Customer Reviews

Haarlem: A Novel

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

 

 

I'm an addict and I have abandonment issues as this book by Heather Neff brought this up inside of me and I thank her for writing this book that spoke to me.

Abel Paulus Crofton is a native Harlem, New York resident. He lives and breathes Harlem from childhood to adulthood.

We follow his turbulent childhood at the hands of a father who was a drunk, an abuser, and a musician. We follow Abel as he grows into being a man at least physically but with no role model he falters but for him more than makes up for it in ways that speak to him as a young man finding his own.

Along his journey he finds love in one person and that is his grandmother but when she dies he is left alone and that adds to his spiral down.

Coupled with an alcoholic father who was also abusive Abel is without a mother. His father chooses not to share anything about Abel's mother to him so he is left growing up without knowing a mother's love and which possibly adds to his spiral down.

Abel seeing that school is not his thing, drops out, and starts drinking which he does for a number of years.

Eventually he hits his rock bottom and he starts on the road to recovery.

Haarlem weaves back and forth in time as in the present Abel decides to do the un-thinkable, find his mother.

This search for his mother leads him to Amsterdam and along the way he finds Haarlem, which is far different than his Harlem but where he finds a place that offers him solace.

In his search for his mother he comes to find other surprises namely being he finds himself.

I applaud Ms. Neff on writing this book as she has put into words my thoughts and feelings when it comes to being an addict and one who also has abandonment issues and has opened up doors inside of me that I thought were long abandoned.

I have a long road ahead of me but just as Abel overcame, so shall I.

Juss

Heather Neff examines a man's journey to self-discovery while fighting alcohol addiction in HAARLEM. After the death of his abusive, alcoholic father, Abel Crofton leaves Harlem, New York in search of a mother he has never known. His search starts in Amsterdam, the city of his birth, but ends in the tiny Dutch village of Haarlem in the Netherlands.

Abel has both loved and hated the shadowy figure of his mother. Not having any knowledge of her has haunted his childhood. The abuse by his father, the pain of maternal abandonment, and the total lack of love in his life after the death of his grandmother eventually drives him to alcoholism and other self-destructive behavior.

After his recovery, Abel isolates himself from society by climbing deep into the tunnels of New York where he drags cable for the electric company. Although he has mastered his addiction and been sober for more than a decade, he struggles daily with his "Thirst," as he refers to it. He thinks that by ignoring his past, he can simply forget it, which is contrary to everything he was taught in his twelve-step program. Owning his past abusive behavior to the people around him is the one issue he and his best friend/sponsor, Serge, cannot reconcile and keeps him from advancing his recovery.

After his father's death, Abel discovers a lead to his mother's whereabouts and heads to Amsterdam. While there, he meets Sophie, also a recovering addict. She is an African/Surinamese woman struggling to stay in recovery and trying to help her drug-addicted sister get there as well. It isn't until Abel meets Sophie that he discovers the value in claiming his past and finds the strength to help others seeking recovery. Sophie also aids Abel in the quest to locate his mother. With her assistance, he discovers that there is much more for him in Amsterdam than he ever suspected - redemption, love and family.

HAARLEM by Heather Neff is the story of a man in search of his family. Neff draws a deft portrait of Abel as he maneuvers through a foreign environment and uses the theme of jazz to metaphorically describe scenes, feelings, and places, comparing them to various musical masterpieces. The imagery and characterization are vivid, and the story compelling. Neff has written a book to be remembered.

Reviewed by Kim Anderson Ray
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Haarlem by Heather Neff is a book I immediately fell in love with, as I have an affinity for deeply flawed characters. Abel Crofton fit the bill perfectly and from the moment he began his journey, I felt his pain and his discovery, the temptation and the hold of his Thirst over him as he struggled to make sense of his existence. Haarlem shows the beauty and power in facing your past before one can ever really find their way in the future and though I know it probably wouldn't happen, I'd love to hear from Abel again. Great novel Heather :)

Neff brings some wonderful stories. The novels always touch the heart and leave so much to discuss. You want to talk about her books. I enjoyed this book just as much as her last book. Both were given awards.

I LOVED Haarlem...poignant, riveting and emotionally rich. It is about a middle aged man who is a recovering alcoholic (12 years sober) who travels to Europe (Haarlem, Netherland) to find the mother who abandoned him as a child. Not only does he discover his mother...and a few other family members but the journey also allows him time to find himself. Haarlem is a literary read with crisp/descriptive prose. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I read Neff's first book and did not care for it very much because it was too narrative driven...this time she had the right balance and pacing. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and definitely recommend it to those who want a break from contemporary fiction reads as well as tho' who enjoy reading books by James Baldwin. As Haarlem sort of reminded me of a couple of Baldwin's books. APOOO rating: 4.5 stars.

Reviewed by Yasmin
APOOO BookClub

Haarlem is a great book that explores addiction, family, and culture,and race. It is well-written and very enjoyable taking you from the streets of Harlem, NY to Haarlem, Netherlands.

Haarlem is the second book I've read by this author. I like her writing style. Her characters seem real and the setting is another thing that drew me into the story.

i love reading an erudite black author -- this book shows a depth of experience, thoughtfulness and humility that manifests itself in an engaging, well-rounded story that touches on family, romance, travel, music and self-awareness. Abel Cofton is a NY Harlemite who travels to the Netherlands to find his mother and ends up on a journey of self-discovery.

Ms. Neff's take on the immigrant experience (from the Caribbean to a larger country); her analogies of jazz riffs for cities; her male voice (and finally a non-brotha-bashing narration); and the easy, inimitable style, made for a mellifluous one-night stand! I couldn't put it down.