Back to Life.Back to Life by Wendy Coakley-Thompson Dafina Books/Kensington Publishing. Corp. September 2004, $12., ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m 0-758-20745-X The notion of Prince Charming is fairy-tale fodder to Lisa Martin, a rightfully bitter 29-year-old on the brink of divorce from a real Jekyll and Hyde Jekyll and Hyde 1. A slang term referring to the strengths and weaknesses of a company's financial statements. 2. An asset that suddenly increases or decreases in value. 3. . That is, until she encounters Marc Guerrieri, a 40-year-old writer whose regretful re·gret·ful adj. Full of regret; sorrowful or sorry. re·gret  ful·ly adv.re·gret chase after the best-seller left his marriage in ruins. If the age difference and unchecked baggage wasn't enough to make this love connection implausible, Marc's Italian ancestry and Lisa's blackness definitely could. Nevertheless, debut novelist Wendy Coakley-Thompson invantively adds another dimension that uncovers the stupidity and strength of racism. Situated in metropolitan New York circa 1989, amidst the murder of young, black Yusuf Hawkins by a group of Italian teenagers, and David Dinkins's win for mayor, this sociopolitically charged setting transforms into a dynamic character. For readers, remembrances are evoked, tensions are reexperienced and beliefs are reexamined. Equipped with well-exposed vulnerabilities, Lisa and Marc must navigate this vivid landscape of black and white; love and hate; failure and success; while sustaining a suffocated romance. Supporting characters--as in any relationship--add fuel to the fire. There is the overbearing mother, the black militant archetype archetype (är`kĭtīp') [Gr. arch=first, typos=mold], term whose earlier meaning, "original model," or "prototype," has been enlarged by C. G. Jung and by several contemporary literary critics. , and the racist, capitalistic cap·i·tal·is·tic adj. 1. Of or relating to capitalism or capitalists. 2. Favoring or practicing capitalism: a capitalistic country. figure. Even though these representations may have been seen before, the author manipulates this colorful cast through convincing dialogue, illuminating the prejudices that simmer below the surface. Unfortunately, at times, the narration is too explicit leaving little room for readers' imaginations. At other times, events seem convenient for the author, but hey, it is understood that in the quintessential romance--the guy always gets the girl. The fun part is rooting for the couple's success. And in the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of societal events stripped directly from our country's troubled past, the reader hopes that they flourish to prove that love always defeats hate. Felicia Pride is the founder/editor of BackList back·list n. A publisher's list of older titles kept in print. tr.v. back·list·ed, back·list·ing, back·lists To place (a title) on a backlist. (www.thebacklist.net), a publishing and literary newsletter of African-American interest. |
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