SINGLE MOM : A Novel [Paperback]

Omar Tyree (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 1999

Three men grappling with fatherhood and one single mother of striking character and independence face off in this compelling new novel from the bestselling author of Flyy Girl and A Do Right Man.

After more than ten years of successfully raising two sons on her own, Denise Stewart finds herself involved with both of her sons' fathers as well as in a relationship with a new man. Jimmie, the father of her eldest child, who, after learning that his son is a top basketball prospect, suddenly wants a major role in the teenager's life. Walter, the father of Denise's second son, is trying to gain custody of his twelve-year-old. After attending the Million Man March in Washington, Walter believes he should assume full responsibility for his son instead of for just two weekends out of each month. And there's Brock, the truck driver who is falling in love with Denise but is uncertain whether he wants the burden of a ready-made family.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Endearing earnestness and a promising setup can't save Tyree's latest (after A Do Right Man) from a terminal case of the blahs. After 10 years of raising Walter and Little Jay, her sons fathered out of wedlock by two different men, self-made businesswoman Denise Stewart finds herself increasingly, though platonically, involved with their fathers, each of whom has suddenly taken an interest in his offspring?just as Denise is embarking on a new, serious romance with a third man, a truck-driver named Brock. A more imaginative writer would have made comedy or light drama of the improbable premise, but Tyree plows ahead, straightfaced, through soporific domestic minutiae: endless Thanksgiving dinners, sports analyses, Christmas shopping sprees and discussions of the virtues of hardwood floors. The fathers (one a failed basketball player, now a laborer, the other an upwardly mobile banker who learns to value family over money) buckle under the heavy sociological weight Tyree asks them to carry. Although there's never any doubt that Denise will marry the goodhearted, doltish Brock, Tyree never quite explains why she wants to cast her lot with him. In one way or another, each of the figures is a mouthpiece for responsible fatherhood or the difficulties of single motherhood. At nearly 400 pages, the novel will wear out its welcome even with Tyree's many loyal fans.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Black and single, Denise Stewart escaped the ghetto of her childhood for the largely white suburbs of Chicago through determination, hard work, and education. Now, after being on her own for a decade and raising two sons fathered by different men, Denise falls in love with Brock, a truck driver who seems willing to make her sons a part of the life he and Denise will share. In addition, the fathers of her sons decide that they want to take more responsibility for their children. J.D., Jimmy's ex-con father, realizes that if he wants his talented son to get a college basketball scholarship, he has to make sure Jimmy avoids the mistakes he himself made as a teenager. After attending the Million Man March in Washington, wealthy Walter believes that Walter Jr. should live with him and his wife. Perhaps because he is writing about a major issue in the black community?the responsibility black men take for the lives of their children?this second novel from Tyree (Flyy Girl, LJ 9/15/96) reads mostly like an impassioned essay or sociology textbook. His message is loud and clear, but his didactic writing and one-dimensional characters doom this novel.?Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st Scribner Paperback Fiction Ed edition (October 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684855933
• ISBN-13: 978-0684855936
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #965,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Omar Tyree is a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, journalist, screenwriter, and public speaker. A renowned business figure, he has published seventeen books, and his articles have been published in the Washington Post, Essence, Upscale, and the Washington Times.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiring Read for All Parents!, December 30, 1998

By 

Phyllis M. Kusi "fee-fee" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Single Mom: A Novel (Hardcover)

Regardless of your marital status, you will enjoy Single Mom. It is an inspirational tool for parents of all ages. Single Mom encourages single parents (Moms and Dads, especially) to empower themselves and their children. Single men can also benefit from the advice to become positive role models for children in single parent homes, "Be a father to a child."

The title is somewhat deceiving... the book is primarily written from the fathers' perspective. Although their views of parenting are initially narrow, they learn from this amazing Single Mom, Denise Stewart.

Denise is amazing as a strong Black woman who
1) loves the Lord;
2) is devoted to her family (teenage sons, Mom, trifling sister, and neice);
2) shares with her best friend and her children;
3) inspires young Single Moms in the community of all ethnic groups; and
4) desires to love and be loved by a strong Black man.

Although many mothers in Denise's situation would have given up or neglected their families while climbing out of the rut, she maintains her focus. Her friends, family, and eventually the fathers' of her sons respect and admire Denise for her determination and responsibility as a parent. This strong Single Mom does not give up on men... she remains selective (NOT DESPERATE) in choosing a potential mate and positive role model for her sons.

I admire Omar Tyree for his sensitivity to the issues and concerns of families (especially African-American families).

WARNING: Eventhough this novel is categorized as fiction, it is FACTion... real life situations and characters with fictional names.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspiring Read for All Parents!, June 20, 2002

By 

Phyllis M. Kusi "fee-fee" (Atlanta) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Single Mom: A Novel (Hardcover)

(originally posted December 30, 1998)

Regardless of your marital status, you will enjoy Single Mom. It is an inspirational tool for parents of all ages. Single Mom encourages single parents (Moms and Dads, especially) to empower themselves and their children. Single men can also benefit from the advice to become positive role models for children in single parent homes, "Be a father to a child."

The title is somewhat deceiving... the book is primarily written from the fathers' perspective. Although their views of parenting are initially narrow, they learn from this amazing Single Mom, Denise Stewart.

Denise is amazing as a strong Black woman who
1) loves the Lord;
2) is devoted to her family (teenage sons, Mom, trifling sister, and neice);
2) shares with her best friend and her children;
3) inspires young Single Moms in the community of all ethnic groups; and
4) desires to love and be loved by a strong Black man.

Although many mothers in Denise's situation would have given up or neglected their families while climbing out of the rut, she maintains her focus. Her friends, family, and eventually the fathers' of her sons respect and admire Denise for her determination and responsibility as a parent. This strong Single Mom does not give up on men... she remains selective (NOT DESPERATE) in choosing a potential mate and positive role model for her sons.

I admire Omar Tyree for his sensitivity to the issues and concerns of families (especially African-American families).

WARNING: Eventhough this novel is categorized as fiction, it is FACTion... real life situations and characters with fictional names. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Single Mom, April 23, 2002

By 

Brittany Cooper (Conshohocken) - See all my reviews

This review is from: SINGLE MOM : A Novel (Paperback)

I think that this book was very good because it really showed all the problems and conflicts that a single black woman with 2 boys has to go through. Omar Tyree is really showing how he knows what people in this society go through everyday. In this book a single mom named Denise is raising two boys with two different fathers and she is also dating someone else. She ended up getting married to the new man she is dating and her sons are doing good now after all the problems that they have went through.