I was so riveted by this book, which follows a young black man named James who faces racial and social scrutiny, especially after his girlfriend becomes pregnant. I thought the rawness and the authenticity of these characters’ plights were well-developed and just so honest. This book is a great testimony to the strength of the human spirit, no matter the odds. And the odds were certainly stacked against James and Theola.

Furthermore, there is a delicacy to this story–a vulnerability in what it’s like to be in the middle of such social and racial struggle while just trying to make a better life for your family. There’s an education within these pages for those of us who haven’t navigated waters like this…and it’s an important education that we would all be smarter for paying attention to. The fact that this story is also interesting is almost just icing on the cake.

Sharing in their fears, their struggles, and the knowledge that life is more complicated than it should be, I am really eager to read the next book. This author is a master at her craft. I always have all the feels when I reach “the end” of her awesome stories.