Customer Reviews

Babylon Sisters

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sometimes it feels like it is SO HARD hard to find a good black book, with writing and characters that not only entertain you, but also make you proud. Finally, I found (another) one! If you remember any of her other works, especially my favorite, WHAT LOOKS LIKE CRAZY ON AN ORDINARY DAY, then you already no that Pearl Cleage tells a compassionate, intelligent story. BABYLON SISTERS is no exception.

Babylon Sisters is the story of thirty-eight-year-old Catherine Sanderson, a strong black woman who's making a difference in this world. She's a woman who has dedicated her life to improving her community by working with immigrant women and helping them find jobs and housing in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. She has also raised a beautiful, intelligent daughter all on her own, and seventeen-year-old Phoebe Sanderson is finishing her senior year at a fancy, private boarding school and is all but headed to Smith College.

But Catherine's peaceful, organized life is due for a few interruptions. In order to pay for Phoebe's expensive college tuition, Catherine takes on a job with a new client - the reknowned, eccentric black millionaire named Miss Ezola Mandeville. (Emphasis on the "Miss.") But Miss Mandeville, who runs a house-keeping business, appears to be involved through an unsavory business partner in a forced-prostitution ring with immigrant women. Catherine can't figure out exactly what they're up to, or even whether Miss Mandeville is actually knows what her partner is doing to her well-reputed business.

At the same time, Phoebe has become ever more curious about the identity of her father, whom she has never met. In fact, BJ Johnson, the only man Catherine has ever loved, does not even know that he has a daughter. When BJ suddenly comes to Atlanta, Catherine is faced with the challenge of confessing to him that he has a seventeen-year-old daughter. To makes matters more complicated, BJ, a veteran newspaper reporter, knows more about Atlanta's forced-prostitution ring than he's letting on. When the savvy criminals realize that Catherine and her friends know too much, the close-knit group is faced with more than family drama. All of their lives are in danger.

This novel has everything-good writing and a good story. Smart, intriguing, real characters. And it deals with real issues - poverty, the exploitation of women and children, money, power, greed, secrecy, love and trust. I love Catherine, and I especially love it that she is the kind of strong black women who really is real. She has taken care of herself and her family, and using her brains and her financial assets to do things that matter. No designer clothes or jacuzzis, but a superb education and exposure to the many different cultures of the world for herself and her daughter. And this book is about empowered women, and women empowering women, hence the title, "Babylon Sisters." (If you don't get the title now, you'll understand it better as you read the book.) This book is one of the best black fiction novels that I've read all year. Read and enjoy!

Pearl Cleage returns to the literary scene with her latest book, BABYLON SISTERS, an endearing story about a single mother named Catherine Sanderson. Cat, as she is affectionately called, has been raising her daughter Phoebe alone since day one and has always been there for her. She home-schooled Phoebe, then later sent her to an exclusive private school. As her daughter nears graduation and prepares for college things seem to be great between them - except for the secret that Cat has been carrying for years, the identity of Phoebe's father. When Phoebe takes drastic measures to learn his identity, Cat must face the fact that the truth will be revealed and also deal with the pain that led to the secrets in the first place.

Cat owns and operates a consulting business, which she named, Babylon Sisters. Through Babylon Sisters, she has helped countless young immigrant women and saved them from wolves in sheep's clothing. These women often found themselves living in substandard housing with exorbitant rent, being overworked and underpaid, and even forced into prostitution, but failed to notify authorities for fear of deportation. Cat became a voice for these women, not only helping them get out of their particular situation, but also serving as a spokeswoman for their cause. In anticipation of college tuition bills, she realizes she must get a job working for someone else so that she can continue to make ends meet. When one of her speaking engagements results in a meeting with Miss Mandeville, a community icon with a thriving business, Cat believes her prayers have been answered. But things are not always as they seem.

This is one of those books that was completely satisfying. Cat narrated the story, but her voice immediately drew me into the plot. I could relate to her insecurities, her good intentions and even her stubbornness. The pacing of the story was superb and there were plenty of surprises. These twists not only added tension, but sometimes they added suspense while others provided humor and irony. I always find it difficult to review a book I really, really enjoyed for fear I won't do it justice, and this is the case with BABYLON SISTERS. The story touched me on so many levels, as a mother, as a daughter, as a woman in a relationship...and the list goes on. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

This was a wonderful story. Cleage always packs a big punch with her novels. Covering some serious topics and sprinkle love in the mix. Cleage novels are always an outstanding book club selection.
Voted Best Fiction/Best Book Club Discussion/ Best Book Of The Year.

Mahogany Media Review
Albany, N.Y.

I brought the cd "Babylon Sisters" whihc was read the author Pearl Cleage. Listening to the Cd was fantastic. I was able to picture the novel in my mind's eye. I enjoyed the twist in the book (and I'm not about the give this away - you will have to read or listen to the cd for yourselves). The only constructive cristism I have is that I was a little disappointed by the ending. In my opinion although the story ended on a high - I feel the author could and should have written a chapter about the relationship between Cat and BJ.

It was a pity that Sam disappeared half way through the novel; it would have been interesting to hear about his relationship with Ezola. Also I would have liked to hear about what happened when Ezola was arrested. On the whole however I enjoyed the book.

Pearl Cleage, in her fourth novel, BABYLON SISTERS, has done an outstanding job of dealing with real women issues through using a combination of the thriller and romance genre. This book is easy reading that takes you on a roller-coaster ride.

The story is told by Catherine Sanderson ("Cat") who, as a single mom, has been raising her daughter Phoebe for 17 years. She has provided Phoebe with a loving home, an excellent education and a warm, but firm, loving "modern" mother. Through these years, there have been some ups and downs, but that normally happens in any woman's life, whether she is black or white. However, through all the good things that Cat has provided her daughter, Phoebe still has one question that Cat can't answer truthfully, "Who is her father?" Along with some good things and meeting some trouble people, Ms. Cleage provides the reader with real life situations using excellent storytelling skill.

To show you that the book is not only wonderful but has you draw back on your African-American classical reading, there is a reference to a character in a book I read long ago, however; I could not remember the character nor could I answer the question. This made me go back and pick up that book again and re-read it. (Read the book to find out what is the name of this classic African-American book.). Ms. Cleage also refers to some recent issues that will make you think. Her writing brings us bits of our history and shows us that we "as women" have many options; one of those options is not to give up on our self.

Overall, if you want a good read that is written skillfully, READ THIS BOOK. It will take you on a wonderful literary ride.

Pearl Cleage's Babylon Sisters is my favorite type of fiction book: one that I can curl up on the couch with and lose myself in for hours. It doesn't fail to satisfy. I won't rehash the storyline, but the story was great (no dry spots, thank goodness!) and quite original and refreshing. The story moved along very smoothly, but I especially like the fact that most of the drama was saved until the very end. As a matter of fact, I laughed out loud at the final sentence of the last chapter!

I like books where the author pulls characters from a previous book and brings them forward into the new book. Pearl Cleage does that here, with the brief appearences of Blue and Regina Hamilton from her previous book Some Things I Never thought I'd do.


If you're looking for a book that is enjoyable, but also makes you think, with a good positive storyline and themes of black empowerment and love for community, this book is definitely a must read!

The title of the story doesn't match its content. It should be called "Trials of a Mother/Daughter Relationship". The storyline was really very boaring and the characters are "RECYCLED" from Til You Hear From Me. I chose this book as the topic of discussion for our girlfriends getaway, everyone agreed the book fell way short of expectations...

This is an OK book...kind of humdrum. It took awhile to get through it because I kept putting it down but I finally finished.

Pearl Cleage is one of the greatest writers of our time. No one can dispute that. From plays like "Blues for an Alabama Sky" to books like Baby Brother's Blues, she can light up a page and spark your imagination. I liked Babylon Sisters. It's definitely not her strongest work. Try What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day, Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do and Baby Brother's Blues which gets 10 stars from me - each!

Also remember some of the books are sequels and it helps to read them in order! Happy Reading!

What Looks Like Crazy on An Ordinary Day
I Wish I Had a Red Dress (sequel to the above)

Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do
Baby Brother's Bluse (sequel to the above)

This is my first Pearl Cleage book and it won't be my last. The story doesn't have the typical urban fiction storyline its got a lot more to offer. The end is far from predictable. The chapters are short and the book is a quick and easy read. Cleage kept things moving from the beginning to the end. The book offers everything romance, drama, and a good discussion of immigration politics. If you want something out of the ordinary read this book.

The book is about Catherine Sanderson an advocate for immigrant woman and her daughter seventeen year old daughter Phoebe. The relationship between Phoebe and her mother grows rocky when she fails to reveal who her father is. But the main story line is about Catherine and her new job for Miss Mandeville. While working for Miss Mandevile Catherine learns about a female slave ring. Things quickly heat up as she uncovers more and more about immigrant women being sold and used as prostitutes.