Customer Reviews

They Tell Me of a Home: A Novel

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

It is said that you can choose your friends, but can't choose your family. In THEY TELL ME OF A HOME, the main character, Tommy Lee Tyson has learned just that. At eighteen, he left his small town of Small Creek, Arkansas and vowed that he would never return. Ten years later, armed with a doctorate degree, he has accepted that he cannot simply run from his past and his family demons, and as the book opens, he is exiting a greyhound bus just a walk away from his childhood home. This childhood home carries a lot of ghosts; a physically and emotionally abusive father, a mother that could never show him love, and a brother with whom he felt very little connection. The only positive memories of his childhood stem from his younger sister, and it is his need to reconnect with her that, at least in part, is his motivation for returning. When he returns however, he learns that his sister died, and he spends the rest of his visit trying to uncover the facts behind her mysterious death. In his search for answers, he quickly learns that the secrets surrounding his sister's death are only the tip of the iceberg.

I have had the privilege of reading quite a few first time authors over the past year, and Daniel Black is definitely at the top of my list. He has crafted a story that is timeless, intelligent, and brilliantly written. Even though I knew from the book's description that Tommy Lee would learn of his sister's death, the scene left me in shock and speechless because it was written with such heart. The characters were vibrant and colorful and the plot was realistic and engaging. Black captured the essence of black southern life in a multi-dimensional fashion, from the secrecy, to the humor and sense of community. The book touched on a variety of themes and social issues, all of which are explored through the main character's search for answers and more importantly, the search for his place in his family and community. While THEY TELL ME OF A HOME deals with issues such as abuse, incest, religion, and other very serious topics, the story never gets weighed down by them because the author also includes moments of camaraderie, friendship and humor to balance it out. This is a book to savor, one that made me laugh, cry, and call my friends to share certain passages. Painful, yet graceful, emotional, yet humorous, timeless, yet relevant; THEY TELL ME OF A HOME is a fantastic accomplishment by a debut author.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Daniel Black's debut novel, They Tell Me of a Home, is the story of twenty-eight year old Tommy Lee (T.L.) Tyson who returns to his rural hometown of Swamp Creek, Arkansas after a ten-year hiatus. Tyson left behind an abusive father, emotionally detached mother, sullen older brother and a loving younger sister, Cynthia. T.L. adored Cynthia and she was his reason for living and wanting something better than his humble, backwoods beginning. It is because of his sister that he is now returning home after completing ten years of higher education and receiving a Ph.D. in Black Studies-which leaves his father wondering why he wasted good money on learning about Black Folks-when he could have told him everything he needed to know! His sister,who was not even 10 when he left home,was his pride and joy, childhood friend, spiritual confidante and was his only reason for wanting to stay connected to folks who obviously had no commitment to him. However, ten years is a long time to be gone and to have very little contact with family, so much to his surprise and chagrin, he learns upon returning home that his sister is gone-she died. No one notified him of her untimely death and no one wants to talk about it nor tell him how she died.

In his tantrum and angry quest to find out what happened to Cynthia, T.L. will rip open the dysfunctional fabric that holds his family together. He will discover that the glue that seals them together includes generational secrets, incest, adultery, emotional annihilation and self-hatred. Going home will also bring him face to face with his favorite teacher who is dying and who has a few secrets of her own. She also has a demanding request of T. L. that he is not sure that he can honor. Since returning home, the baggage of the past is suffocating him and stifling his reason for being-and now that his sister is gone he is in more of a hurry to return to his beloved NYC. But can one ever really emotionally or physically leave the place they call home?

They Tell Me of a Home is a powerful, universal story of a young man returning home and coming to the realization that " my coming home was because I had missed the most critical lesson any student can learn-that transforming the world begins with love of one's own people." Black delivers a poignant message as we journey with T.L. and he discovers that just maybe being from Swamp Creek isn't so bad and drives home an even greater message that many folks of color still need to hear today-" that until we teach ourselves, we will always hate ourselves' -and continue to run away from the situation rather than to deal with what ails us.

Filled with wit, wisdom, social messages, folklore and rural southern black folk and their ways, Tyson's debut novel is creatively crafted and a page-turner. Beautifully and lyrically written, colorful characters including secondary characters that felt like family and inclusion of my two favorite topics-African American History and religion quickly moved this read into my Top 10 for 2005. Anyone who has ever spent time in the South or still has family there will identify with at least one of the characters in the story. They remind us of folks that we would not choose if given a choice but because of blood relations these are the same folks that we lovingly and sometimes grudgingly call family. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a refreshing and wonderfully crafted story featuring an African American male protagonist who endearingly worms his way into our hearts and leaves a few unforgettable gems of nuggets for us to chew on-as only a Southerner can do!

Reviewed by Yasmin
APOOO BookClub

This is the story of T.L. - a man who is raised in the south but leaves home to seek change. After obtaining his Ph.D., T.L. returns home to find that as much as he has changed, life in his small town has pretty much remained the same. However, one thing has changed, his beloved Sister is now dead and is buried in the family backyard, but no one seems to know how Sister died. In his efforts to find out the truth about Sister's death, T.L. also uncovers some other truths - about his life, his perception of his family, and his real feelings about Swamp Creek, Arkansas - the town that really has remained the same.

Having grown up in the South, this novel immediately transported me to that time and that place and stirred up many memories of my life in a small, southern town. I laughed, I smiled, and felt as if I was actually "there" as the words brought the images in this story to life. I knew the answers to many of T.L.'s problems - all except one - which reminded me of another book I'd read with the same issue. A wonderfully written book that I will surely recommend to others. Can't wait to read this author's latest novel.

I found the book very interesting. This book evoked a lot of emotion. There were some lines that made me laugh as well as cry. He is a great storyteller. On the other hand, I found some of his phrasology inconsistent w/ the period. Also, there were inconsistencies in the dialect w/in the same character. Overall, it was a good book and I must admit as I read the last three pages, tears rolled down my eyes. Good Job Daniel, can't wait to see more.

i like this book from this new author ,this is the story of t.i.tyson even though it was a little slow ,the author storytellin was enough to keep my attention ,personal identity is what this character was searching for an the author helps to find the home within this story from the country dialect to the p.h. degree .family secrets is what brings him home.after reading this book i will be looking for more of this author writing

The Meetin' Tree in Swamp Creek, AR. Listen to the tales that fill this well-written, page-turning novel!

From the moment "TL" steps off the Greyhound bus in the summer heat, I found myself wiping my brow. Not only was the sweltering heat real, the characters tumbled from the pages and into my lap.

In his journey home, "TL" faces harsh realities and joyous memories that keep him in Swamp Creek longer than planned. The story also kept me bolted to the pages... hanging on every word.

"They Tell Me of a Home" sprinkles gold dust from the Harlem Renaissance in hopes that you will plow through the layers of dust from family secrets. As you keep digging for the truth, you will find it...

I highly recommend this excellent debut from a dynamic storyteller!

SNAP! CRACKLE! POP! ALL OF GOD'S CHILDREN BETTER ADD THIS NOVEL TO THEIR COLLECTION, 'CAUSE ZORA NEAL HURSTON, JAMES BALDWIN, LANGSTON HUGHES, TONI MORRISON'S BELOVED, ETC. HAVE COME BACK FROM THE GRAVE IN ONE BODY. 'THEY TELL ME OF A HOME' BY DANIEL OMOTOSHO BLACK IS NOT JUST AN AWESOME AFROREAL PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON WHO RETURNS TO SWAMP CREEK TO FACE THE PAIN THAT CLOSURE BRINGS ANYONE SEEKING TO DO SO, BUT ALSO THE COLLECTIVE WORK IS A LIBATION -- AN OUTPOUR OF THE COLLECTIVE SELF -- A CUP SPILLING OVER WITH WINE-- OF TRUTHS THAT ARE NOT SO FARFETCHED ABOUT WHO WE ARE AS HUMAN BEINGS. THIS NOVEL IS SO DAMN GOOD THAT I GOT CAUGHT UP FOR 12... YES, 12 HOURS... READING FROM BEGINNING TILL END. MY BOTTOM STARTED HURTIN', SO I WALKED AROUND THE HOUSE READING THE BOOK IN HAND. EVERYTIME I TRIED TO STOP, THE SPIRIT OF THE WRITING TOOK MY MIND AND BODY OVER LIKE THE HOLY GHOST FALLS ON ME AT CHURCH (AT HOME REALLY 'CAUSE I'M TOO TIRED BY THE TIME I GET TO CHURCH). I CRIED FROM LAUGHING OUTLOUD. I LAUGHED SOME MORE. I CRIED REAL TEARS. I FELT LOVED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME. HALLELUJAH!!! FOR THE HEALING POWER THAT THIS NOVEL HAS BROUGHT INTO MY LIFE. THE LIFETIME CHANNEL, OPRAH WINFREY, HBO OR SOMEBODY WHO IS SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GET A HOLD OF THIS NOVEL, SO THAT THE REVOLUTION -- CHANGE, THAT IS -- CAN BE TELEVISED.

Daniel O. Black's _They Tell Me of a Home_ is such an important book for African Americans. In it, he reminds us of the strength and vitality of community. The book's most moving moments sing the beauty, humor, boundless imagination, and resilience that are the hallmarks of southern black culture. He also explores and seeks to address the damage we do to ourselves and each other out of our own fearful, broken places. As his first book, Black writes a loving letter that challenges African American readers to embrace themselves and each other holistically, and without fear, prejudice, or restraint. He breaks longstanding taboos of gender and patriarchy in a spirit of true love for black people. He imagines an organic transformation that is rooted in the power, love, and sacredness of community.

A beautifully written novel, They Tell Me of a Home is a story of all of our lives. Black weaves the story of TL with unequaled precision and takes us all to a place and time not far from our own, as he orchestrates our history back two us. READ THIS BOOK, SUPPORT THIS AUTHOR, soon Black will be included when the literary world lays mention of Baldwin, Sanchez, Everett, Dyson and Morrison.

I don't usually read this type of book, but I found it at the library on one of their "promising ready" shelves. I was immediately absorbed into this book, the richness of the characters and their accurate and resonble descriptions. I personally enjoyed the name dropping of book titles and the baptist hymnals, it took me back to church, a place i haven't been for a while. I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book, before it gets weird. Not getting to much into the specifics, the male relationships get a little "sensual" ( his word) in a uncomfortable and unrealistic way. I literaly almost stopped reading the book it was so grotesque and outlandish. But, somehow by the end I was crying, and hopeful.

So, if you enjoy a ride of emotions in a well written, if unbelieveable story; Go for it.