16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Something Is In The Air, July 3, 2008
This review is from: The Air Between Us: A Novel (Hardcover)
Deborah Johnson, also known as Deborah Johns, presents a fascinating tale of two doctors, one black and one white in her novel, The Air Between Us. The town of Revere, Mississippi is home to two well-respected doctors: Dr. Cooper Connelly, a white man from a rags-to-riches family, and Dr. Reese Jackson, a black man who managed to maneuver his way through the racist ways of the south and become a doctor. The two men mirror each other in many ways: beautiful wives, gorgeous homes with all the trimmings and respected careers, yet the racial politics of their southern town in the 1960s causes a great divide that keeps them and their respective neighborhoods worlds apart. When a white man is injured as a result of what appears to be a simple accident, the town soon stirs with questions and accusations that will forever change its residents.
Johnson weaves an intricate story filled with flawed, but likable, characters that struggle with personal demons and the changes brought forth by integration. Although the book gets off to a rather slow start, readers will be compelled to turn each page in order to find out how the doctors and the town manage through these issues. The Air Between Us is a great read for those interested in a story about people who are not wholly good nor evil, but just trying to survive and live the best life they can for themselves and their children.
Reviewed by M. P. McKinney
APOOO BookClub
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Slow moving plot, uneventful climax, May 19, 2010
I read a lot of books, but I could have passed on this one. It took me a good 75-80 pages to even start getting really into the plot of this one, and towards the end when you think it's about to get really good, it falls flat. The build up to the "secrets" is way greater than the actual secrets. I feel that all the "secrets" kept through out the story were explained way too briefly and it seems like the last chapter was rushed to sum up the novel.
I gave it 2 stars because I did enjoy reading about what life was like in 1960s Mississippi since I grew up in MS, but there was no real entertainment value in my opinion.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Flat, cliched look at Civil Rights era Mississippi, March 13, 2011
This book is an Oprah Book Club wannabe. It takes a "big" topic: race. It's full of strong women. It has educated African Americans. It has a happy ending. Sure sounds like Oprah material to me.
But this book is a weak imitation of powerful books with the same characteristics. It starts out well enough, with a dramatic scene in which a 10-year Negro boy (term used in the book) drives a white man who's been shot to the hospital, but the boy is refused entrance for the man at the Negro entrance, and the boy is refused entrance at the Whites entrance. It's a jarring entry to a world that has been demolished today.
But after those initial 10-20 pages, the book's progression is awkward, and many of its characters are as real as wood. The Negro surgeon is too good to be true -- great doctor, doting husband, pillar of the community in every way, etc. The white surgeon is a drunk, locked in a loveless marriage with a beautiful, but cold, woman. The town's fortune-teller, a former New Orleans prostitute, dispenses thoughtful psychology to all visitors. The city detective is especially weak. He seems to detect every lie spoken by every person, though he doesn't actually follow up on those lies, and he seems able to take in the contents of an entire room (and the yard he can see out the room's window) in a half-second glance. Moreover, the detective makes his appearance, starts challenging the official version of events, and then vanishes.
The thing I liked best about the book was the evocation of what it was like to sit on a porch, just talking with a neighbor. This is what one of the key characters, Miss Melba, does. It's where news is shared and secrets are revealed. I like it because so few of us take the time to do that today ... to slow down, talk about nothing, and watch the seasons pass.
In sum, this book has the veneer of importance because of its chosen topic. But you can find entertaining novels with a lot more depth on the same issues.
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