Atria, Jan 2005, 15.95, 450 pp. ISBN: 0743497155 Baldwin Hills is the nouveau rich black person's enclave just as Beverly Hills is the white's prestigious addresses in 1989. Maggie Lester Allegro trapped in a bittersweet loveless marriage, drinks and plays cards to ease her emotional pain. Her marriage never had a chance because on her honeymoon, she was pregnant with another man's child. With her husband's assent, she gave the baby up for adoption but the marriage disintegrated anyway. Enter Dorian Moore, a young black stud who she has a one night stand with, a hunk who has women pay him for sex. She never forgets him and when she learns who he really is, she does something drastic. Maggie's husband Lamont is a closet gay and he knew that when he married his wife; he abstained from having gay sex, but when he met Dorian Moore, he fell in love with him. Dorian never wanted that. When Dorian gets killed Lamont breaks down and is institutionalized. When he comes out, he also comes out of the closet and has a second chance at love. Stanley Bennett Clay, author of Diva, has written a characters study about blacks who have it all yet feel they have nothing. Harriet Klausner | ||
Plot & Themes Tone of book? - thoughtful Time/era of story - 1980's-1999 Ethnic/Regional/Religion Internal struggle/realization? Yes Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes Love problems? - gay guy urges Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - none Setting United States Yes The US: - California Writing Style Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |