From Publishers Weekly
Colorful characters from Hunter's previous two novels (The Hearts of Men; Married But Still Looking) return in this earnest, well-intentioned exploration of the complexities of the urban African-American male experience. Marijuana dealer Jermaine Banks is nearing 30, and while he doesn't see anything wrong with his job ("he felt like he was doing Philadelphians a favor by providing a natural herb that helped folks calm the hell down"), his pregnant girlfriend and her policeman father want him to clean up and become a decent role model for his three-year-old son, Khalil, and his unborn child. Meanwhile, across town, 51-year-old Calvin Sharpe, a shady real estate magnate, asks his wife, Robin, for a divorce so he can marry his white trophy mistress; Robin promptly informs their 15-year-old son, C.J., who has polycystic disease, that Calvin also abandoned another son-Jermaine. When Jermaine's best friend is gunned down by a rival drug gang, Jermaine knows the law of the street demands that he retaliate. Several more twists follow: Jermaine discovers that Khalil's mom is a lesbian; C.J.'s kidneys fail him; and Jermaine's uncle Herb, a heroin addict just out of prison, steals $30,000 of Jermaine's pot proceeds. All of these complications strengthen Jermaine's resolve to find a decent job and get Khalil out of the ghetto. Despite the book's somewhat clumsy prose, prosaic plots and Pollyanna resolutions, motivational speaker Hunter tells a readable tale with an uplifting message.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Jermaine Banks is the younger cousin of Prodigy Banks. Now that Prodigy has his life together, he has become a role model for his cousin. Although Jermaine is an intelligent, good-hearted young man, the lure of the streets has been more appealing than the straight and narrow. Having grown up without his father, Jermaine is very committed to being present for his children. Yet the lifestyle he has chosen makes it impossible for him to guarantee that he will be around. So, the more Erin pushes for him to become more responsible, the less he hears but the more he spends time rethinking his lifestyle and reconsidering his career options. Just as he begins to see things clearly, his father's father finds him and wants to get to know him. The reunion of his extended family is heartwarming for Jermaine, his son, and his mother. A very emotional story about a man making choices about being a man for his self-esteem and for the respect of his family.
Lillian LewisCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
