Customer Reviews

Brothers & Sisters

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Esther Jackson is a strikingly beautiful black woman, well educated who, by sheer hard work and determination, has forged herself a place in the upper eschelon of the banking world. She is striving to become a loans officer, knowing that she has the ability to go all the way to the top of her profession but being held back by the glass ceiling which stalls women and black women in particular. Her unlikely friend is a blonde, beautiful Valley girl who has had all the advantages of a wealthy background but lacks the one thing she craves, the love of her father. She has been trying to compensate for this lack with a series of affairs with older, successful married men, only to be rejected time and time again. Their story and the story of their friendship which struggles almost daily to overcome the differences in their cultures, is a most interesting one, with prejudices of both races coming to the fore...I dound it to be most illuminating.

BROTHERS AND SISTERS is an excellent book with a beautiful, thought-provoking cover. The main character, Esther, walks a fine line to maintain respect and professionism as an African American bank manager, working in a predominantly white bank. She must must make several choices between colorless friendship and Black loyalty and between haves and have nots. In her personal life, she must make the choice between white-collar and blue-collar love. BROTHERS AND SISTERS shows the deceitful routes some people will take to reach their goal, not caring who is run over. This book also looks at how little things have changed between the races and the sexes, but in contrast, it shows rarely-seen truiumph over injustice. The well-rounded cast of characters make this book realistic and believable. Bebe Moore Campbell is a very good writer.

If this novel is any indication of Bebe Moore Campbell's talent, I think she's bound for an exciting and prolific career. Set in L.A. in the aftermath of the infamous Rodney King verdict, BROTHERS AND SISTERS introduces the reader to a banking world filled with interesting and complex characters both Black and White. Campbell has an excellent ability to traverse modern day racial complexities in a manner which is neither unrealistic nor condescending. Any Black female professional is bound to identify with the struggles and situations that Ester faces in the book: trust issues with White co-workers, dating a blue-collar man, walking the colorline, and maintaining personal dignity in a workspace where nobody looks like you. I found the novel to be enjoyable and insightful. It's perfect reading for a long plane ride.

This one hits all the dilemmas of an African-American woman in middle management in corporate America - developing white friendships, being torn in those friendships when race becomes a factor, the fine-line definitions of sexual harassment, trying to help and hire other African-Americans, trying to support other African-Americans who have "made it" and may have forgotten how to help others, develpong romantic relationships with men with lesser educational backgrounds, trying to understand the African-American male preference for the white women, dealing with how much power one doesn't have in the final analysis - it's all there. A great book!

I regret it took me so long to finally read this book, as it has been out for some time. The author is nearly a master when it comes to keeping the reader's attention. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! Brothers and Sisters is a national African american treasure! When all the smoke clears, we are still able to overcome whatever obstacles are put in front of us and still triumph. Yes, this is a story of a female bank representative who happens to be African-American who forges an unlikely relationship with a white female co-worker. It is interesting to see how the author writes about their relationship. I commend the author for not being explicit in the sexual encounters these characters experienced. It was also interesting how she got in the head of white male bosses and explored their racial/sexual predudices. I love how in the end all the black characters who were fired for one reason or another we vendicated and accepted by an African-american bank established by an African-American church. The authors shows us we can make it together no matter what our strengths or weaknesses. That is why we are Brothers and Sisters. I also like the relationship between Esther the black female bank rep and the mail delivery person, Tyrone. He was a good brother who just adored Esther and I found that refreshing. I will read it again.

Although we live in a so-called modern world, the prejudices that existed years ago are still prevalent today. It seems that the more updated society becomes, the more degraded become our morals. In this present situation that the world finds themselves in there must be an escape. There has to be a common ground between sanity and anarchy. Although this book will not revolutionize the entire world or bring it to immediate reconstruction, it provides a path which can lead society into making sounder decisions. Campbell uses modern day language to convey the sense of parallelism with present society. That parallelism acts as a link to the yin and yang causing the mind to react. The soulfulness and the validity of the truths spoken in this book trigger emotions as well as anger. The conventional family picture is shattered in some chapters, allowing one to relate to the imperfection in one's life. The individual characters each portray the extent of how society molds actual "real world" characters. Each individual character approaches life in need of some reason or direction. However, each character some where along the pains and triumphs of life, has lost some sense of self, thereby losing their identity. The depths in which the contents of this novel delve are intriguingly realistic. Why don't you join Campbell into the waters and drown yourself in the sea of truth.

Bebe Moore Campbell is definitely the most underated author of our time. Bebe writes books about characters that many of us know (or are) in real life. She writes books that you can step into and feel like you are a part of these people's lives. But I have to say, of all of her books, Brothers and Sisters is by far my favorite! Get this book!!!!

I am a huge fan of BeBe Moore Campbell and I have read all of her books. I have to say that Brothers and Sisters is my all time favorite. I bought this book in hardcover the day it was published. I have read this book 4 times over the years and I am sure I will read it again. There are alot of messages in this book. I love a good book that really makes you think. Everytime I read this book I get something more out of it.

I highly recommend this book. I also bought Singin in the Comeback Choir the day it was published and I am eagerly awaiting Ms. Moore's next book. Please don't keep me waiting long!!!

Campbell goes beyond the slogans and prejudices to tell the story of two women - one black, one white - trying to forge a genuine friendship in the aftermath of the L.A. riots. Their different interpretations of situations and even words are depicted with compassion and a great deal of humor as they try to find common ground. Even when they clash, we can understand where each is coming from.

As if navigating the waters of racial sensitivity weren't daunting enough, the characters are also faced with tough choices about career, dating, family, office politics and other ethical dilemmas that often seem to demand conflicting solutions. There are lots of other well-drawn characters, some with good intentions, some with bad and some caught up in a confusion of both. Who would have thought a book about people who work in a bank could be so suspenseful and rewarding?

After reading "Your Blues Ain't Like Mine", and the non-fiction work about her father, as well as "What You Owe Me", I decided to continue with the works of Bebe Moore Campbell. I gave the work 5 stars because what she wrote in "Brothers and Sisters" is credible, and she told a story as it is, and no one is totally guilty or totally innocent. She took great pains to get her point across, to be as objective as possible, despite the hurt she knew well in the history of Black Americans in this country. Very many people miss her as well as the even-handed approach in her work.

Campbell weaves her times, the context, into the text quite well. Here the background is turbulent Los Angeles after the beatings of Rodney King and Reginald Denny. Racial tension is high, and interracial relationships are flammable. Campbell's story of two very different women, and their struggling friendship, and the workplace that serves as their background is remarkable. The people in the story are those you know, no matter who you are. We confront the better angels of our nature as well as the dwelling place of evil in "Brothers and Sisters."

You do not have to be black to enjoy her work, nor is it "chick lit". I am a white male, and I read to comprehend the story of anyone. And now I am looking for my next Campbell work.