The compelling opening chapters of this novel that limns the troubled coming of age of a black woman from the Mississippi Delta excite expectations that the rest of the narrative does not fulfill. Initially, readers will find much to admire in Golden's ( Long Distance Life ) depiction of Jessie Foster's flight from her sexually abusive father and her meeting with civil rights worker Lincoln Sturgis, who sweeps her into the movement during the turbulent Freedom Summer--and into a new world where she forms relationships with black and white activists from all strata of society. Golden's portrait of the idealism and exhilaration of people coming together in a conflicted time is authentic and engrossing, but when her protagonist leaves the South and moves to Manhattan, the tale loses dramatic momentum. As Lincoln struggles to make his name as a playwright, Jessie discovers her vocation as an actress, but her transformation is too swift and never becomes convincing. Moreover, when she changes her name to Pearl Moon, the reader's identification with her character is broken. Jessie/Pearl's inability to return Lincoln's love, due to her haunted memories of being raped by her father, makes her emotionally distant and her behavior predictable. Although Golden's command of language in the early part of the book is impressive, the later sections are dry and mechanical, as though she is fleshing out a story in which she has lost interest. The facile denouement involving Jessie/Pearl's psychological breakthrough leaves the novel limping to a close.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Like Golden's previous books-- Long Distance Life ( LJ 10/1/89), Migrations of the Heart ( LJ 2/1/83), and A Woman's Place ( LJ 8/86)--this novel offers an insightful view into the lives of individual African American women. It opens as Jessie Foster escapes incest by running away from home and subsequently becomes drawn into the Civil Rights movement. With the help of her activist/playwright boyfriend, she discovers a love of acting and later becomes a professional actress. Golden offers a resonant description of the consequences of Jessie's sexual abuse, and her characterization and images are skillfully drawn and believable. However, the novel's episodes are strung together with all-too-visible contrivances, and the segment devoted to Jessie's friend Macon is unnecessarily disconnected from the narrative flow. Nevertheless, this is recommended for contemporary fiction collections and is a necessary purchase for libraries with serious collections of African American fiction. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/92.
- Marie F. Jones, Muskingum Coll., New Concord, Ohio
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
