Customer Reviews

A Mighty Love

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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

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

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!

A MIGHTY LOVE is the second book that I've read by Anita Doreen Diggs. I've come to enjoy her writing style. In her debut novel, Diggs has created two unforgettable characters, Mel and Adrienne Johnson.
Readers will be drawn into the story immediately.

Adrienne put her career on hold for her family. As the years go by, she questions that decision and a part of her regrets it. When the pressures of life become too much for Mel to handle, he finds himself not only fighting for his marriage, but for his life. The story follows each one as they deal with the ups and downs of their relationship. The actions of the characters will draw out a full gamut of emotions.

If you are looking for an entertaining, yet different type of relationship novel, then don't hesitate to add A MIGHTY LOVE by Anita Diggs to your collection. After reading A Mighty Love, you must also check out her second novel - A MEETING IN THE LADIES ROOM.

Readincolor Reviewers
Shelia Goss

This is the best book I've read in a very long time. It is courageous, wise, funny, heartbreaking and Miss Diggs is the new Queen of Dialogue. Mel is my favorite character. I just want to hold him tight and tell him everything is going to be okay.

"Mel had given up his rough, hard-drinking, trash-talking, card-playing, street-running ways for a life that he had never known. Though he was not a professional man, he worked hard....."

This was, indeed, a dramatic change in tall, good looking Mel's life. What had caused it? He met Adrienne and his feelings for her were unlike those he had ever felt for another woman. They married, and were happily, joyously content. Their bliss was increased by the arrival of a baby girl, Delilah.

As our story opens Mel and Adrienne have been married for three years, and all is right with the world. That is until their world crashes in around them - more appropriately goes up in flames when Delilah is killed in a fire.

Surely there can't be a greater agony than the loss of a child. At times, it may draw grieving parents closer together. At other times, it may become a gigantic wedge between them. Such is the case with Mel and Adrienne. Each tries to cope with their loss in a different way. Mel finds a roof but not much solace with his sister. Before long he falls into old familiar patterns - drinking, womanizing. Adrienne, on the other hand, throws herself into her work, attempting to blot out her pain by getting ahead.

This is the story of two deeply wounded people who once loved each other. The question is can they regain those feelings for each other and rebuild a life together?

Anita Doreen Diggs deals honestly with raw human emotions as she tells her story of hope, redemption, and love.

- Gail Cooke

Mel is a bad boy trying to make good. Adrienne is a good girl who falls whole-heartily for Mel. Author Anita Doreen Diggs introduces us to this seemingly unlikely couple and their families in "A Mighty Love." Mel, a reformed player and notorious partier from the wrong side of the tracks meets beautiful, sweet Adrienne, an aspiring singer. Soon after, he decides to put his former life behind him and build a new one with Adrienne.

The novel opens in the beginning of their marriage. Mel and Adrienne are living happily in their small apartment in New York with their baby daughter. Adrienne has given up on her career as a singer and is now working as a secretary in corporate America. Mel drives a bus. They live blissfully until an unexpected tragedy threatens to tear their lives apart.

In an effort to console himself about the tragedy and remove his guilt, Mel returns to his old habits of drinking, womanizing and occasional drug use. Adrienne, equally hurt, begins to seek solace in shopping, filling herself up with new suits, make-up and cds.

The book offers a candid look at a couple trying their best to stay together in spite of the surprises along the way, including a new boss, who threatens to end it all. The book is a wonderful and surprisingly unique look at a couple trying to leave behind bad memories and temptations from their pasts to rebuild the future they envisioned for themselves.

Tiffany
R.E.A.L. Reviewers

To lose a child is a heartbreaking experience for any parent. To feel that it was through your neglect or your own selfishness can make make that loss even greater. I felt that "A Mighty Love" addressed this problem very well. It showed how quickly our lives can change. For Melvin, life could not get any better than it was with his beautiful wife and daughter. Now he blamed himself for her lost and feels Adrienne does also. For Adrienne, she just needed a little time for herself after the birth of their daughter. Now she also feels it is her fault their daughter is gone. They have to go forward, but can they? Sometimes, it's hard for Melvin to find the motivation to go on, so he turns to drugs. Adrienne also has an addiction, she is on a spending spree, using her credit cards to the max. I like the approach taken on this. Although it seems that Adrienne is not hurting as bad as Melvin, the fact that she can not stop shopping indicates that she is. I was not to happy with how they made Melvin's sister Debra. I felt that she was too much into Melvin's business, especially about his wife. But later on in the book I found out why, she had raised Melvin, taking care him, when their own father wanted nothing to do with him. I was glad when she got to see how much Adrienne loved Melvin. It was good to read a book that showed through all the tragedy, and problems which Melvin and Adrienne had, the love they had for each other and the commitment to their marriage vows kept them strong. I would recommend this book to indivduals who understand what a commitment is. If you are looking to read a romance book, this may not be what you are looking for.

Reviewed by: lucille joyce
feb/03

i only completed this book because i had paid for it, and the synopsis on the cover made it seem interesting. at times the plot really lagged although i think the author made a good attempt at showing what it takes to make a relationship thrive or break apart.

i thought it was funny in parts(especially when Mel gets caught up in some 'drama')and pretty melodramatic in others. Adrienne's character comes off as the typical 'spoiled wanna-be sista'. she goes to a menial job over-dressed to be underpaid. i'm surprised it took a tradegy to get them into debt!

a loss like theirs within a marriage will definitely test the bonds of true love. but the two main characters seem to be floundering about like some fish out of water.

does anyone not use FAITH anymore mend a broken family? the story also made me wonder did they truly know each other before they got married. the good girl/bad boy storyline reminded me of another real life high profile couple(yeah- those two!!!)

and was tossing in a former classmate of Adrienne's an afterthought? what was the purpose? i think i would have enjoyed hearing more about Mel's 'doggy-dog days' than that tired little peek into Adrienne's childhood.

...

This is the best book I've read this year. The characters all but leap off the pages! Right after I finished it, I rushed back to the bookstore and purchased several more copies to give as gifts. I've heard people say that the story was predictable, I don't think so. I didn't know where the story was going and I am glad it ended the way it did, but I hope to see a sequel! One of my friends complained about Lloyd because he chose not to have a relationship with his relatives after he became so successful. I totally understood where the brother was coming from. However, I do hope that if there is a sequel, Lloyd will reconsider and set some boundaries and stick to them because he can make a healthy relationship with his "down and out" siblings work (I am speaking from experience...). My ONLY disappointment was reading that this is the only novel out there by Anita. I would love to read more of her work.