Gather Together in My Name [Paperback]

Tracy Price-Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 20, 2008

From the nationally bestselling and Hurston/Wright award-winning author Tracy Price-Thompson comes a heartbreaking story of loyalty and love that goes beyond the ultimate sacrifice.

Coming of age in the heart of crime-ridden Brooklyn, Shyne Blackwood is one in a set of triplets born into poverty and great tragedy. While his brothers are raised to seek a life of promise, Shyne's path veers early on. A street-seasoned hustler, he becomes known as a liar, a thief, and ultimately, a killer.

Personifying many of the negative stereotypes attributed to black men, Shyne is accused and convicted of the brutal murder of a child, and an entire city demands vengeance as he's sent to death row in a cold New York state prison.

On the eve of Shyne's execution, five people travel to Quincy Correctional Facility to witness the event. As the clock counts down to midnight, and while everyone has long since abandoned Shyne to his fate, a secret at the heart of this unthinkable crime remains to be discovered. It is a secret that will test the bonds of family, the strength of one man's character, and the redemptive power of a love worth dying for.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Price-Thompson (Chocolate Sangria) offers a raw, sometimes moving, but flawed novel of triplet boys—Gabriel (Shug), Isaiah (Shyne) and Ezekiel (Shadow) Blackwood—raised in Brooklyn by their widowed mother. Six witnesses reveal the boys' tragic story as the clock ticks toward Shyne's execution for a horrendous crime he didn't commit, the rape and murder of a woman and her three-year-old child. Shadow, their mother's favorite, dies in an accident at age seven, a death Shyne is blamed for. Shyne becomes a street-wise player who's done time, while Shug, mother's new favorite, manages a path to college, law school and politics, including a bid to become the second black mayor of New York City. As Shyne drops all appeals and awaits execution, his reasons for so doing become clear. Price-Thompson skillfully sketches many of the racial rapids blacks must still navigate, but a number of improbable coincidences—such as the prosecutor who sought Shyne's conviction having been sexually involved with Shug at college—distract from the author's message. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Tracy Price-Thompson is the national bestselling author of the novels, Black Coffee, Chocolate Sangria, A Woman's Worth, Knockin' Boots, Gather Together in My Name, and 1-900-A-N-Y-T-I-M-E. Tracy is a highly decorated Desert Storm veteran who graduated from the Army's Infantry Officer Candidate School after more than ten years as an enlisted soldier. A Brooklyn, New York, native who has traveled extensively and lived in amazing places around the world, Tracy is a retired Army Engineer officer and Ralph Bunche graduate Fellow who holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a master's degree in Social Work. Tracy lives in Hawaii with her wonderfully supportive husband and several of their six bright, beautiful, incredible children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 241 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books; Original edition (May 20, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416533044
• ISBN-13: 978-1416533047
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #919,019 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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true test of love, loyalty and loathing!, July 19, 2008

By 

Alvin C. Romer "The Jackal" (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Gather Together in My Name (Paperback)

Okay, the wait is over! GATHER TOGETHER IN MY NAME is yet another one just like the other one(s). Rare would you find a Tracy Price-Thompson written novel devoid of dramatic poignancy and verve. Based on her previous work relative to my reviews and others that pay homage to good writing, I've come to know this author well in this regard. Each book has its own juices that marinate with the spices that hit the literary palette. If you thought BLACK COFFEE, CHOCOLATE SANGRIA, and A WOMAN'S WORTH were stellar, wait until you witness the trial and tribulation of Shyne Blackwood. Shyne's incredible story is told against the backdrop of a triumvirate that gives the story different shades of coloring where the author exudes every ounce of intrigue to keep you guessing as each scene is dependent on what's destined to happen next. Loyalty, love and a sordid sense of loathing drives this story.

The setting is a crime-ridden Brooklyn that adds a synonymous layer that the author takes advantage of by blending of a set of triplets born into poverty and great consternation. The boys - Gabriel (Shug), Isaiah (Shyne) and Ezekiel (Shadow) are introduced in alternating chapters as the author weaves a fabric rough at times, but with enough traction that it moves along gathering tone and tenor for a climatic, if not surprising end. Is love and loyalty worth dying for where hate is circling in the midst waiting to claim another victim? The author sets the tone when a gristly rape and murder is committed on a young woman and her three year-old daughter. Who dunnit? Two of the three brothers are interwoven into this tale as Shadow meets an early untimely death of his own. Was it Shug, a momma's boy and his mother's favorite, who is an intellect, law-trained and a politically savvy individual bidding to become the second black mayor of New York City; or the snake-bitten Shyne, who is a street-seasoned hustler, thief and seemingly someone only the next door neighbor can love that committed the crime?

I read this story with much trepidation recalling the plight of so many Black men sentenced to lives that are stereotypical of some of them being in the wrong place at the wrong time. As you read this story you will want the author to give it practical familiarity by allowing readers to come to the conclusion that may be obvious, but certain twists keeps the suspense riveting! As such, one of the brothers are accused and convicted of the brutal murders, and everyone demands vengeance as death row becomes his next place of residence. The coda gains momentum on the eve of Shyne's execution, when five people travel to the jail to witness the event. Redemption can be defined only when intrusive meaning is worthy of holding on to an unshakable feeling.

In tick-tock fashion the culprit is good as gone, but the adhesiveness of loyal rears its head to reveal a secret that will test the bonds of familial order, the strength of one man's character, and the all encompassing power of a love worth dying for mentioned earlier. If you manage to gather together for the sake of a good read, then do so by naming and claiming this author as one of the best in guaranteed page-turning delight! Tracy, when is the next one due out?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Story, July 13, 2008

By 

SheLuvsaGoodBook - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gather Together in My Name (Paperback)

Tracy Price Thompson never disappoints! This engaging and sad story provokes thought on many levels. Ms. Thompson introduces themes such as the unconditional love of a mother and stinging neglect from that same mother; racial injustice; love between two very flawed individuals and so many other issues. I applaud you once again Ms. Price-Thompson. You've written another profound story, a true page turner. If you haven't read anything by this author yet, please get this novel! If you have read her other books, don't miss this one. You'll be sorry if you do.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME, January 27, 2009

By 

Tracy H (Wilmington, DE) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gather Together in My Name (Paperback)

This book left me absolutley speechless. The best I have read so far. Definitely worth reading, you will not be disappointed. A definite page turner and tear jerker. Very powerful, the author did an outstanding job.