The Justus Girls [Hardcover]

Slim Lambright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 19, 2001

Women like us.

In the 1960's, four African-American preteensbanded together to form the Justus Girls, a crack drill team. They vowed to be friends forever, but Peaches, Sally Mae, Jan, and Roach drifted apart. It is Peaches's sudden death that brings them together again. The hip-swinging Sally Mae is a new grandmother; the beautiful and once-shy Roach has become a devout Muslim named Rasheeda; and the levelheaded Jan has launched her own business.

Troubles like ours.

The Justus Girls soon find out that they need each other now just as much as in the old days. Jan's husband has died and her business is faltering. Rasheeda faces the battle of her life, trying to keep custody of her two sons. And though Sally Mae doesn't know it yet, her past is about to catch up with her.

Friendship we could all use.

The JG's make a pact to find out what happened to Peaches, to meet once a week, and to reclaim their own lives. It's a pact that will take them through the old neighborhood, with all its characters, and reveal secrets that have remained unspoken for too long. Through it all, the Justus Girls rediscover the love, laughter, and support they had forgotten, but that rescues them just in the nick of time.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Charming and down-to-earth, Lambright's first novel tells the story of four black women Jan, Peaches, Roach and Sally whose spunk and individuality is exemplified by the drill team they formed as adolescents in 1950s Philadelphia: with neither training nor money, they excelled through sheer moxie. Four decades later, Peaches is brutally killed and the remaining three band together, renewing old ties, revealing long-held secrets and furnishing much needed support for each other. The unpolished prose, liberally sprinkled with slang, nicknames and cultural referents, is powerful mainly because of its autobiographical flavor. The protagonists live through the civil rights and women's rights movements, changes in religious and cultural ideals, pregnancy, abortion and various forms of abuse. Through it all, they struggle to maintain the teen spunk and confidence reflected in the name of their drill team, the Justus Girls. Lambright does nothing particularly groundbreaking her sense of American history and culture is slight and derivative, her characters are rife with clich‚ but she spins a good yarn and the novel's multiple-flashback structure effectively maintains narrative tension, letting out each woman's story bit by bit. It's difficult not to be touched by Lambright's conviction "that the will to rise [is] the strongest force on earth" and by her belief in the role of female friendship in maintaining that will. Ad/promo. (July 16)Forecast: Lambright's own story is as appealing as those she tells on the verge of bankruptcy, she signed up for a writing class and within a year had a contract with HarperCollins. Audiences at readings in major Northeast cities will be treated to a glass of champagne with peaches, the Girls' signature drink. Such a combination of good luck and gimmicks augurs well.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-This novel follows the lives of four black friends from their childhood in Philadelphia to early middle age. In 1959, they got together with six other 9-, 10-, and 11-year-old girls to form a spectacular, well-disciplined drill team that they named "The Justus Girls." The story opens when Peaches, one of the core four, is found murdered on the front porch of her home at age 43. Sally Mae, Jan, and Rasheedah support one another through this tragedy by reminiscing about their past. They start to meet regularly after Peaches's funeral, and they grow closer as they continue to help one another through the crises that they currently face. Justus Girls will have special appeal for high school girls because of its breezy, colorful, and colloquial language, as well as its humor and vivid descriptions of urban teenage life of an earlier generation. In addition, this title would be an excellent selection for the mother-daughter book clubs that have become popular in recent years. It is likely to spark lively discussion about the popular culture of the '60s and '70s, and its influence on hip-hop culture. The impact of the Vietnam War on the eldest members of the baby-boom generation, child neglect and abuse, the effects of substance abuse, the difficulties of single parenthood, the concept of karma, and the value of close friendships are other topics of discussion that this novel will inspire.

Joyce Fay Fletcher, Rippon Middle School, Prince William County, VA

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 356 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1st edition (June 19, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060184760
• ISBN-13: 978-0060184766
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,390,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive Debut!, August 15, 2001

By 

Yasmin Coleman (PENNSYLVANIA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Justus Girls (Hardcover)

The Justus Girls by Slim Lambright is an impressive debut. The story includes all the ingredients of a wonderful read: suspense, drama, memorable characters, vivid imagery, sharp and witty dialogue, and strong writing. The Justus Girls were four African American girls from blue-collar families who resided in inner city Philly during the `50s/'60s. The Girls-Peaches, Jan, Sally and Rachel/Roach later known as Rasheda-- were so close and did everything together that they decided to form a drill team during their childhood and they made a vow that they would always be their for one another. Unfortunately, as they grew up they would also drift apart. As the story opens, three decades later, the remaining friends are gathered at the funeral of Peaches who has been murdered. They're surprised at how time and distance caused them to loose contact with one another but they promise to rekindle their friendship and find out the truth about who killed Peaches. But in the process they will also rediscover each other and learn that the bond they established years ago might have been slightly cracked but it was never really broken.

The Justus Girls was a poignant and heartwarming read. I enjoyed how Lambright navigated us back into time and how we lived each girl's life via a series of flashbacks. We witnessed how their futures were shaped by alcohol, promiscuity, the husbands they choose, the dreams they pursued, and long-held secrets that each of them were afraid of being exposed. These characters truly jump off the pages and into your life. Lambright weaved a tale so revealing about friendship and supporting each other that for a moment I thought this was my life story she was talking about. The Justus Girls is probably one of the best written, best developed, best plot twists and turns storylines that I have had the pleasure to read by a new author in quite sometime. This novel just touched me on so many levels...and I liked that it wasn't overwritten. Lambright set up scenes and situations and gave you enough information to wet your taste and satisfy your need for details without going overboard. I think folks who remember growing up during the late 50s/60s will really enjoy this book cause it takes you back to when it was a different world from what you know today...when folks truly cared about one another and everyone in the community felt like your family. I look forward to more novels from this writer as this book was da bomb and off the hook good! I can't say enough good things about this book so I will just close by saying...pick up a copy today and curl up with it. I think you will enjoy the story immensely and if you like it as much as I did you will want to read it in one sitting. And Slim...I look forward to future books from you...you're an exciting and welcomed addition to the literary community. Ps...This review is not a paid endorsement...I just really enjoyed this book and wanted to let others know!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Novel, July 29, 2001

By 

Phyllis Rhodes (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Justus Girls (Hardcover)

Lambright mixes the right amount of suspense, drama, and detail into this novel to make The Justus Girls a page-turner and easy read. Her storytelling ability is great--drawing us into their world, providing us insight into each of the four main character's background and watching them grow into adulthood.

The story opens with the murder of one of the JG's, a childhood drill team that blossomed four friends, who reunite and rekindle their friendship as they vow to find the killer of their dear friend. The book takes them on a journey of self discovery and growth and their experiences strengthen the bonds of friendship discovered early in childhood.

This is a well written novel with many interesting, colorful characters, and sub-plots. It moves and reads well. I'm looking forward to Ms. Lambright's next body of work.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best, July 3, 2001

By 

thesavvybamalady "swblkdiamond" (Prichard, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Justus Girls (Hardcover)

Let's give this writer and these ladies a hand! I wish I had some ladies like the JustUs Girls holding my back. This is one heck of a story. I wanted to smack the heck out of Ursula, I feel that Elmo definitely got justice served, and sad to say, Peaches didn't get what she definitely wanted. The killer of Peaches will surprise you. May even sadden you, yet despite all this, this is one heck of a book, and it richly deserves the five stars it has got by me. Please read it, and if you have a girlfriend you've been neglecting, get back in her life before it's too late.