The View From Here [Paperback]

Brian Keith Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1998

A stunning debut novel in the tradition of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. Anna Anderson Thomas has devoted her life to stepping lightly around her husband's vast silences and raising their sons. But now, with a sixth child on the way--a girl this time, she's sure--Anna faces a challenge that threatens to destroy the family she's fought so hard to preserve NYC publicity .

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Right from the get-go Brian Keith Jackson's debut novel, The View from Here has an unusual kick to it: the book is narrated by the protagonist's as yet unborn child. The heroine of this touching tale is Anna Anderson Thomas, an African American wife and mother trying to keep her family together in the face of casual prejudice and economic hardship. The mother of five boys, she discovers number six is on the way around the same time her husband, JT, loses his job at the lumber mill. JT insists they can't afford this new baby and decides to give it to his sister to raise. In the ensuing months, Anna's only comfort comes in occasional letters from her childhood friend, Ida Mae, and the responses she composes in her head but never sends.

Jackson's book captures perfectly both the love and the rage of this family under pressure. As Anna navigates the choppy waters of family ties, old obligations, and new responsibilities, the passionate prose and unusual narrative perspective brings immediacy to her passage. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

The view is from the womb in Jackson's extraordinary debut, most of which is narrated by L'il Lisa, who begins speaking to us five months into her mother Anna's pregnancy. (Readers may be reminded of Kate Atkinson's The View from the Museum.) Taking place over the course of four months in the 1950s, the action centers around an African American family isolated among the corn fields of rural Mississippi. Well before her birth, Lisa knows her brooding, domineering father, J.T., won't allow Anna to keep the baby. With five sons already, J.T. can't handle another mouth to feed and has arranged to give the child to Clariece, his barren older sister, to rear. Clariece is pretentious, verbally and physically abusive, belittling and dishonest. Himself raised by Clariece, T.J. has been so thoroughly demeaned by her that he can't recognize her poisonous character. Anna wants to keep Lisa and has faith that J.T. will come to his senses when his only daughter is born. In addition to Lisa's narrative, Jackson threads poignant fragments of unmailed letters written by Anna during her lonely pregnancy to her devoted childhood friend Ida Mae, who has gone north and for whom Anna has no address. He also includes occasional third-person passages which offer an omniscient perspective on Anna, Ida Mae and J.T. from their youth up through Lisa's dramatic birth. Jackson orchestrates the three viewpoints like a skilled composer, engaging the reader intellectually and emotionally. His descriptions are understated but evocative, his dialogue natural and true to period regional idiom. A formidable craftsman and exceptionally gifted storyteller, he has written a haunting story.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671568965
• ISBN-13: 978-0671568962
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully Written, Eloquently Delivered, September 13, 2000

By 

Yasmin Coleman (PENNSYLVANIA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The View From Here (Paperback)

The View From Here is a wonderfully written and eloquently delivered literary debut from Brian Keith Jackson! Some books are entertaining and devoured for the moment; other books are savored and last for a lifetime. The View From Here is a book that will stay with me for years to come as it is an emotional and soul stirring story regarding Anna Anderson Thomas and the unconditional love she has for her family. The View From Here is uniquely and creatively narrated by the protagonist Anna's, unborn child. Anna is married to mean-spirited and broken down JT; this union has been blessed with five sons and JT is satisfied with the current size of his family. Within a bleak situation in the economically depressed setting of a small Mississippi town, the Thomas' are barely making it when they discover that Anna is yet again pregnant. Not looking forward to feeding another mouth, JT promises the unborn child to his older sister Clariece...and therein lies the dilemna. I was emotionally wretched and drained and moved to tears as I read the mental abuse that Anna suffered at the hands of her husband and wondered "why"? The View From Here is the story of any women who has had to stand up for herself and make tough decisions which would impact her spouse, her children and her self-preservation when the going got tough. The View From Here is the story of any woman under immense pressures, struggling to survive and to ensure the unity of her family as she battles the obstacle course of everyday living. This story shows how a woman named Anna possesses strong strength and determination and how she keeps faith to the bitter end and turns the situation around for good. Rather than running away or cowering to the demons that be, Anna stood up for what was right, what was true, what was just in the moment of adversity. As the story poignantly and provocatively climaxed I cheered for Anna as she stood her ground and did what was right for her spiritual and emotional sanity! The View From Here is an unforgettable tale about family, adversities, and the events that shape our lives and our souls. In spite of hardships, poverty, tragedies and despair, The View From Here portrays the richness of life when one has hope, courage and determination. It's a poignant and touching portrayal of family life that's full of love and the determination of a mother to keep her family intact against all odds and obstacles. The View From Here is exquisitely and superbly told by Brian Keith Jackson. This is an author to be reckoned with and I look forward to reading Walking Through Mirrors and future novels by this very talented new author.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The view from here looks good, February 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The View From Here (Paperback)

Brian Keith Jackson's first novel is full of promises kept. Jackson delivers a big healthy story with an economy of movement and an efficiency more like a short story than a novel. The techiniques Jackson employs to move along his plot and to reveal the backgrounds of his characters is clever and used in the correct proportions. Actually there is one sequence where it becomes a little much, read the book and you'll know excatly which sequence I'm referring to, aside from that though the convergence of the three separate techniques or "views" is deftly accomplished. Brian writes about a woman's pain and choices convincingly. Though unfortunately there are women who are dealing with the central issues of Anna's life everyday most of us feel a desire to rush along her decision process. Jackson leads us to have enough faith in Anna so we wait, knowing that she will make the right decision for herself, her boys, her baby and even her husband.

The very end of the story I felt was a little rushed. Almost as if Jackson wasn't sure of what to do with the story and the people. I'm finding it a little threadbare, but not enough that I wouldn't recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading Brian Keith Jackson's latest book. In a time when so many of our African American male writers are writing weak unrealistic, reactionary, kneejerk responses to "man bashing" books Brian Keith is refreshing and artiscally intelligent. I think he is definetly a writer to watch.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A quick read and enjoyable story, March 29, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The View from Here (Hardcover)

Our Colorado Springs book group read this. The consensus was that the book was a quick, enjoyable read with a story line which were all curious to read what the final outcome would be. It would have been helpful to us to have a better understanding of the time at which the story took place. We thought 1950s or 1960s. As women, we found it hard to relate to how Anna could take as much as she took at the hands of her emotionally abusive husband and sister-in-law before she stood up for herself. However, the interwoven internal conversations of Anna with her yet unborn child and her absent childhood friend were insightful. As for the ending, we were disappointed that we did not get to finally meet Anna's friend Ida Mae and we found Anna's epiphany predictable and we were surprised at how long it took for her to reach it