Marble Cake [Paperback]

Agatha Briscoe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 14, 2000

Dr. Henry Clark is hired as a surgeon by a community hospital in the Poconos of Pennsylvania in the 1960's. He establishes himself in the community, tackling the apprehensions of certain community members at having a Black doctor through his intelligence, charm, and great medical ability.He meets and falls in love with Monica, an airline stewardess from Montana who happens to be White. As the town learns of his relationship, its liberal veneer fades. The obstacles the couple faces comes in the forms of housing discrimination, social and professional snubs, an a drop in Hank's medical practice. He loses an important hospital position at the instigation of a White bigot. They also feel the barbs from the Black community.Hank feels torn between his mentor in the Pennsylvania town, the desire to stay and fight adversity, and the feeling that he should return to Harlem to serve his community. Monica, who has never faced such adversity, struggles to make sense of the chaos and ignorance around her. They are part of a marble cakean incomplete mixing of dark and light batters. Only the support of friends and family and their love for each other help them endure the strain.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Edward G. Briscoe is a practicing physician who lives in Northern California. published works include Diary of a Short-timer in Vietnam, 1970. Excerpts of this nonfiction work were included in Exploring America's Past, a multimedia history text. Dr. Briscoe has also published numerous medical articles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (June 14, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595003249
• ISBN-13: 978-0595003242
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,737,401 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Story, September 19, 2000

By 

Dr. John L. Takeuchi Turner "author of Medici... (Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Marble Cake (Paperback)

Kudos to Dr. Briscoe for this illuminating tale of the trials and tribulations of not only a solo surgical practice, but of a couple that also suffers the slings and arrows garnered by an interracial marriage, a black man and a white women.

This story will appeal to those who have considered what it was like to cross the racial barriers in the 1960s and to those who may have wondered what it is like to start a surgical practice.

There are some of us who know it from both angles.

I highly recommend this book. It is captivating, and it can be easily read in a single sitting, with ease. A very good piece of creative writing, which really 'hits home.'

There are some of us who know it from both angles.

I highly recommend this book, it is so captivating, it can be read in a single sitting with ease. A very good piece of creative writing which really 'hits home.'

5.0 out of 5 stars Love overcomes medical politics and bigotry in the 1960's, August 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Marble Cake (Paperback)

Marble Cake is the moving story of a Black surgeon and a White stewardess in a northern town with a liberal veneer. The picture changes when the couple becomes engaged to be married. The characters are real and even sometimes familiar. It is not only the engaging characters that pull the reader into the story, but the very real situations they face in the turbulent 60's. The reader is captivated and keeps turning the pages. This novel takes the time to portray a realistic love story between two people. The people happen to be of different races. It clearly illustrates the conflicts the couple faces. You gain a window into the thoughts of bigots, liberal Whites, and Blacks in the community. Marble Cake should appeal to many, especially to those who have been involved in interracial relationships, or who are the products of such relationships. The backdrop of medical politics adds interest.