Red on a Rose: A Novel [Paperback]

Patricia Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2001

Lila Giles has come a long way since she stepped out from under her stepmother's controlling thumb. Happily married to cardiac surgeon Jack Calloway and living in her beloved hometown of Baltimore, Lila splits her time between visiting with Jack's elderly patients, directing her own online reading programme for children, and contemplating the possibility of motherhood. But all this comes to a screeching halt when, one typical Saturday afternoon, Lila is confronted with a situation that challenges the very core of her moral fibre. In one split second, the idyllic life Jack and Lila have built together is threatened, and suddenly Lila must reconcile the truth that there's a bit of evil in all of us with her love for her husband and her faith in her life's purpose.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Veiled advice for newlyweds and a thoughtful exploration of racism distinguish this novel set in Baltimore's contemporary African-American community during the muggy summertime. The heat triggers flaring tempers at least in bride-of-two-years Lila Calloway when her tradition-bound stepmother Eulelie chides Lila for asking her cardiac surgeon husband Jack to mix the salad. The young couple, still much in love, are comfortable with sharing not only deep emotions but daily chores despite Lila's upbringing as the pampered daughter of influential Judge Giles; Jack grew up disadvantaged, but has become highly successful in his profession. Lila has a satisfying career as well in an online reading program for children and looks forward to motherhood; her standards for herself and others are high and uncompromising. When a trivial incident becomes a life and death matter, Lila must face the fact that moral issues are seldom simple and that her husband, the soul of rectitude, could, to his silent regret, make the wrong choice. Jones spares no one in her indictment of racism. Vicious taunting by rednecks, social prejudice among blacks according to their skin color and baiting by some blacks of their more successful brethren are integrated into the narrative. Meanwhile, lengthy passages of introspection and frequent flights of violent imagination mar rather than enhance Lila's characterization. She seems merely rude in "truth-telling" to her houseguests, stepmother and father-in-law; moreover, self-righteousness makes her less than sympathetic. Mercifully, Jones (Passing) restrains from sensationalizing a serious story about the effects of racism, and the credible, upbeat ending doesn't vitiate the strength of its message. (Nov.)Forecast: While this book will be targeted to the African-American market, strong prose and an honest point of view should recommend it to a wider audience.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The story of Lila Giles Calloway, begun in Jones's debut novel, Passing, continues here as her marriage to Dr. Jack Calloway blooms and her children's Internet story-hour brings her into the limelight. No longer the pawn of her wealthy stepmother's social maneuverings, Lila lacks only the joys of motherhood. Her near-perfect life crumbles, however, when, in an ugly racial incident, Jack refuses to help a bigoted white man, which results in the man's death. Suddenly, Lila must publicly confront racism in her own life. In a flash of self-discovery, she learns that her imperfections make her life like the "red on a rose," which, if stared at long enough, proves uneven and flawed. Jones's homey scenes depict the mundane aspects of life, such as fighting with one's stepmother over who clears the dishes, the pleasures of a glass of lemonade made by a friend, and the irrational worries that inhabit our nights. Unfortunately, the story rarely rises above the mundane, and when it does, important issues of racial prejudice, integrity, and honor play second fiddle to Lila's obsession with her marriage and desire for a child. As African American women's fiction, this book lacks the wit and insight of Bebe Moore Campbell and Pearl Cleage. An optional purchase. Jennifer Baker, Seattle P.L.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 1st edition (November 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380817306
• ISBN-13: 978-0380817306
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,238,774 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Excruciating...Predictable...Unrealistic, January 5, 2002

By 

C.M. Miller (marietta, ga United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red on a Rose: A Novel (Paperback)

I struggled through this novel because I loved PASSING and looked forward to reading Ms. Jones' latest work. I have to say that I was very disappointed. The story line was very interesting but it took so long to get to the climax that the build up was hardly worth it.
The premise of a black doctor's struggle between his obligation as a healer and with being faced with saving a horrible bigot is not a new one but I was hoping that the story would have done more to satisfy the appetite. Jones brought you in, held you and then finished in a very uninspired way. The relationships between the women characters were strong and I liked that, but overall the book was a letdown.
C.M. Miller, author---Taxes, Death, & Trouble

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars HATED IT!, August 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Red on a Rose: A Novel (Paperback)

I have got to say that this has been the most boring book I have ever read. I am an avid reader, it is not unlike me to finish a novel in a single day but this book, I could not get into. I found it extremely boring. I had to give up, it was an effort to read it. I never even made it to the halfway mark. The characters are dry and uninteresting. The author spends way too much time describing everything, what the building looks like, what Lila is thinking, why Lila's husband (can't remember his name) became a doctor, blah, blah, blah. The characters don't have conversations, they just think all the time. I'm glad I found this book on the clearance rack for $$$ otherwise I would of returned it but alas, all is not lost, I have a wobbly table that could use some balance.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Can love survive?, January 12, 2003

By 

Friends and Readers Bookclub (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Red on a Rose: A Novel (Paperback)

Patricia Jones tells a story of Lila, who was born and bred in an upper-class household, and Jack, poverty stricken throughout childhood but propels his way to become a renowned cardio-thoracic surgeon. They fall in love and marry in a matter of six months.

Their marriage was the epitome of all until a tragedy befalls them. In the beginning of their downfall, Lila and Jack lack the essential communication skills needed to overcome crucial issues in their relationship. As Lila and Jack take different mental paths, their reconnection becomes aloof. What will it take to bring them back together again?

Although the novel was captivating with many twists, its pace was a bit slow and drawn out.