July 19, 2004
Set in Lemon City, an isolated town in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains settled by freed slaves before the Civil War, Brown's inspiring, slyly amusing novel marks the debut of a welcome new voice in African-American fiction. On Thanksgiving Day, 1973, the entire Dunlap family, including Granddaddy, his wife, Nana, and granddaughter Faye, are under house arrest pending the sheriff's investigation into the murder of Harry Lee Thompson, Faye's estranged husband. ("As Faye stared at the turkey, it reminded her of the last time she saw Harry, flat on his back on their living room floor with his stomach distended and a tomato lodged in his mouth.") The year before, Faye broke Lemon City's "Outsider Rule" by wedding Harry, a dubious character with "few roots" whom she met at college. Harry's mysterious death sets the stage for the main story, Faye's campaign to leave Lemon City. She's drawn to the North by the Civil Rights movement and a desire to contribute to her people's advancement. In the end, Faye recognizes the power of dreams and the need to see the world with clear eyes. Agent, Victoria Sanders. (Aug. 3)
Forecast:
With its reader's guide at the back, this uplifting tale is perfect for book groups. Brown's TV connections—she's v-p of special markets at HBO—can't hurt.
July 1, 2004
Faye Dunlap violates the number-one rule of her family and her small town when she marries an outsider, a man she had purposely chosen in college as her ticket out of Lemon City. The tight-knit little town was founded in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia by black folks escaping the virulent racism of the American South. Chief among their chosen survival strategies was keeping to themselves and keeping their young close to home. Anxious to break free of the restraints of Lemon City and taste the new freedoms promised by the black power movement of the 1970s, Faye marries Harry Lee Thompson from New York City. Faye's family smolders with outrage, but Granddaddy Dunlap bribes the opportunistic Harry with the promise of staking him in a new business if the young couple stays in Lemon City. Faye won't be put off and is prepared to leave Harry and Lemon City when Harry turns up dead. The entire family comes under suspicion as they hunker down for Thanksgiving dinner, under house arrest, and ponder who might have dispatched Harry.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)