Customer Reviews

The Multicultiboho Sideshow

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The story begins like an episode of Law and Order or the Firm. Ichabod (Icky) Word has a Minneapolis police officer tied up in his living room and a dead body lying in the corner.

So this is crime fiction, right?

Wrong...

This tale brings together the issues of racism, art, and, most importantly, power. Five lucky artistes have been chosen as finalists to receive a tremendous grant promoting artists of color. The five, a Native American sculptor, a black female painter, an Asian poet, a black male mystery writer, and most surprisingly, a white female jazz saxaphonist. They are the multicultis. But something goes terribly wrong at one of their artist parties.

So what does this have to do with the fact that Icky has a policeman tied up? Who is the dead man and WHY is he dead?

These are all questions that you may ask yourself while reading. These are all questions that will be answered.

Pate brings these characters to life with a vibrance that rivals the classics. His prose is flowing if not conversational, and the novel tells a story that we all need to hear. His use of symbolism paints a picture of the world the world through the eyes of the multicultis. This story left me breathless and enlightened.

---Candace

From the moment I started to read this novel I was immediately captivated by the unfolding story. Ichabod Word is a compelling character and his take on the art world and funding is hilarious. But more important is the way in which this book brings a lot of different races and cultures into a conversation about race.

Alexs Pate has crafted one of the finest novels I've had the pleasure of reading in quite some time. From its shocking beginning to its climax, I found myself totally engaged with the story and its characters. I'm looking forward to reading more of Pate's work.

I was thrilled to find Pate's new book, as I've throughly enjoyed all of his previous books; up to this point "Finding Makeba" has been my favorite, as those characters just stay in my mind and heart. However, Icky may become my new fictional hero; his philosophy and view of life resonated with me in many ways. Besides, I love a book that makes me laugh! I flew through this book and it left me wanting more. Do we know what the author's next book will be? My only guess is that it is sure to be original...