Showing posts with label african americans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label african americans. Show all posts
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Jul 6, 2015
The Turner House - Angela Flournoy
Summary: "A powerful, timely debut, The Turner House marks a major new contribution to the story of the American family. The Turners have lived on Yarrow Street for over fifty years. Their house has seen thirteen children grown and gone--and some returned; it has seen the arrival of grandchildren, the fall of Detroit's East Side, and the loss of a father. The house still stands despite abandoned lots, an embattled city, and the inevitable shift outward to the suburbs. But now, as ailing matriarch Viola finds herself forced to leave her home and move in with her eldest son, the family discovers that the house is worth just a tenth of its mortgage. The Turner children are called home to decide its fate and to reckon with how each of their pasts haunts--and shapes--their family's future. Already praised by Ayana Mathis as "utterly moving" and "un-putdownable," The Turner House brings us a colorful, complicated brood full of love and pride, sacrifice and unlikely inheritances. It's a striking examination of the price we pay for our dreams and futures, and the ways in which our families bring us home"-- Provided by publisher.
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* The Turners have lived on Yarrow Street on Detroit's East Side for more than 50 years. The neighborhood has fallen into disrepair, and the mortgage on the family home is under water. The patriarch has long been dead, and Viola, the matriarch, is ill and has moved in with her oldest son, Cha-Cha, who feels the full burden of being both father and brother to his 12 rambunctious, demanding siblings. And the siblings are having yet another vehement argument, this time about whether to sell their family home or pay off the mortgage. Meanwhile, Lelah, the youngest, is evicted from her apartment due to gambling debts and has surreptitiously moved into the old homestead, now surrounded by abandoned lots. In this wonderfully lively debut novel, Flournoy tells the story of a complicated family, stepping back in time to show the parents' early married days in the 1940s, their move north to Detroit from the rural South, and how their children each experienced a different version of the neighborhood, which comes to symbolize both the hopes and dashed dreams of Detroit's lower-middle-class blacks. Encompassing a multitude of themes, including aging and parenthood, this is a compelling read that is funny and moving in equal measure. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.
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Oct 1, 2014
Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (CD)
Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (CD)Summary: Experience on disc the performance that won Audra McDonald her unprecedented sixth Tony Award. 'One of the greatest performances I ever hope to see' is how New York Magazine described McDonald's portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Lanie Robertson's award-winning play with music dramatizing one of the final concerts in the beloved singer's extraordinary, tragic life. Recorded live at Broadway's Circle in the Square Theatre, the two-disc set features McDonald's 'spellbinding, tour-de-force' (NY Daily News) renditions of signature Holiday songs such as 'God Bless the Child,' 'What a Little Moonlight Can Do,' 'Strange Fruit' and 'Taint Nobody's Biz-ness.' The Associated Press proclaimed Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill 'one of the supreme honors of the Broadway season,' while The New York Times delighted in 'the pleasure of hearing Ms. McDonald breathe aching life into some of Holiday's greatest songs... with sensitive musicianship and rich seams of feeling that command rapt admiration.' Now, 'the best 90 minutes you'll ever witness' (NY1) have been preserved on disc by PS Classics, giving audiences the chance to savor 'not just one but two of the most extraordinarily gifted dramatic vocalists America has produced' (Los Angeles Times). -Amazon
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Jul 1, 2014
Searching for Tina Turner - Jacqueline E. Luckett
Searching for Tina Turner - Luckett, Jacqueline E.Summary: Lena Spencer seems to have it all: a wealthy husband, two great kids, and a comfortable life. Too bad she's so unhappy. When her husband gives her an ultimatum, Lena decides to leave. As she struggles to build a new life, she draws strength from the life story of Tina Turner.
Booklist Reviews
Lena's husband, Randall, has been climbing the corporate ladder for years, and Lena has supported him every step of the way, glad to help him and raise their two children. But now she feels as though she has lost herself in the process, and is drowning in luxury. With his goal of becoming the first black CEO of his company in reach, Randall refuses to go to therapy; and with the same determination that has led to his success, he tells Lena to accept the status quo or get a divorce. At 52, Lena well knows how divorce changes everything as friends, and even children, choose sides. Seeking guidance and support, Lena discovers the wisdom of singer and survivor Tina Turner, using Turner's story as a road map to finding her own happiness and a way back to her dreams. In her debut novel Luckett delivers a strong, likable heroine who comes through her crisis by recognizing her true worth and empowering herself. Luckett's triumphant tale will rally readers of all backgrounds.
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