Bebe's By Golly Wow! [Hardcover]

Yolanda Joe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1998

Bebe, a forty-something bank supervisor and recent college graduate, has finally found the reason to end the self-imposed man sabbatical she began in Yolanda Joe's first novel, He Say, She Say--a charming and sweet firefighter named Isaac Sizemore. A big, strapping "steak-colored" man who is as strong as he is sensitive, Isaac is the man of Bebe's dreams. But he's also a father dealing with the challenges of raising a thirteen-year-old daughter on his own.

Much to Bebe's surprise, Isaac's whip-smart daughter, Dashay, turns out to be the "other woman" who threatens to keep them apart. Meanwhile Sandy, Bebe's best friend, who is struggling in the workplace as she clashes with the new owners of the radio station, continues on her adventure in search of true love, refusing to give up.

Set in Chicago and told in alternating voices, Bebe's By Golly Wow sparkles with Yolanda Joe's deft storytelling, in-your-face dialogue, and marvelous insight as she paints a sensitive and funny tale of modern romance, family transitions, and heartfelt friendships.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A lightweight follow-up to He Say, She Say (1997) provides a realistic, if uninspired, portrayal of remarriage in an urban middle-class African-American community. Bebe, a middle-aged bank supervisor, is looking for love, as is Sandy, an employee at a popular Chicago radio station. Sandy, though young enough to be Bebes daughter, is actually her best friend. Both women have been burned in the past, so when Bebe meets Isaac Sizemore, a well-read, thoughtful fireman whos raising his daughter on his own, its hard for her to accept that he's the real thing. Complicating matters is 13-year-old Dash, Isaac's daughter by Alicia, the woman who left him to ``see the world'' when Dash was only ten. Isaac finds himself caught in the opposed agendas of two strong-willed females, and it takes nearly losing everything before he wakes up and faces his responsibility both to Dash and the woman he loves. Meanwhile, in a subplot that gets short shrift, Isaac is also dealing with his irresponsible friend L.A., who's deep in gambling troubles and looking out for his elderly Uncle Lucius (Lucius manages to dispense more wisdom than all the other characters combined). While Bebe struggles with Dash--whose antics include pouring Tabasco into her food when she's not looking--Sandy's career is on the line: Her boss brings in a white consultant named Richard Belder, who intends to put his own stamp on the station. The most refreshing aspect of Joe's take on these two women's lives is that Bebe, older by 20 years, is rewarded for her experience by finding what she's been seeking, while Sandy learns from Bebe's patience and sustaining self-respect. A pedestrian story line, but as before, with lively dialogue and smart-as-a-whip female protagonists. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

"This funny, sassy, and honest story has the feel of a good, long talk with a best friend."
--Chicago Tribune

"An in-your-face love story that captures your heart with its street-smart language and its likable characters."
--Ebony

"An exuberant tale."
--Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; 1st edition (June 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385492553
• ISBN-13: 978-0385492553
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,057,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Too slow...too childish, August 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bebe's By Golly Wow! (Hardcover)

I tried to give Y.J. a chance but it looks like it just won't work. I thought 'He Say, She Say' was slow and silly and I didn't enjoy it at all but I give all authors a second chance to show their growth. Unfortunately, Y.J. has not exhibited any learned lessons from her first novel. Actually, I think 'Bebe...' is worse. I can't even finish it. The storyline is silly and the characters are unbelievably childish(Bebe...a 40 year old woman, yeah right!). I especially hate her version of a 13 year old girl. Can she please get a clue...'and what not?' Sorry Y.J., I can't waste anymore time or money on your books.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I Was Disappointed..., April 18, 2000

By 

Melissa - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bebe's By Golly Wow (Mass Market Paperback)

I really wanted to give this book a try because I read "He Say, She Say." What a waste--I had to look at the back cover thirty times because I couldn't believe Ms. Joe is a Yale graduate. I don't want to hate on her, because I am an aspiring writer myself, but this book lacks intelligence, the slang is cliche, and the characters are stereotypes, to me. It seemed rushed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Overexaggerated, March 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bebe's By Golly Wow (Mass Market Paperback)

I am sorry to say that this book seemed to be very unrealistic. I can usually give a book a benefit of the doubt, but I could not even get halfway thru the book. The slang and the characters profiles were extremely over-exaggerated. I know it is fiction, but she was very redundant with her slang, using it unecessarily which made it hard for the book to flow. It seemed like she was trying to hard to give the characters character. This was the first book that I attempted to read by her. Bad first impression. I will have to give her other books a try.