Colored Sugar Water: A Spiritual Tale [Hardcover]

Venise Berry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2002

Colored Sugar Water introduces Lucy Merriweather and Adel Kelly, both dealing with life issues. Lucy is thirty-five, single, and in great shape thanks to her career as a fitness manager for a string of Texas health clubs. Adel is the vice president for human resources at American Oil, pulling in a six-figure salary and annual bonuses. Unfortunately, neither is happy.

Lucy struggles with her emotional and spiritual dreams. Her boyfriend Spencer, a basic kind of guy who loves his mama, sports, fried chicken, and Lucy in that order doesn't seem to measure up. So she decides to get out of her rut with a Sexy Soul Psychic named Kuba. Self-assured and sensitive, Kuba seems to know exactly what women want. Or does he?

Adel struggles with a husband, Thad, who refuses to grow up and a job that is less than satisfying despite its financial gains. She is eventually forced to reexamine her faith as she searches for a life that brings her closer to happiness and fulfillment.

Filled with the humor, passion, and pathos of modern relationships, Colored Sugar Water tells the story of two women who discover the power of their unique spiritual gifts. It further establishes Venise Berry as one of the freshest, wittiest, and wisest writers on today's fiction scene-as New York Times bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey wrote, "magnificient and honest, Venise Berry's writing comes from her soul."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The mystery of voodoo mingles with the search for spirituality and faith in the lives of two young women, each facing the challenge of understanding just what a meaningful relationship might be, in this entertaining if far-fetched novel by Berry, author of the Blackboard bestsellers All of Me and So Good. Adel Kelly, a vice-president with American Oil Corporation, has reached a crossroads in her life. Her second husband, minister's son Thad, is showing signs of the same immaturity and evasiveness as her first husband, and she is beginning to have doubts about the morality of American Oil's business practices. All serious problems but they seem thoroughly mundane when compared to the situation her best friend, Lucy Merriwether, is embroiled in. Lucy, the regional manager of a chain of fitness centers, has been courted for years by Spencer, the upstanding owner of a McDonald's franchise, but when she hears the voice of sexy television hot-line psychic Kuba, she believes she finally understands true passion. In an unlikely chain of events, she winds up in Kuba's python-and-candle-furnished lair, hypnotized by his sensual moves. Adel tries to save her friend from Kuba's sinister clutches, but Lucy isn't sure she wants to be saved. Meanwhile, Adel is getting religion herself, though hers is of the more conventional variety. This is hardly a deep exploration of questions of faith, but those who like their romance weighted with otherworldly significance will find plenty to satisfy them here. (Jan.)Forecast: A funky cover and the religious focus should attract younger readers exploring their spirituality, but the voodoo sessions may be a bit much for older devotees of Christian fiction.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Adel Kelly and Lucy Merriweather have been best friends since college. Adel is making a six-figure salary at an oil company and Lucy is a regional manager for a chain of fitness centers. Each woman is struggling with her spiritual, professional, and personal life. Lucy is seeking some adventure from the comfortable and steady relationship with her boyfriend. Her wanderlust causes her to doubt her true feelings and put her relationship in limbo. On the other hand, Adel is married and struggling to deal with her husband's immaturity. She is forced to reexamine her motivators and choose between financial gains and inner peace. Both women find that their lives are like the colored sugar water Lucy drinks every morning, wavering between being bland and routine yet sweet and satiating. Each woman makes a startling choice about what she wants from life and what she needs for spiritual health. Berry has superbly dealt with black spirituality from the organized church and religion to voodoo and fortune telling. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 259 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (January 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525944710
• ISBN-13: 978-0525944713
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,316,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What Do You Believe?, April 8, 2002

By 

Candace "ccottrel" (Valey Stream, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Colored Sugar Water: A Spiritual Tale (Hardcover)

To the outside, Lucy seems to have it together. She's in a prominent position in her company, has a man who loves her, and a best friend who cares about her. However, things aren't always as they seem, as we find out in Colored Sugar Water. Lucy is unhappy in her relationship, feeling that the passion has all but dried up. During an unlikely phone call to a psychic hotline, Lucy's passion is reignited and her spirituality, her relationships, and beliefs are ultimately put to the test.

Lucy's best friend, Adel, is caught between a rock and a hard place in both her personal and professional affairs. She is constantly making excuses for the behavior of her entrepreneur husband, his irresponsibility,and lack of commitment. At work, Adel must do some soul-searching to remind herself what she feels is important.

Colored Sugar Water is an entertaining read, blending a sweet mix of topics regarding the spiritual journeys of these two women. Berry's subject matter may not be for the faint of heart or those of little faith - be it in themselves or their spirituality. The the book will force you to answer the question: What Do You Believe?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THOUGHT PROVOKING!, January 29, 2002

By 

TABITHA GASTON (BOSTON, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Colored Sugar Water: A Spiritual Tale (Hardcover)

I WAS CERTAINLY UNDER A SPELL WHILE READING VENISE BERRY'S LASTEST BOOK "COLORED SUGAR WATER." THIS BOOK IS DEFINATELY AN INVESTMENT FOR THE INTELLECT.

ADEL AND LUCINDA (LUCY), BEST FRIENDS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON LIFE, LOVE AND GOD. THEY REACHED CROSS ROAD IN THEIR LIVES WHERE BOTH HAVE TO CONFRONT FEARS,CHALLENGE THEIR IDEALS AND MAKE LIFE CHANGING CHOICES.

LUCINDA AND ADEL'S RESPECT AND LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER IS STEADY THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK AND EVENTUALLY BRINGS THEM TO A COMMON GROUND.

I GAVE THIS BOOK FIVE STARS IT IS DESTINED TO BECOME A BESTSELLER WITH THE PROMISE OF AN EXCEPTIONAL MOVIE. THE MYSTERY, SUSPENCE, LOVE, LAUGHTER PAIN AND JOY HAD ME BEGGING FOR MORE.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Colored Water is More Like It!!!, August 8, 2002

By 

Erica B. Fox "love-kid" (Columbus, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Colored Sugar Water: A Spiritual Tale (Hardcover)

There was not any [sugar] thing in this book to make it interesting or tempting. Needless to say, I am very disappointed in Ms. Berry's third novel.

The book jacket spoke of two friends and their journey towards acceptance by growing in life, friendship, and faith. What we got was Adel's story about her failed marriages and immature husband; then a total thematic contradiction with Ms. Lucy and her tiptoeing on the brink of self-destruction.

Call it what you want Ms. Berry-hoodoo, voodoo, or psychic energy-it all comes down to
evil symbols, vampires, snakes, and séances, all makings for a story with a theme I didn't want to read about.

What do you believe?.....I believe Ms. Berry really let her fans down with this one.