Customer Reviews

When I Get Where I'm Going

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2 star:		(1)
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We cannot choose our parents, but we can choose the choices we make to live our lives happily. In When I Get Where I'm Going by Cheryl Robinson, Heaven Jetter, Hope Jetter, and Alicia Day are sisters, trying to do their best with what they have. Each one of these ladies have some serious decision making to do. The choices they make will alter their life in more ways than they could ever have known.

Up until Heaven receives a letter from her estranged father, she believes Hope is the only sister she has. However, the letter tells her about Alicia, her half sister. Even though Heaven is the youngest of the three, she is the one with the gumption to seek out a relationship with the sister she never knew, trying to extend her family. While she is attempting to have a relationship with Alicia, Hope continues to pull further and further away from her.

Hope is grieving and angry. Her husband died on a boating accident and the one man that knows what happened is avoiding her. She needs closure in order to move on with her life. Will she ever find the answers to all the questions surrounding her husband's death?

Alicia has been trying for years to be a top name actress in Hollywood. The movies she has been in are successful enough to get her name out to the masses. She finds herself heading back to Detroit when on thing after another keeps happening to her. Will she ever figure out what she is missing in order to achieve her dream of stardom?

I enjoyed the escapades of these three women. The reactions they each had regarding their situation were very real. The one thing that bothered me was reading about the death of Hope's husband. While I understand authors get their story ideas from the news, one of the subplots surrounded a major news story, which made me a little leery. However, with an unexpected twist, Ms. Robinson made that part of the story hers. I recommend When I Get Where I'm Going to readers of contemporary fiction and stories about dysfunctional families.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher for review purposes.

Jennifer Coissiere

APOOO BookClub

Fans of Theodore "Tower" Evans, Porter Washington, Georgia Brown, and Olena Day, take note! Here's the story of a tragedy that one family cannot seem to get away from, that is until they realize you gotta be in it to win it. Sisterhood is winning, moving pass family dysfunctions together and ultimately being free; is the winning ticket.

When I Get Where I'm Going opens with a letter addressed to Heaven from her dad. In his letter it is his prayer that all of his letters are being forwarded to Heaven's new address and all of his girls come together as a family. He also tells Heaven a secret he's been keeping for quite some time; that aside from Hope she has another sister name Alicia Day; who at last contact lived in the Detroit area. Her father wants Heaven to search for her and bring unity between herself, Hope and Alicia. What these three sisters don't know but will come to know and understand is each one of them has the cure for what ails the other.

Ms. Robinson stories are written with a grand passion for her craft and the characters she introduces us to and When I Get Where I'm Going certainly doesn't fall short. All the people I mentioned in the beginning of this review are taken from her previous books. They like Heaven, Hope and Alicia have left an impression on this reader. Throughout the book there's a recurring theme that is never quiet; when you pour life into someone your life becomes blessed. I'm sure Alicia can say amen to that after she was told by Attorney Foxmoore that she was NOT going to be sued. You'll have to read the book to find out more about that. (Smile)

When I Get Where I'm Going is a story of pain, regrets, family dysfunction, celebration and how sisterhood is the beginning to overcoming it all. I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet Alicia in Robinson's previous book "In Love with a Younger Man and Heaven Jetter at her blogspot back in March.

Missy

Readers Paradise

Alicia Day is a struggling actress originally from Detroit, now living in Hollywood. When she headed west with her best friend, Aubrey, both were determined to become the next big thing. So far Aubrey has made it big, but the only big things about Alicia are the fibroid tumors she keeps ignoring.

Hope Teesdale lost her second husband in a boating accident. At twenty-seven she's too young to be the bitter, widow that she's become. She's locked into her small corner of the world that consists solely of work and her daughter, Havana.

At only twenty, Heaven Jetter has lived entirely too much. As a child she grew up knowing that her father had killed her mother. This alone should have been enough to keep her from abusive men and the mean streets of Detroit, but it hasn't. She's a born party girl and even though she knows that her actions hurt those closest to her, she can't stop.

Heaven and Hope grow up as sisters, but it's not until a letter from their imprisoned father comes to Heaven that she learns that they have an older sister, Alicia. Alicia is thrown off by the brash, in your face young lady that reaches out to her long distance. A trip home solidifies their relationship, but trying to create a happy family complete with Hope is going to be a lot more difficult than either Heaven or Alicia imagined.

What did you like about this book?

Each of the sisters is a mess and the author doesn't try to "prettify" their situations. Each is dealing with realistic issues and I fully appreciated the author exploring them.

What didn't you like about this book?

The story is told in third person narrative for the most part and I really would have preferred first person, especially since each character is given their own chapters to tell their stories.

What could be done to improve this book?

It's so minor that I feel silly even typing it, but I hated the cover model's cankles. Yes, I said cankles. How do I know that her calves and ankles are the same size, thus producing cankles? I don't. It just looks like it to me. Could be the cheap red shoes or the fact that I hate seeing heels like that worn with jean, I don't know. I just hate the look.

The book offers a look into the sibling relationship of three women who are destined to come together as friends, even as their separate lives spin first out of control, then back into stability. Alicia is the actress, Heaven the one struggling through life and on parole, and Hope nurtures her daughter Havana, while coming to terms with the loss of her husband. Hope lost her husband in an accident and is raising their daughter Havana on her own. Her struggles are typical and she gets lost in the average shuffle of the story.

The other characters are interesting, but almost too much to process. The story is told in a serious voice, but would have had better success if it had been told in a different voice, perhaps one where the character determines the right path and takes it sooner than later. Of course, there is partner abuse, as Heaven stays in a relationship with Donovan too long, and suffers physically and emotionally as a result. In the beginning of the book, the reader is told Donovan is a cheater, by the middle to end of the book - he is still around long enough to beat up Heaven later and cause her more grief. The reader will ask "why" since Heaven is desperate for a new start, so why is she dragging her past with her at every turn?

Alicia name drops, pursues her dream of acting and takes her time letting her sisters into her life. Her life did not seem realistic to me, and I was unable to believe what was happening to her, even when it seemed to be what she had wished to occur in her life. There is a very tender scene with Alicia, one that lets the reader know that she is capable of loving again completely, and that life hasn't taken everything away from her after all.

In the end, a horrible family tragedy will bond the sisters together and save them in more ways than one. This book has some strong language, mature sexual scenes and partner abuse scenes, so I would recommend a mature audience for mature themes.

Cheryl Robinson delivers another page-turner with "When I Get Where I'm Going." Robinson gives us a realistic portrayal of sisters doing the best they can to mend hurts and move forward. Heaven, Hope, and Alicia are three women that will make you angry, laugh, and most importantly, think about those relatives you need to make amends before it's too late.

''When I Get Where I'm Going'' is a true testament to family,love, survival and dreaming. When I first started reading this book, I was wondering how these three sisters, Heaven, Hope and Alicia would ever get along being that they led such diverse and emotionally driven lives. Alicia is in Hollywood wondering how after 13 years and countless broken promises and contracts, she can make it as an actress? Meanwhile Heaven is literally living in hell (an abusive relationship) and Hope is trying to find it (hope) while looking for clues to her husband's mysterious death.

Throughout the story and various flashbacks into their past, these three women begin separate self-discovery journeys that leave their lives changed forever.

Cheryl Robinson delivers a beautiful tale of redemption, forgiveness, love, sacrifice, decisions and consequences in this novel. She crafts a story that leaves the reader with the questions "what is truly important in this life?''

This was an amazing book by an amazing author and I can't wait to read the next book. Keep up the great work Cheryl!

Glenn Jetter is in prison for the murder of his wife. His daughter Heaven learns she has an older half-sister living in Southern California. Stunned Heaven calls Alicia Day who has spent over a decade trying to break in to Hollywood, but is ready to give up the impossible dream. She decides to meet kid sister in Detroit.

Heaven's other sister Hope Teasdale is raging in fury towards her and refuses to talk to her or the newly found sibling. Heaven knows she did single mom of little Havana Hope wrong when she used her sister's identity to spend $10,000 on credit while her sibling was grieving the death in a boating disappearance of her spouse. However, Heaven also is trapped in an abusive relationship. Though Glenn's fondest dream is his three daughters become close knit sisters, there appears little chance of that happening.

This is a fascinating family drama starring three siblings who have little reason to forge a bond and in fact have powerful rationale to remain estranged. Character driven, readers will enjoy When I Get Where I'm Going as the threesome struggle with their present lives while considering can they rely on a sister to be there for them when family history says otherwise. Although the wrap up is too simple, the fully developed cast makes for an enjoyable profound look at dysfunctional siblings from a broken family background.

Harriet Klausner

Nothing Like A Sister

I have to admit that I get excited when Cheryl Robinson releases a new book. This author always comes with her very best and gives her readers a great read. Her latest release; When I Get Where I'm Going follows that tradition.

Sisters, Heaven and Hope are traumatized at an early age, when their father murders their mother after a really bad fight. With their mother dead and their father in prison, the little girls only have each other to hold on to. Raised by their Nana in the inner city of Detroit; the girls manage to survive with Hope always the protector of her younger sister Heaven. Life isn't easy for either sister but Hope manges to make better choices for her life than Heaven does. Despite her frustrations with her sister's lifestyle; Hope continues to be there for Heaven until Heaven crosses the line and does something that forces Hope to disassociate herself from Heaven.

Hope is a young widow struggling to raise her daughter from a previous relationship in the midst of her grief. Her husband had died in a tragic boating mishap that left many questions unanswered. Her losses have left Hope, angry and broken. As much as she tries, even mothering her daughter is a challenge for her. She hasn't spoken to her sister in a long time and neither sister communicates with their father even though he continues to write them letters from prison, letters full of remorse and regret.

Finally Heaven reads one of her father's many unopened letters and is surprised at his revelation that he had fathered a daughter when he was very young. Heaven and Hope have an older sister that they never knew existed. Their father wants them to meet one another.

This is a tender story of three sisters, all very different in personalities, living their lives in very different ways. After thirteen years of living in California trying to make her dreams come true, Alicia Day is no closer to becoming a movie star than she was when she first arrived in Hollywood. Heaven's phone call to Alicia from her hometown of Detroit finds her in a vulnerable place in her life. She has been bruised and torn apart by the business and wonders if it is time to cut her losses and go back home.

I just loved this storyline and I loved the three sisters even more. Robinson is known for creating characters full of emotion with determination and drive. These women will remind you of your own sisters, daughters and girlfriends. They don't give up very easily.

Heaven continues to telephone Alicia who at first was reluctant to bond with her, but Heaven doesn't give up just like she doesn't give up on seeking forgiveness from Hope. After finding that she has a medical condition that requires surgery, Alicia returns home to Detroit to her family; her mother, stepfather and younger brother. Once she gets settled, she meets up with Heaven. Then the drama begins.

The author does a good job of creating a setting showcasing the new developments in the City of Detroit. A native of the "Motor City; Robinson's details will make you want to take a trip and visit some of the top attractions in the City.

The story flowed effortlessly as the author proved once again, her ability to get inside the hearts of her characters. You feel Heaven's pain as she struggles to turn her life around while in the throes of an abusive relationship. Heaven just wants to be loved. All grown up, she still carries the pain of the little girl who lost the love of her mother. Hope is strong but weak in accepting her losses. Professionally, she succeeds in life but personally she is a mess. She fears the pain of allowing her heart to love again and isn't really interested in bonding with Alicia or reconnecting with Heaven.

Alicia is the glue that pulls the trio of sisters together. As she grows in faith and strength; she shows her sisters that together they can heal from life's storms and move on to a better future. They learn how important unconditional love is among family.

Not only did I love the three main characters but the secondary characters were people that I came to care about also. This is a novel that you don't want to stop reading. Like her previous best seller, Sweet Georgia Brown, this book is very inspirational giving African American women a great image, a testimony to our resiliency and our love of family.

Cheryl Robinson brings readers still another winning novel about the things that makes us who we are, the things that gives us hope and joy in being sisters. I believe you really will love this novel too.

Idrissa Uqdah for [...]

When I Get Where I'm Going

3 sisters with one thing in common, their father.

Heaven is a confused, abused and a lucky girl.

Hope is angry, hurt and is a widow from suspicious circumstances

Alicia has been trying to make it in Hollywood for 13 years, with a friend who is her worse enemy.

The sisters find out about each other from a letter from their father, who is in jail for murder.

Alicia has been contacted by Heaven who claims to be her sister. They share the same father. So when Alicia comes home to have surgery, they have a family get-together. Hope wants nothing to do with this gathering nor Heaven or her father. Heaven and Hopes mother was killed by their father and Alicia was a high school mistake. Glenn, the father tells them they have an elder sister, Alicia that he hopes they will connect with. Hope has her own issues. The mysterious death of her husband 2 years ago has her still in mourning and with no closure. Heavens life is chaos. On probation, a man who beats her and she's not living, she's existing. She has also stole her sister's identity and racked up 10,000 in debt, while her sister was going through the lost of her husband. So the two sisters are estranged.

They say you can't pick your family but you can surely pick your friends. These sisters become the friends and family they choose. Persistence and several life changing events in these sisters lives, make them realize that they are a blessing to each other they never knew they had.

I truly LOVED this story. I felt the pain and anguish of each sister and LOVED how they came together. Cheryl is one hell of a storyteller. She had me so wrapped up that I could not put this book down. I also loved that she brought Olena Day, the character from In Love With A Younger Man into the story so we could catch up with her. I am always left wondering when reading Cheryl's books; how much of this is true because it's so real. Her stories always seem to come from so deep down and feel like they are true confessions. This book was an outstanding read and is one of the best books I've read in 2010. Cheryl if I could give you a 10 on this I would but 5 is as high as I can go. High 5 Cheryl!

http://www.amazon.com/When-Get-Where-Im-Going/dp/0451229479/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

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I don't have any sisters only the ones I've chosen

A die hard Cheryl Robinson fan, I was not let down with the release of her 6th novel. I am already sitting in anticipation for number 7. After I was left sitting on the edge of my seat with the "In Love with a Younger Man", I was really excited to see that story concluded in this novel. Also, the introduction of 3 new characters, Alicia from "In Love with a Younger Man" and Heaven and Hope from Ms. Robinson's weekly blog, I was brought back to the City of detroit with new stories, new drama, new laughter and new tears. Being a single black young mother trying to make a place in the world, I was able to relate with each of the three main characters on one level or another. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone, and you will fall in love with all of Cheryl's novels the same way I did.