A Mighty Love [Hardcover]

Anita D. Diggs (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Mel and Adrienne Jordan's relationship begins to crumple when they lose their daughter in a fire. They are so devastated by the accident that they escape from the marriage. Mel moves in with his sister, Debra. Her lifestyle and acquaintances make it easy for him to be lured back into his former life of women, drugs, and alcohol. Adrienne goes to live with her brother, Dan, and his wife. They provide unconditional support and suggest professional counseling for the couple. Rather than seek help, Adrienne and Mel move into an apartment and attempt to put their marriage on track and their lives back together. Attempts at reconciliation and forgiveness seem futile. But eventually they realize that their marriage is worth saving. Even with the cliff-hanging, abrupt ending, this is an entertaining story about people dealing with real emotions, thoughts, and behavior. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Entertaining."
-- Booklist (Booklist ) --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758202318
• ISBN-13: 978-0758202314
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,773,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pain, Guilt and Redemption, May 6, 2003

By 

J.C. Wallington "jnettefrommi" (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Mighty Love (Hardcover)

A Mighty Love by Anita Doreen Diggs is a story that could happen to anyone. Imagine a parent losing a child in a fire, and everyday having to live with the guilt that you are at fault. Mel and Adrienne Jordan are living this nightmare and their lives are a mess. They briefly separate after the child's death and when their guilt and grief become too much to bear, they turn away from each other and to addictions as a means to escape the pain. Mel reverts to his old life style of womanizing and drugs. Adrienne turns to shopping and excessive spending leading to unmanageable credit card debts. The couple struggles to get out of the downward spiral with the help of Adrienne's brother, Dan, her sister in law, Charlene, and Mel's sister, Debra. Add a mysterious Lloyd Cooper to the mix and you have a little drama in the story.

This story is real and the situations are told in a way that you will have an array of emotions. There are times you will feel some compassion for the couple, and other times disgust when they are in a self-destructive mode. My only problem with the book is that I was waiting on something extreme to happen or some kind of twist in the storyline that would have made me say WOW! I did not get that, but a rather matter of fact well-told story, with few surprises and predictable outcomes.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love Survival, April 16, 2003

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Mighty Love (Hardcover)

A MIGHTY LOVE by Anita Doreen Diggs are a fitting title to a novel that opens up your heart to testify that love is, indeed, a mighty entity. It is a story that will touch the senses and one that enables you to relate to each person and their turmoil.

Mel and Adrienne Jordan is a happily married couple with an infant daughter. Although they come from different upbringings, their love and determination to live the American dream overshadows any differences. When tragedy suddenly strikes, Mel blames himself for their loss, and Adrienne blames him and herself for leaving Mel with their daughter on that fateful day, knowing he was tired after working all night.

Feeling sorry for himself and accepting the fact that God will always keep him in the "gutter"; Mel dulls his anguish and pain with alcohol, drugs and women. After going through initial shock and suffering, Adrienne wants to make their marriage work. They both set out trying to convince themselves that they could make it work, but they fall into continuous turmoil, until Mel must finally accept a true reality that he alone must face. It is now up to Mel and Adrienne to come to terms with each other and allow a mighty love to heal them.

This book is a serious page turner that you can't put down even if you want to. Each page is filled with a unique, scripted style of writing. The storyline is deep with emotions, and sprinkled with a common realization that this could happen to anyone, and the key is how to cope and heal. Ms. Diggs does an excellent job in weaving the necessary components together to give the reader much to think about and consider, plus close the book with humble respect for each character and their survival. It is fair to say that this author has already made a spot for herself in the literary community.

A MIGHTY LOVE by Anita Doreen Diggs goes beyond a two thumbs up; it is a magnificent display of a writer who has the skills and style to get you ready to look forward to her next book. I highly recommend this book and disappointment will never enter your mind or vocabulary.

Reviewed by Kalaani
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A REMARKABLE HEARTFELT DEBUT!, January 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Mighty Love (Hardcover)

A Mighty Love is a welcome return to the world of working class African Americans. It is a tragedy, a love story, a reminder that the hands of fate operate in remarkable ways. Mel and Debra are characters that won't soon be forgotten. Bravo!