Bittersweet [Hardcover]

Freddie Lee Johnson III (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2002

Clifford. Victor. Nathan. Three brothers as different as they come. Three lives that veer unexpectedly off course. One bond that heals them all. . . .

Clifford sees his life as picture-perfect: two wonderful young sons, a fast-track career, and a solid marriage. But fresh back from a family vacation in Florida, Clifford is hit with a stunning blow when his wife Demetria declares that she is leaving him for “true love, excitement, and fun”–an announcement that throws him into an uncontrollable tailspin of denial.

With one failed marriage under his belt, and a precious daughter his ex-wife bars him from seeing, Victor is no expert in romantic love. His philosophy? The only way to keep a woman from squeezing every last drop from you is to get out before things get too deep. But lately Victor hasn’t been feeling quite like himself–especially since he’s been falling for Edie and her little girl. Seems like he spends more time looking out for her then he does staking out new booty calls.

Even in the face of tragedy and travail, Nathan, a minister, remains hopeful. His marriage is a paragon of Christian ideals, his loving wife Brenda is his soul mate and support. But it wasn’t always that way. Nathan has left some ugly wreckage in his wake before finding God. Now he and Brenda are truly blessed with a solid family and an adoring congregation. Then, a troubled divorcée tempts Nathan–and threatens the sacred vows he swore to uphold.

While Clifford, Victor, and Nathan struggle with the unexpected–faltering marriages, breaking hearts, and torn childhoods that threaten to repeat themselves in the lives of their children–each will discover the true redemptive power of a brother’s love.

By turns fierce and passionate, tender and humorous, this wise novel blasts the stereotype that black men’s ties to their families are tenuous at best. Freddie Lee Johnson III tells a refreshing story of three complex men who fight to do right by their families–both the ones they created, and the one they were born into. The result is Bittersweet.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his debut, Johnson aims high, attempting to tell the intertwined stories of three African-American brothers, but he overextends his reach as the tales spiral in hackneyed directions. Nathan, the oldest, successfully presides over his Pittsburgh church as he battles the advances of a female parishioner. Victor, or "Ice," drives a bus in Cleveland and overflows with a street bravado that sometimes slips into caricature. Clifford, the most interesting of the trio, pursues an M.B.A. while working at a white-collar job; he tries to live the middle-class African-American dream, but when his wife decides to divorce him, his life crumbles as he desperately strives to gain custody of his sons. Johnson arranges the novel so that all three brothers suffer relationship difficulties simultaneously; a contrived setup, but one that allows him to offer a variety of thoughtful perspectives on the topic of marriage and the pressures couples endure to make their partnerships work. In some interesting internal monologues, the brothers emerge as distinct people, but the abrupt cuts back and forth between them disrupt the flow of the tale. The brothers' mother a widowed former educator working toward her Ph.D. emerges as the strongest character even though she is relegated to a supporting role. Providing guidance, leadership and a verbal smack in the face when necessary, she offers comfort and advice in her sons' times of trouble. This is a heartfelt first novel, but it fails to lend fresh insight into the dynamics of contemporary African-American family life.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Bittersweet is an apt title for this tale of three brothers: Clifford, who works hard to support his wife and two young sons while completing his MBA; Nathan, who long ago gave himself over to the Lord and is now a minister with a wife and two teenaged children; and Victor, a divorced absentee father who works as a bus driver and plays the field. The three have never had much in common, but their mother, now a school principal and Ph.D. candidate, has impressed upon them the importance of God and blood despite all differences. Ironically, it is Victor, whom the others have always felt deserving of their prayers and pity, who is getting his life together and offering his brothers some good advice for doing the same. In his first novel, Johnson gambles successfully with an unusual format: the story is told by each brother in alternating chapters, a technique that works well because it allows the reader to see each man's internal struggles and the consequences for each family unit. With three stories being told simultaneously, this novel has a huge cast of characters, and Johnson does an excellent job of developing each character to the extent needed by the story. The result is a loving tale of family and what it means to be an African American man in today's society. Recommended for popular fiction collections, this would also serve well in academic libraries supporting men's studies and courses in the African American family. Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati State Technical & Community Coll.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: One World/Ballantine; 1st edition (January 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345445961
• ISBN-13: 978-0345445964
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,457,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars AN EXCELLENT DEBUT, April 3, 2002

By 

kendari2 (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bittersweet (Hardcover)

Freddie Lee Johnson's debut novel "Bittersweet" is an excellent read. I could not put it down....a definite page turner.

We meet three brother's Clifford, Victor, & Nathan who are bound together not only by blood but by their need for each other.

Clifford seems to have everything.....2 beautiful children, a great job and a wonderful wife. Little does he know that his wife is about to drop a bombshell on him. This little bit of information definitely throws him for a loop.

Victor on the other hand is a divorced father of one. His ex-wife is determined to keep him from seeing his daughter...stopping at nothing. He is trying to keep his head on straight for the sake of his daughter and the fact that he is falling for a new lady in his life.

Nathan is a minister, but before he became a minister he had a secret that he decided to share with his wife. He is now the pilar of the community and thinks everything is going fine...until a memeber of his church who is thinking of divorce appoaches him.

Each man struggles with the different aspects of their lives all the while remaining true to one another. This is definitely a must read. I give it 4.5. stars and wish continued success & blessings to Freddie Lee Johnson III.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Run and get this book, January 2, 2002

By 

Cydney Rax "rmn1994" (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bittersweet (Hardcover)

Cliff, Nathan, and Victor are three brothers who are battling their way through marital and/or female problems. Demetria, Cliff's wife of nine years, wants out - but Cliff wants another chance. He questions why Demetria is so hell-bent on divorcing him and breaking up their family structure - one that consists of their two adorable young sons, Braddie and Bear. When Demetria makes Cliff understand that she is hardly kidding, he's forced to seek new methods to handle what life is dealing him, and at times his sorrows cause him to turn to his brothers: Nathan, a pastor and family man who's caught inside his own web of frustrations, and Victor, AKA "Ice", a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is, brother with a heartfelt appreciation for large breasted women.

Bittersweet is filled with much thought-provoking issues as it examines the challenges men face when they want to either (1) stay married, or (2) maintain custody of the children. Although some men may have noble intentions, their desires seem to be secondary to a system that doesn't favor participant dads. And there's plenty of educating going on in Bittersweet as Cliff, a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, tries to maneuver his way back into a relationship with a wife who fights his reconciliatory attempts every step of the way.

The laugh-out-loud, streetwise philosophies of Victor, however, are what make Bittersweet an entertainment smorgasbord. Victor, a fellow who never holds his tongue when it comes to voicing his opinion, is nurturing and protective of his baby brother Cliff and warns him to not continually gripe about his woes to other people because, "...half the suckas don't care about your problems, and the other half is glad you got `em."

Victor's voice is one of the strongest to emerge from fiction in recent years and may remind some of Franklin, the main male character in Terry McMillan's Disappearing Act. But don't despair. Writer Freddie Johnson isn't duplicating what's already been done, instead his success may lie in the fine way he brings a fresh voice to a literary arena that's thirsty for writing that can be streetwise, contemporary, compelling, and lyrical with lessons learned by the time the book comes to a close.

Bittersweet should be one of the most memorable and beloved reads of 2002 and is highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Welcome New Voice to Contemporary AA Literature!, May 29, 2002

By 

thegritsdotcom "The-Girl-Reading-In-The-South... (Texas, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bittersweet (Hardcover)

BITTERSWEET is an entertaining read about the choices that shape the lives and relationships of three African American brothers. Nathan, the oldest, is a married minister, who finds practicing what he preaches a struggle when he's tempted by the affections of a beautiful parishioner. Victor, the middle child, is cynical about life and women in general. His cynicism is simply a mask he wears to protect his manhood while on the streets and his heart when dealing with the fairer sex. The youngest, Clifford, is simply an over-achiever. He soon finds the American dream of having a great home with a wife, two kids, and a dog, is not what it's made out to be when the wife he adores claims she doesn't love him and wants a divorce.

This story told by each brother in alternating chapters is unique and well developed. Johnson's writing is so crisp and fresh that this 372 page novel will go by in a flash. I believe what I enjoyed most about this story is that it depicted black men in times of trouble committed to the women in their lives and to keeping their families together at all cost. Author Freddie Lee Johnson, III tells this story with the kind of humor and thoughtfulness that makes him a welcome new voice to the genre of contemporary African American literature!