Some Soul to Keep [Paperback]

J. California Cooper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998

J.California Cooper writes with a transparent clarity and such exuberant energy that her characters leaop off the page, bursting with the stories they've got to tell--stories of simple people, stories of families and fate, of love and marriage, of death and the triumph of the human spirit. Cooper is that most rare and wondrous thing: a true storyteller whose tales trace the energies of life itself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The five long stories in this volume radiate the same energy that readers of Cooper's A Piece of Mine and Homemade Love will expect. Love between parents and children, between sisters, friends, women and men, are all illuminated in the author's sprightly vernacular prose. Each tale is narrated by a spirited black woman who, by perseverance and innate good faith, has triumphed over the deprivationssometimes emotional and always materialof her childhood. Cooper has a sharp eye for detail and her characters are distinct in their circumstancessome had loving families, some cruel, one is blind and abandonedbut all follow the same path to happiness and satisfaction, gamely choosing love over security, revenge or dependence. Ultimately, no matter how admirable and lively these stories are individually, the sameness of their tone and structure (the tales are all retrospective and chronological) defuses the impact of the volume as a whole.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Her style is deceptively simple and direct, and the vale of tears in which her characters reside is never so deep that a rich chuckle at a foolish person's foolishness cannot be heard." --Alice Walker

"Cooper's stories beckon. It's as if she is patting the seat next to her, enticing us to come sit and listen as she tells complex tales about women, often poor women, chasing dreams of love, a house, and a family." --Ms.

"Cooper is humorous, wise, self-deprecating, and always expressive...her stories are about simple truths told with great energy that makes them shine." --Kirkus Reviews

"The stories are wonderful, very human tales that sparkle with warmth, humor, and often, revernge." --Library Journal

"Cooper's stories dramatize the wages of sin and the rewards of patience, as well as the occasional sweet taste of revenge." --Chicago Tribune

"Cooper knows how to 'talk' her stories to us, as though each of them is told by a kindly and concerned friend. The sound of them is lovely, memorable, haunting." --San Francisco Chronicle

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 211 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312193378
• ISBN-13: 978-0312193379
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #428,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

J. California Cooper was honored as Black Playwright of the Year, and has received the American Book Award, the James Baldwin Writing Award, and the Literary Lion Award from the American Library Association. She lives in California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for some of that Soul, October 27, 2003

By 

Y'na (Decatur, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Some Soul to Keep (Paperback)

I absolutely Loved this book. This was my first J. California Cooper Book and it will not be my last. I tell you I felt like I was sitting around the Kitchen table, Down South somewhere and just listening to one of the Elder Woman telling stories to the younger generation. I really embraced the characters' joys, pains and struggles. They were stories of everyday people that could live next door to you or me (or be you or me) but it gave me a warm feeling. It made me reflect on myself and embrace my struggles. The Author, J. California Cooper is an excellent storyteller and I definately look forward to curling up with more of her hearty stories. I've already purchased A piece of mine and it is pretty consistent with Some Soul to Keep. Enjoy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars J California Cooper is the Best, September 4, 2002

By 

D. Brown "dcsb" (New Orleans, Louisiana United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Some Soul to Keep (Paperback)

I have read all of J California Cooper's books, and I must say that I have never been disappointed. Some Soul to Keep is a wonderful collection of heartwarming stories.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories that touched My Soul, October 31, 2001

By 

"shoppnmama-aol" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Some Soul to Keep (Paperback)

She has done it again for me. J. California Cooper is an extraordianary storyteller that touches your soul.
This is my third book of her short stories that I have read.
Her short stories are sometimes humorous and always wise with real like situations . Dealing with love,marriage, fate, and death overcoming triumphs of some not so perfect people.
Her story will certainly touch you soul .
I bought this book and sit down to just preview it . Before I knew it I had started reading it. Then I could not stop until I had finished them .
I would highly recommend and suggest her work if you have not already read any of her work. She is certainly in a class by herself, no others can compare with her.