business strategies and inside information and wisdom will help advance any aspiring entrepreneur. I highly recommend this book, it should be included in every business persons library.

Contemporary
How to Succeed in Business Without Being White: Straight Talk on Making It in America
by Earl G. Graves - Collins; Reprint edition (1998)
As a journalist, I have spent time professionally with Mr. Earl G. Graves, and he is the embodiment of his values, principles, inspiration and ideas that are expressed in this enduring success book. Readers are guaranteed by Graves' character to be richer for reading the thoughts and actions of the author.

A Phenomenal read! Earl G. Graves provides African Americans and all Americans effective strategies on what it takes to live the American Dream. I truly enjoyed the section titled, The Top Ten Reasons. A descendent of Barbados, The CEO of Black Enterprise Magazine explains how with determination you can have and become anything you desire in life despite of your race.

Adra Young
Author of: The Everyday Living of Children & Teens Monologues

I like Earl Graves' message with this book. He is very straightforward in principles of success in business and he is very good about giving credit where credit is due. He gives strong advice and has the track record (and magazine) to prove it.

I really enjoyed this fictional portrayal of the woman at the well. Her strength came alive, not just her shortcomings. It made you think, about your past, present and your future. And it most important lesson of all was that it is not where you are it is where you are going. My thought process was challenged by Hendricks portrayal of Christ which was as I found out later his intention.

This book is wonderful. The women's guild at my church featured it as a topic of a book discussion last year. We had the pleasure of taking part in a telephone conference with the author Obery Hendricks. He was very gracious. It was a wonderful experience. The reader gets an understanding of how women and minorities were marginalized in society during Biblical times.

This is a touching story of a young womans journey from her joy of life to near-death despair around to a greater joy of life.
It truly celebrates the strength of womanhood. The descriptions were vivid and the personalities so real, I felt I knew all of the characters. Because all women have experienced Maryam's life in some form, this story will touch your heart in an unbelievable way. I loved this book!

In this glorious tale of redemptive love BEFORE we know what it is, Maryam flowers despite the heartships and trials of her life. Hendricks is a master storyteller who gives us the depth of anguish from both the men and women, while not excusing the pain that the men are causing the women in this Novel. Given to me by a Pastor who shares the stories of women in the Bible with his congregation, I read it from front to end without stopping, finding the message that God loves us even when we don't see it. Worth reading, but more, worth its use as a Bible study tool. Wonderful story with a dynamic ending!

This is a gripping, at times lusty, tale based on the life story of the Samaritan Woman. LIVING WATER is not a stereotypically lightweight, biblical novel. It's for readers who are ready for a challenge and willing to look for truths presented in nontraditional forms.

Author Obery Hendricks, a seminary "professor of biblical interpretation," calls this, his first novel, "an African American retelling of the New Testament story of the woman at the well who was married to five successive husbands at a time when women did not have the right to choose either marriage or divorce." Ethnic overtones are evident in some characters' nicknames (Sonny Boy and Big Mama) and patterns of dialogue ("Oh Lordy, we're in trouble now" and "Don't he talk sweet"). But there are deeper parallels: The ravages of slavery and harsh control influence the heart of the story --- the Samaritan men being humiliated and beaten down by the Romans; the women being powerless property of the husbands who have lost respect for themselves and take out their frustration on their women.

The book opens with a short, startling death scene of the Samaritan woman's fifth husband. Then Part 1 is a flashback, from prenuptial childhood up to that pivotal, bloody mess. She --- her name is Maryam, though significantly we aren't told this for 250 pages --- is a spunky, in-your-face kind of kid who sadly learns, from her kindhearted grandmother, Ma Tee, that spunk is not acceptable for girls. "Atop the coarse woolen tunic that is [the girl's] usual attire is now draped a stale, heavy garment of carefulness. Ma Tee has tried her best to craft it to her size, yet it does not fit. Still, she will dutifully struggle to wear it, though its weight will sag her heart to its knees." And this narrative comment comes even before she's married to and beaten down by her first husband and abandoned by numbers two, three, and four.

This is a feminist story, but not drastically so; it is egalitarian more than man bashing. The big cast of characters --- five (or is it six?) husbands, three father figures, a brother-in-law, Messiah Jesus, and more --- include bad men and good; similarly with the Samaritan women. In a supplemental reader's guide, Hendricks explains that the Samaritan woman's journey "to be free of male domination and mistreatment was also my own journey to free myself from the roles of dominator and mistreater."

Theologically conservative readers may rankle at some feminist theology, but, again, this is not as radical as it might be. Hendricks interprets biblical passages (mostly from Proverbs, once from Luke) that personify Wisdom (a feminine Hebrew word) as being descriptive of "the woman-side of God."

For a novel that is replete with social commentary applicable to any age --- including a chapter on an itinerant, fraudulent faith healer --- LIVING WATER is an engaging read. Part 2 --- in which Maryam claims her name, takes up with a man who loves her and treats her well, and becomes a disciple of Jesus --- includes powerful scenes of redemption, even unto the last page, which drew a tear to my eye.

--- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence

In this story the author does a profound job of talking about relationships. He is very careful from the start to make sure his readers get a vivid picture of his main character Darryl and his relationships with three women; Sherry, Michelle and Tasha.

Darryl's approaches and encounters with his friends, family and relationships are very important in this story because they act as anchors to many learning experiences most readers may identify with. The story centers around Darryl finally learning lessons of life and realizes what becoming a man and dealing with some very heavy social issues is all about.

Being a strong black women myself I enjoyed trying to relate and I strongly recommend this book as a good read to all especially young black men. In my overall opinion if you are objective there are encounters Darryl faces that we all face if we are to be real with ourselves. The last few chapters the story really builds into some riveting moments where all of your emotions come out, and you don't want to stop reading. The writer is true to his objective in presenting this story from a man's prospective and this I found very refreshing since the majority of stories I have read or know about are usually told from a women's point of view. The title is very appropriate to the story.

I applaud the author in challenging his readers to wonder about the twist in his ending. As a writer myself , I was left with several questions regarding a couple of his characters and situations, and wonder if this was done purposely as an opener for a sequel , if so, I can't wait. Again, I strongly recommend this book as a good read to all. And I am looking forward to reading more books from this author.

Reviewed by Tempie D. King of Memphis RAWSISTAZ

I really enjoyed this book. I started reading it and couldn't put it down. I recomended this book to all my friends. This book made me laugh and then it made me cry. I never read a book that actually made me cry. I hope Mr. Burns is able to write more books and accomplish all his dreams. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book... I just wish the ending would have been a little different. i.e. did Tasha have H.I.V? How did Darryl tell his friends? What was their reaction?

The story of Darryl, and the three women he play around on. Darryl finally meets a woman he makes him give up his playing ways. I was kinda of shocked with what happened to Darryl at the end of the book, and I also would have liked to have known Sherry's and Michelle's result. The book gives you a pretty good look at how a man thinks.

The book was recommended by a very good source.

Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. If really "flowed". The author made reading this book seem as if you were watching a movie. You could picture every characters physical make up, their emotions and every detail in your mind. The only thing that was missing were the refreshments.

This book will definitely take you away and draw you in at the same time.

I am looking forward to more books from this up and coming author.

"A Man's State of Mind" is a heart renching eye opener for the man that thinks he is a "player" I thinnk this book was well written. Chris really knows how to bring out the realness of his characters. This book will make you laugh and then out of nowhere it will make you cry. The thing I enjoyed the most was that Chris didn't sterotype the African American women to be the loud, rude women with bad attitudes that people assume they are. Even though this book is fiction it is still the truth as to how it really is in the world, as fr as the way the chacters think and feel. When I started reading this book I couldn't put it down I recomended this book to all my friends male and female. I also recomend this book to you. I look forward to more books by Christoper D. Burnes

I loved this book. As a matter a fact I think this whole series was great. I think the girls' antics were hilarious. Peyton and Linc are a very cute couple and I think the concept for this story was verrrryyy different. I had never read a story that involved the gay brother pretending that the love interest was his boyfriend. What can I say they're just whacky.

I am not going to bother to tell you what the premise of Ms. Byrd's book is about because you can read the other reviews for that information. Most of which are accurate.
The reason I am writing a review is because this book was an easy and very entertaining read. Not juvenile. But fast paced and imaginative.
She holds your attention because her characters are always doing something. They are never boring and her plot is active and imaginative.
The love scenes are provocative and romantic which makes you want to be the female character of the story.
This is the first book I have read by Ms. Byrd. I have decided to read the sequel, 'When You Were Mine.'
Keep up the Great Work Ms. Byrd.

Wonderful book. A true page turner, I could not put it done

This is about Peyton and Linc... Linc is also friends with Peyton's (Gay) brother Flex... of course both Peyton and Linc are unaware of this, which leads to a whole bunch of misunderstandings which makes you laugh out loud! This was an enjoyable read, filled with just enough passion between Peyton and Linc and some nosey sisters. Just one more thing to add, I recommend all books by this author and Niobia Bryant!

Adrianne Bryd tells a wonderful story of love, family, and the sometimes humorous ties that bind. This book is a good, quick read. Lincoln was a true friend to Flex and definitely a man that any woman would love to have in there life. Thumbs up to Ms. Byrd. I look forward to her next book about the Adams' family.