A Man Finds His Way (Hardcover)

by Freddie Lee Johnson III (Author) "IT'S BEEN ALMOST SIX MONTHS SINCE MARCY AND I started seeing each other, and it's time to take our relationship to the next level..." (more)
Key Phrases: juicy butt, round knockers, buzzer rings, Reverend Boxwell, Detective Pullen, Warrior Passages (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
An African-American professor faces an onslaught of troubles in his personal and professional life in Johnson's follow-up to his debut, Bittersweet. Darius Collins's existence is an ongoing exercise in crisis management-his girlfriend dumps him as the novel opens, his relationship with his ex-wife amounts to a series of bitter skirmishes and he's thrust into the middle of some nasty racial politics at his Cleveland college when a group of students tries to enlist his support in bringing a notoriously anti-Semitic African-American leader to speak at the school. Life goes completely haywire, though, when his adolescent son, Jarrod, is accused of rape and Collins learns that his ex-wife is a former lover of the corrupt politician who is trying to frame the boy. Johnson does a decent job of juggling a plethora of subplots, with the best stretches coming late in the book when the author focuses primarily on Jarrod's plight. The breezier sequences concerning Collins's romantic life don't sit easily beside the serious political and family dramas; the shifts in tone mar the book's rhythm. Nonetheless, Collins is an intelligent, well-drawn protagonist with believable strengths and flaws (upon glimpsing a more successful colleague, he remarks, "I was happy for Tyler. Truly I was. I also wanted to snatch him by the collar and beat him to a pulp for having the life, wife, and kids that should've been mine"), and the book offers a thoughtful take on some tough contemporary issues in job politics and race relations.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Johnson's (Bittersweet) protagonist is a college professor who must come to terms with a series of life-changing events: his girlfriend leaves him, his colleagues refer to him as an "Uncle Tom," and his son has been accused of a vicious crime.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: One World/Ballantine; 1 edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345445988
• ISBN-13: 978-0345445988
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,590,567 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A positive attitude concerning Black Men...., January 14, 2003

By	Vicky Wood (Upper Marlboro, MD) - See all my reviews

I am blown away, FLJ III has done it again. To many times the black man is betrayed as being the villain who leaves the wife and kids not thinking about anyone but himself. Dr. Johnson has done it again, first with "Bittersweet" and now with "A Man Finds His Way". Kudos, Dr. Johnson for yet another story well wrote detailing the Black Man as a person who tries to be a role model for his (child)ren even if the relationship between he and his wife does not work.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THE COVER IS AWFUL BUT THE BOOK WORKED FOR ME!, January 31, 2003

By A Customer

Darius Collins is a stern taskmaster but even he does not deserve the kind of onslaught that fate deals out to him. His girlfriend dumps him, his son gets into trouble and his ex-wife has serious problems that affect him continuously. How Darius navigates his way through this mountain of problems is what this book is all about. I learned a lot about campus politics and enjoyed reading about a good black man. Just wish Darius would show his softer side a little more often. A great read!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book with great historical lessons, January 8, 2004

By	Naomi Burns (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews

I stumbled upon this book while searching for some good reading material. And much to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you're looking to read a sappy love story this isn't it. The author brought to life realistically the emotions of its main charcter (Darius) in his dealing with issues of love, relationships, children, family and racism. Not to mention the dynamite historical references throughout the book. I look forward to future books by Freddie Lee Johnson III.