Acting Out [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Benilde Little (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2003

A Washington Post Bestseller

Trading independence and creativity for the joys of family and wealth, Ina West gave herself completely to motherhood and the upkeep of a luxurious lifestyle . . . until, after twelve years and three children, her husband left her. Amid her grief, shock, and fear, Ina recognizes one clear truth: she herself had checked out of the marriage long ago.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A familiar women's fiction premise-husband leaves wife and kids for pretty young thing-is well served by Little's (Good Hair) feisty, conversational style and her memorable depiction of black upper-class life. Ina Robinson has a beautiful home in an exclusive neighborhood; a generous husband, Jay, who is a fellow Howard University graduate and successful real estate entrepreneur; and three adorable children-Malcolm, Marcus and Ivy. She spends her days caring for the kids, cleaning the house, volunteering, and attending her book club and mothers' group. Yet she has the vague sense that something is missing. In her mothers' group, "all the women were powerful used-to-bes: a banker, several lawyers, a journalist, but I'd never really had a career to miss." When Jay leaves her for a real estate heiress, Ina realizes that she has been sleepwalking through the last few years of her life, having chosen security and predictability over creativity and independence. Though the separation leaves Ina at wit's end-she barely has time to explain to the kids about Daddy's new girlfriend before Jay is selling the house out from under her-she also begins to develop her own career as a photographer, has a chance to reconnect with her first love and begins to consider what she truly wants from her life. Little's writing is assured, apart from the occasional homily ("Know that there's always a price for not being yourself"), and she captures well the awkwardness of being a single divorc‚e in the suburbs. In all, this is a solid, likable effort.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

What does a wife do when her husband decides to leave her after 12 years of marriage and three children? This is the dilemma facing Ina Robinson in Little's (Good Hair) tale of a woman caught between the life she thought she was supposed to have and the one she really wants.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 345 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (November 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786258969
• ISBN-13: 978-0786258963
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,406,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading but. . ., March 11, 2003

By 

Casonya Thompson (Oxford, MS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Acting Out: A Novel (Hardcover)

I loved Ms. Little's previous books but this one was not as exciting. Ina was a very interesting lady but she just did not grab my attention. I think there were just to many family issues going on and you just could not get to the center of the story. He cheated, he left and she had to go on without him. I liked the fact that it showed how black women are able to cope through various aspects of life. Granted this was an easy and nice read but it is not her best writing.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Candid and Realistic Novel, January 7, 2003

By 

BookRemarks (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Acting Out: A Novel (Hardcover)

A good book will cause you to think and feel, and this is the effect that Acting Out has.

Benilde Little is an observant writer with a penchant for good, relevant detail. She paints scenes with her words, makes you feel the characters, tempts you to question what you'd do if you were in Ina's situation, the narrator of this novel about a wife who finds herself in a marriage/mommy/woman dilemma. Benilde Little makes you know the character; every emotion that Ina feels, it's as good as yours. If Ina is there, so are you. Some of Ina's feelings are disturbing, or is it that she's just real, honest, able to get in touch with her heart no matter what's inside. In truth, Ina confesses certain feelings that many of us might hide for fear of judgment, for fear of misunderstanding. But if we're honest we can relate to Ina's musings, her regrets and non-satisfaction as a tired and wore-out mom, a disillusioned wife.

Her third novel in approximately seven years, Little's absence from fiction has been felt; her return well worth the wait. With its candid revelations and realistic portrayal of family, marriage, and independence, Acting Out triumphs.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond the fairy tale, September 9, 2003

By 

K. Riley "Books & Beyond" (Kansas City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Acting Out: A Novel (Hardcover)

As always, Benilde Little did a superb job of telling the story of one woman's struggle to fulfill her mission in life. In "Acting Out," the main character Ina is faced with moving on when her husband leaves her and their three children after 12 years of marriage. Unlike many characters in contemporary fiction, Ina doesn't sing the "my man done me wrong" song. She looks within and tries to examine how she contributed to the demise of the marriage. She comes to the realization that she focused so much on carrying out the roles of perfect wife and mother that she abandoned her own dreams and ambitions. Instead of focusing solely on the shortcomings of her "no-good husband," Ina decides to focus on reclaiming her dreams.

There isn't a lot of over-the-top drama and in-your-face biting commentary. This book is more of an exploration of life beyond the fairy tale and what happens after you say "I do."

"Acting Out" is a must-read for anyone who's aching for a smart read. If you're tired of ridiculously graphic sexual escapades, constant profanity and page after page listings of designer/bling-bling references that fill pages of many contemporary black fiction novels, then you owe it to yourself to read this book.