The Good Negress: A Novel [Hardcover]

A. J. Verdelle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 1995

Harold D. Vursell Award, American Academy of Arts and Letters. The year is 1963 and young Denise Palms has rejoined her family in Detroit where she must work to make a place for herself and prepare for the arrival of her mother's new baby. The baby will mean the end of Denise's afterschool lessons with a stern teacher who insists that Denise learn to speak "proper" English to make herself heard. Verdelle's intuition and ear allow her to dramatize precise moments of Denise's self-recognition and, in the process, offer an inside look at a maturing intelligence. THE GOOD NEGRESS marks the arrival of an original voice in contemporary fiction. "Truly extraordinary."--Toni Morrison. A QUALITY PAPERBACK BOOK CLUB selection.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In a luminous debut novel that Toni Morrison declared "truly extraordinary," A.J. Verdelle tells the story of young Denise Palms, transplanted from her grandmother's rural Virginia home to the chaos of big-city Detroit in 1963 to help care for the baby her mother and stepfather are expecting. PEN/Faulkner Award Finalist. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

In a particularly accomplished debut, Verdelle imbues her ambitious novel with a confident style, finely realized characters and a strikingly original first-person voice. In the early 1960s, 12-year-old Denise Palms, who has been living with her maternal grandmother in rural Virginia for five years, is summoned home to Detroit to care for her expectant mother, Margarete, new stepfather and adored older brothers. Neesey knows little of the world beyond Granma'am's country life but is excited to rejoin her two siblings who, in her absence, have become very different from each other: David is reliable and implacable, but unfocused Luke edward constantly courts trouble. At the local public school, Denise's intellectual promise catches the attention of Gloria Pearson, an idealistic young teacher, who works tirelessly to perfect Denise's backwater English and thereby raise her pupil's expectations for her future. Denise thrives under Gloria's tutelage, but conflict arises when her family's needs and her mentor's desires clash. At the same time, Luke edward's life slowly begins to spiral out of control when he gets caught stealing. Denise must become the fulcrum of her family's problems as she attempts to define her own identity. Verdelle imaginatively uses Denise's subtly evolving language to mirror the girl's growing awareness. Her characters, especially Margarete and Granma'am, are convincingly human in their true-to-life imperfections. Consistently absorbing and beautifully detailed, Verdelle's novel brings universal truths to an affecting study of adolescence. Author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: Algonquin Books; 1st edition (January 3, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156512085X
• ISBN-13: 978-1565120853
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,225,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking and Poignant!, November 8, 2001

By 

"lonoco" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Good Negress (Paperback)

The Good Negress was a thought provoking and poignant novel from first-time novelist AJ Verdell. It's a coming-of-age story regarding young Denise Palmer who's uprooted from the grandmother who raised her to go and live with her mom and stepfather in Detroit, MI. Denise has lived in the South with her grandmother for most of her childhood, but when she is 12 years old...old enough to baby-sit, clean house and cook dinner her mother demands that she moves to Detroit to live with her, her stepfather and her other siblings. Life in Detroit isn't easy for Denise as her mother is overbearing and never seems to let up. In spite of it all, Denise manages to do well in school and is able to attend college on a scholarship. The Good Negress is a story that makes you think and deal with a gamut of emotions. It was a very good read and I think it could have been a stellar read if the transition between past and present and South vs. North geography were more smooth and fluid. The Good Negress is a sad and disturbing story at times but in the end determination, independence and wisdom conquer the day. A great read for a bookclub discussion.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking, March 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Good Negress (Paperback)

All of the things one looks for in a book are here: strong, thoughtful characters, complex situations, interesting problems, challenging decisions for the main character. It offers a chance to think deeply about culture and language, and it offers a chance to think about characters who seem not to be quite what you think. In this book, the parents are both exploiters and saviors; the brothers are both flawed and wonderful...but it's the grandmother who ultimately poses the biggest paradox. This is a book worth reading with a friend; it's one you'll want to talk about.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sow's Ear to Silk Purse, January 5, 2005

By 

Kim Anderson Ray "The Suburban Sista" (Aiken, SC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Good Negress: A Novel (Hardcover)

A.J. Verdelle tells the compelling story of a young girl who is destined to become a working class drudge just like her mother until the intervention of an uncompromising educator who recognizes her brilliance. Miss Pearson inspires Denise to shrug off her country ways and don the mantle of the educated, but the task is not completed before an addition to the family threatens Denise's further education.

The Good Negress is an earthy coming of age story whose realism took me back to some of my grandmother's favorite sayings and doings. The only disappointment was the disjointed flashbacks which make the story choppy at times. Still, the language is lyrical and the characters amazingly drawn.