Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Glorious by Bernice L. McFadden (Book Review) and Giveaway

Title: Glorious
Author: Bernice L. McFadden
Publisher: Akashic Books
My synopsis: This is the story of Easter Bartlett. Her life started in Waycross, Georgia, where her sister survived a rape and her mother died of a broken heart when she discovered her husband's affair.  The lynching of a friend that she witnessed is what drove her out of the south and eventually to Harlem. 

This was the Harlem of the 1920's and 1930's.  A time now referred to as the Harlem Renaissance.  Easter was one of the few black people who could read and write and she spent much of her time writing stories.  This is a work of fiction but there are many historical people written into the story - Marcus Garvey, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen that gives the book a very believable thread. 

We learn much about Easter, that she married, how she became a widow, how she first got published in The Crisis under the byline E.V. Gibbs.  At this time Easter had a benefactor by the name of Meredith Tomas, a white woman.  Meredith was a wealthy widow in love with an old female friend of Easter's named Rain.  Rain and Easter both lived with Meredith and enjoyed the good life - for awhile.  Meredith began to do great amounts of what sounded like it could have been opium.  She began to behave rather strangely, going through her servants and friends belongings when they were not home, painting all the windows in her Penthouse black and even stopped receiving callers. 

She stumbles upon a manuscript of a novel that Easter is working on that is marvelous.  She becomes jealous that Easter is not sharing this work with her as she shares all of her other writings with Meredith so that Meredith can help her "polish" them.  This novel does not need that polish. What happens next is tragic, appalling and I wanted to jump up and tell the people involved to not be so stupid!  But it is this event that shapes the rest of Easter's life and eventually comes to fruition back in Waycross, Georgia.

My thoughts:  When I finally had the opportunity to pick up this novel I devoured it.  I carried it around with me for a day and a half until I was finally able to finish it.  Bernice McFadden is a wonderful story teller and even though the story takes place from Georgia to Chicago to Harlem it just flows.  The people and events that really happened are woven seamlessly with Easter's life and they bring the story to life.  The character of Rain is very colorful and I never really did decide whether I liked her and whether or not she was good for Easter.  I knew that I did not like Meredith and found her selfish from the beginning.  Easter I found to be brave, steadfast, always moving forward to the next place, the next "time" in her life - always accepting of what life had to offer her or not offer her.  My words cannot do justice to the struggle that you could feel in this story.  I highly recommend this novel.

~I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my review.~

GIVEAWAY!

The author has generously offered two autographed copies of her book to two of my readers!  To enter - just leave me a relevant comment with your email address.

Additional entries - Follow me on Google Friend Connect, Twitter, Tweet or blog the giveaway - or follow Bernice McFadden's blog or follow her on twitter.  Each entry must have it's own comment to get full credit.  This giveaway will end May 15 at 11:59PM CST.

Glorious
Publisher/Publication Date: Akashic Books, May 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-936070-11-4
240 pages



35 comments:

ossmcalc said...

GLORIOUS sounds like such an interesting book that would be hard to put down for the evening. I really hope that my name is chosen to receive one of the two autographed copies.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I follow you on Google Friend Connect.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I follow you on Twitter.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/13175632541

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I now follow Bernice McFadden's blog.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I now follow Bernice McFadden on Twitter.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

Anonymous said...

I would love to read this.
debp
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Margie said...

I'd like to read this one. Thanks for the giveaway.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

Blog follower via GFC
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

I put the author's blog in my Favorites list. However since I'm not a blogger, I couldn't enter her contest.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Linda Kish said...

This sounds like a wonderful read.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

GFC follower

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

enyl said...

The word in the stacks is that Glorious is a masterpiece. Can't wait to read it.
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

enyl said...

GFC follower.
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

enyl said...

Following on Twitter.
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

enyl said...

Following Berince's blog.
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

enyl said...

Folowing Berniece on Twitter.
enyl(at)inbox(dot)com

enyl said...

Tweeted.
twitter.com@enylstil#glorious

Mozi Esme said...

Haven't read this author yet, but you make the book sound compelling...

janemaritz at yahoo dot com

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

No need to enter me, babe. I'm dropping in to say thanks for the e-mail. I've got this posted at Win a Book for you.

J.T. Oldfield said...

Please enter me. I'm following both of you on Twitter (@bibliofreakblog)

j.t.oldfield[at]gmail.com

ChristyJan said...

After reading your review and thoughts and description of Easter: "brave, steadfast, always moving forward to the next place, the next "time" in her life - always accepting of what life had to offer her or not offer her" I'm very interested in reading this book.

hawkes(at)citlink.net

ChristyJan said...

I follow via GFC

hawkes(at)citlink.net

Elise said...

Thanks for the giveaway.
caliblue7(at)gmail(dot)com

Elise said...

I follow you on GFC
caliblue7@gmail.com

Sandra K321 said...

All the reviews I have seen of this book have been positive. I love historical fiction and would enjoy reading this.
seknobloch(at)gmail(dot)com

Sandra K321 said...

I follow you via google friend.
seknobloch(at)gmail(dot)com

Steve Capell said...

Your review of this novel makes it sound like this is a must read. Thanks for a great review and hosting this giveaway.

steven(dot)capell(at)gmail(dot)com

TanyaMarie said...

Your review about this giveaway for sure convinced me that this is really good and I shall be very interested with this! Lovely giveaway

tanya_starpower at yahoo dot com

TanyaMarie said...

A follower through gfc

xoxo

Tanya_Starpower at yahoo dot com

TanyaMarie said...

Followed bernice's blog through gfc

xox


Tanya_Starpower at yahoo dot com

TanyaMarie said...

Followed bernice on twitter

username: yotanyaA


Tanya_Starpower at yahoo dot com

TanyaMarie said...

I tweeted

http://twitter.com/yotanyaA/status/13662846018


Tanya_Starpower at yahoo dot com

Anita Yancey said...

Sounds like a very interesting book, one that I would really like to read. Please enter me. Thanks!

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

Anita Yancey said...

Follow on GFC.

ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net

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