Plenty Good Room [Hardcover]

Cheri Paris Edwards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 2005

A heartfelt debut novel of old families ripped apart by the child welfare system and new families knitted together by the grace of God.When child care worker Tamara Britton is asked to temporarily take 14-year-old foster child Sienna Larson into her home, she agrees-but only because it is temporary. Soon, Tamara finds the outspoken, church-going teenager to be almost more than she can bear. Yet, despite herself, Tamara begins to open her heart as well as her home. It is the bond that they come to share that awakens Tamara to newfound truths about herself, her family history, and God.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The protagonist of this debut novel is Tamara Britton, a reserved, devoted child welfare worker. The 30-something's quiet, tidy life is turned upside-down when her boss asks her to temporarily take in a foul-mouthed teen runaway named Sienna. During this stint as a foster mom, Tamara has to supervise homework, discuss teenage sexuality and wade into the murky world of pop culture. She is also motivated to put together some of the pieces of her own interrupted childhood and travels to prisons and hospitals in search of birth parents she never knew. Edwards richly develops the novel's characters, especially those who play supporting parts. Tamara's outrageous friend and colleague, Lynette, is a hoot, and Lynette and Tamara's sharply dressed but racist boss is well drawn. Still, the novel is far from perfect. The two plots—Tamara and Sienna's relationship, and Tamara's own childhood—tie together at the end, but the connections require coincidences that strain credulity. The stock features of CBA fiction are all predictably there: Tamara, who has never dated, is suddenly wooed by two fine men. And she not only finds love but also her faith—at a church altar call. This contribution to the flourishing field of African-American Christian fiction is promising, though it also suffers from first-timer flaws. (Apr. 20)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Edwards has written a superb debut novel about children growing up in the child welfare system. Tamara Britton is a caseworker for the Care for Kids Agency in Springfield, Illinois. She works with "at-risk" children and families in the child protective unit. Tamara has lived much of her life trying to avoid being noticed. Yet, in spite of her timid disposition, she is a strong advocate for her clients. When she accepts responsibility and lets 14-year-old runaway Sienna Larson live with her temporarily, her uneventful life is disrupted. Sienna's intrusion into Tamara's way of doing things causes many upsets and conflicts. It isn't until Tamara learns about her own family's past that she is able to truly live in the present. She and Sienna discover that they have room to love one another, renew their spirituality, and love themselves. Sierra and Tamara find in one another that missing family that they both long for. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Walk Worthy Press (April 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446576476
• ISBN-13: 978-0446576475
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,346,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write books about people like me--those who take the long way home. Meet the the Jefferson family in my second novel, "The Other Sister."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good debut, November 11, 2005

By 

Ratmammy "The Ratmammy" (Ratmammy's Town, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Plenty Good Room (Hardcover)

PLENTY GOOD ROOM by Cheri Paris Edwards
November 10, 2005

Amazon Rating: 3/5 Stars

PLENTY GOOD ROOM by Cheri Paris Edwards, is the story of Tamara Briton, a 30-something single African American woman with a successful life working for a child protective agency. She lives alone and is for the most part a loner, with a few close friends. When Sienna Larson comes into her life, a teenager that needs a place to stay, Tamara's life is turned upside down.

Sienna is a teenager that has been in the foster family system all her life. She's known to be trouble, and it isn't any different for Tamara. Tamara does her best to make Sienna feel at home, but the girl does anything she can to get attention, usually something inappropriate. Tamara is not happy that she has to deal with Sienna, who is almost always acting up, but she tries everything including taking Sienna to church. Tamara gets advice from her friend Denise Jackson, a woman who has had success with foster children and soon Tamara notices a change in Sienna.

With her new found faith in God, Tamara finds the strength to care for Sienna, and at the same time she makes friends with Isaiah Perry, one of Sienna's teachers at school. Tamara's life has definitely changed since she had been introduced to Sienna, and not all of it has been bad.

The story of Sienna and Tamara is the main story, but there is a subplot about a young runaway. The two stories run in parallel, and while it can get a little confusing, by the end of the story the reader will understand who this runaway is. Another subplot is Tamara's need to find the true biological parents of her friend Yvette. Tamara states that Yvette is the reason why she is now working to help other children find happiness by finding for them better family environments for these children that are living in unstable homes. All three plots will be tied up at the end, and the reader should be happy with what they learn.

I found the novel intriguing enough to finish it, but I felt that at times the writing could have been tighter. Things felt a bit vague throughout the book, but it is possible this was the author's intention. Regardless, PLENTY GOOD ROOM is well written for being a debut novel. Recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Christian Fiction, February 21, 2006

By 

sweet mocha (Miami,Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plenty Good Room (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book immensly. The characters were very engaging and well developed. It was as though I knew each character . The message that I got from this book is that even though we may feel like we are alone in our problems ,God is always with us. That He never leaves us and when we are going through our most disheartening trials as the poem Footprints states, that is when He is carrying us. In one chapter when Yvette/Tamara was running from one place to another not knowing where her next meal was coming from, God stepped in as the old preacher who took her in and fed her. She was afraid to stay and she ran again but He always was with her whether was the old preacher or the teenage boy in the group home who looked out for her. They represented the Lord and His love for us. When she faced her most toughest challenge-Sierra- He placed Denise Jackson in her life so she would have someone to confide in and lean on in her time of need.
As the book came to its climactic end I must point out that God even helped Sierra to find some purpose in her life with her gift of singing. I sure hope this isn't the last I will read about Tamara and Sierra. I would have enjoyed and epilogue at the end of the book ,butI pretty much drew my own conclusions.
I do hope to read more from Ms. Edwards because this was a great read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christian Fiction That Takes Risks!, September 22, 2005

By 

Tyora Moody "cookieaisle" (Columbia, SC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Plenty Good Room (Hardcover)

It's always refreshing to read a book from a new author, especially one that stands out from the rest. Plenty Good Room by Cheri Paris Edwards is one of those rare Christian novels that offer readers a peak inside the heart and soul of the lost. Readers will get a chance to witness how God truly never leaves or forsake us.

Tamara Britton is a child advocate who leads a quiet, lonely life. In one night her seemingly controlled life changes when fourteen year old Sienna Larson is dropped off at her home. In a matter of days, Tamara's world is turned upside down after she agrees to let Sienna stay in her home for an unlimited amount of time. Normally a calm, controlled person, Tamara often finds herself being pushed to the edge by Sienna's rude and endless troubles.

In the midst of her struggling relationship with Sienna, Tamara's mysterious past slowly comes to light as she searches for a childhood friend. During her search, she learns how to open her heart to relationships. Her openness allows her to create a stable environment and an opportunity to bond with Sienna. Unexpectantly, a romance begins to stir for her with the main suitor being God himself.

Cheri Paris Edwards provides readers an eye-opening look at the disturbing consequences of poverty, drug abuse, child abuse, homelessness, and the juvenile system. Truly foster parents, social workers and childhood advocates have a special role in bringing a sense of security to a lost child. With sadness, some children are totally lost in the system. While they seem to be forgotten, Cheri Paris Edwards shows how God never forgets us. While fictional, Tamara's story is a testimony that deserves to be read!