Customer Reviews

A Fool's Paradise

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was a wonderful coming of age story. I particularly loved the charachters and the bonds they shared as friends. The recurring themes of mother daughter relationships, sibling rivalry and lovers quarrels clearly depict realites that exist for many. You will find a bit of yourself in this novel.

This is definitely a page turner and you simply can't wait to get to the ending. You may find yourself rooting for the characters and then changing your opinion of others midstream. Nancy Wilson Flowers definitely leaves you with the desire for a sequel.

A must read!

Wilson sent me on an all expense paid vacation that included scenery, exitement, suspense, love and relaxation. A Fool's Paradise was fun to read. I was captured from the very first page. I felt like I knew each charater personally and that I had engaged in conversation with each one. Every person in the book was developed so well. The story and the way it was told seemed so real I wanted to pick up the phone and chastise Donovan; or e-mail Anne-Marie words of encouragement; I wanted to help Nadine get on the right track. Wilson really made me get involved with her characters and want to know how their lives progressed. I am really surprised that this is a first novel for her. I am an avid reader and I can honestly say this is one of the best books that I have read. I have recommended this book to many others and those people are thanking me for it! Like any other vacation, this book excites, engages and leaves you anxiously awaiting the next! (Which I hope is coming really soon!) I am a new fan for life!!!!

In her debut effort, Nancy Flowers Wilson successfully takes the reader on a vacation to Jamaica and introduces the reader to both the flair and the folly surrounding the lives of the Saunders and Miller families.

Through the lives of Anne-Marie, a young woman destined for success in the medical field; Colleen, Anne-Marie's seemingly soft-spoken and docile best friend; and Donovan, Anne-Marie's boyfriend, Wilson takes on weighty and significant issues such as strained mother-daughter relationships, choosing between career and family, hypocrisy, and honesty and security in male-female relationships. Placing her characters in the most challenging of circumstances, Wilson allows them to make mistakes and grow (or not) over the course of the novel. Some of the dialogue is outright hilarious ("Everyone is a Rastaman deep down inside. You feel me[?] [I]t is up to the individual to recognize his true identity") and at times probing.

The surprises, plot twists, and turns in A Fool's Paradise are endless, always showing up when you think you've figured out what's going to happen next. The novel's ending will leave you with your mouth hung open and, likely, a lump in your throat. You'll close the book understanding how one island can be at once a safe haven and a fool's paradise, depending on the choices we make in life.

Words cannot describe the euphoria felt upon completion of this tale of love, hurt, joy and pain. Written with unparalled charm, humor and the sobering realities, I truly love the way Ms. Wilson utilized her native language at times, something she accomplished with the ease and elegance of a smooth dance step. The ending really moves you. This author wants more, Nancy.

I just finished reading "A Foool's Paradise," and I enjoyed every moment of it. I could barely put the book down because I was so eager to find out what happened next.

I was particularly impressed with Nancy Flowers Wilson's development of the plot and the characters in such a real life fashion. I felt like the characters were real people who I knew personally. The trials and tribulations that they each faced in their lives were so real that I had to remind myself that this was a fictional story.

I became so involved in the lives of Anne Marie and Colleen that I felt like they were my friends. As a result, I was annoyed with some of the other characters for not treating them well. I was very angry with Ms. Margaret for being such an evil person and not thinking about how her behavior was affecting her daughter, but I also felt sorry for her because she had lived such a miserable life. I was infuriated by Anne Marie's mother and sister for being too jealous and narrow-minded to be proud of Anne Marie's successes. I was totally outdone with Donovan for not being man enough to allow the woman the he loved to be a woman and make her own decisions. I truly felt that Anne Marie would have been able to travel overseas to pursue her dreams AND be a good a wife and mother, but Donovan did not have enough faith in her. I absolutely loved Mr. Miller and Mr. Saunders for being such wonderful men. They were great role models who knew that part of being a man is being sensitive, caring and a role model for his children. I was moved by the way Mrs. Wilson developed their characters to capture that without sacrificing their manhood.

I thought that the closing of the book was excellent. She tied up all of the loose ends and left enough room for a sequel if she chooses to go that route. When I finished reading the book, I felt extremely satisfied.

I am eagerly awaiting future works by Nancy Flowers Wilson!

What I enjoyed about A Fool's Paradise is that the scenes presented within the story were not exagerated. The characters in the book are "real" and so are the adult situations. While I was in the first chapter I found myself on the island of Jamaica and really feeling the atmosphere from the words that Nancy Flowers Wilson presented.

I noted that the 4 main men in the story were not stereotypical in their actions. All of them were hard working and very expressive when it came to their feelings. I was impressed by the father/son relationship of Mr. Miller and Donovan; how they had open lines of communication, how they discussed love and relationships, and how they worked the family business.

However, I fell in love with Star's best friend, Colleen. One thing to note about a novel with good writing is that each character will have enough depth to have potential for their own novel. Nancy Flowers Wilson had me really taken away by this character and the way she kept a secret or two from her best friend, how she sought a living away from her comfort zone, and how she learned to express and be herself - all being done with the objective to gain independence.

No, all good stories do not have to have a sequal. Nevertheless, it would be quite interesting to find out what happens to Star in her new journey, Donovan in his new understanding, and Colleen in her new roles as independent woman and daughter.

Where do I begin???? This first novel of Nancy Flowers-Wilson should not be taken lightly. Not only was it a page turner from front to back, but it made you feel like you were really there. You could almost reach out and touch the characters as she made you feel exactly what they were feeling. The descriptions were so for real that I could even begin to see the characters. In no way was I ready for the ending that was in store, so please have a box of Kleenex handy as things can get very emotional. Being of the Jamaican decent, this book really took me home, and for those who are not from the Island, you too will feel what it is like there, and will be able to relate in many different ways. The author has to eventually give us a part II to this in the near future. Good work Mrs. Flowers-Wilson, I can't wait for the next one.

A Fool's Paradise is flavorful and seasoned with Just the right amount of Zest to keep the storyline spicy. A Fool's Paradise is filled with characters that you will Love to hate. We have Anne-Marie Saunders who is studying to become a doctor, according to her father a "Star". that is until Anne-Marie and her boyfriend announced over Sunday dinner that she is pregnant. Faye Saunders Anne-Marie's mother sees Anne-Marie's future coming to a crashing halt.
Anne-Maries best friend, Colleen is experiencing the angst of becoming a woman and is involved with an older man whose past A has far reaching consequences.

We also have Ms.Margaret who is Collen's mother she has her own issues this is definitely a character you would love to hate Ms.Margaret is the most henious woman in the community, she tries to turn a new leaf and reconcile a relationship with her daughter. but is it to late?

A Fool's Paradise was an enjoying read and it took you on a little trip to Jamacia. I will be looking forward to reading more from Ms. Nancy Flowers Wilson

A friend gave me a copy of this book, and being a 31yr old white boy who typically reads lots of killer/thriller/horror books, I don't usually read "romance novels". I'll tell you what - I couldn't put 'A Fool's Paradise' down every morning/evening on the subway, and once in a while, I had to keep on reading hanging out at the platform. The story really had me hooked from the beginning and trying to guess what was going to happen at every twist.

It was a great read for me, and I think you'll enjoy the ride! (and now i'm craving a visit to Jamaica, mon!)

This flavorful and spicy debut novel, despite a somewhat sluggish beginning, provides a vivid and fascinating coming-of-age story of two young Jamaican women.

Anne-Marie Saunders is in college studying to become a doctor. As she prepares for the last year of her undergraduate studies she discovers that she's pregnant...but she still believes that she will be able to travel abroad to complete her studies. Upon hearing she's pregnant, her long-term boyfriend, Donovan, is ecstatic and proposes marriage but he wants Ann-Marie to attend medical school in Jamaica. Will Ann-Marie follow her heart or pursue her dream?

Colleen, Anne-Marie's best friend, has finally gotten up the nerve to leave home and strike out on her own after years of verbal/mental abuse and lack of acceptance by her mom. As Colleen seeks her freedom and independence she will meet and fall in love with an older man who has a few surprising skeletons in his closet. As Colleen is coming to terms regarding her lover, her mother contacts her and wants to be a part of her life...but will Colleen allow her mom to re-enter her life?

A Fool's Paradise by Nancy Flowers Wilson was a soothing and mesmerizing read. The story starts off slow but quickly builds and readers want to know how the characters resolve the issues in their life. It was a story that made me smile and cry; a story that spoke to my mind, spirit and soul; a story that will stay with me long after I've finished the book. I really liked Ms. Flowers vivid and descriptive writing; I felt like I was in Jamaica right there living with these memorable characters. I liked the realism and tension of the various situations and didn't feel that she gave us drama just for the sake of it. I liked that almost everyone learned something from their actions and behavior-both young and old alike. Even though I didn't agree with Donovan's actions, I felt the love and fear that compounded his decision and I understood why he did what he did. On the other hand, I wish the author would have delve a little more regarding Anne-Marie and her mother's relationship...what was the underlying reason as to why Anne-Marie's mother didn't like her? I liked that their were positive male role models, fathers who were right there taking care of their families. The reoccurring themes in the book were real...the search for parents love and acceptance, mother-daughter relationships, sibling rivalry, male/female relationships and father-son relationships. And even though I saw the ending coming, I was still in shock when I got there...it was so poignant and touching that I felt my heart skip a beat! I really enjoyed the cultural flair and flavor as well as the writing style within Fool's Paradise and I look forward to reading more novels from Nancy Wilson Flowers.