 |
The Neighborhood is a love story about a changing neighborhood. When a family of color moves into an all-white neighborhood in 1973, some residents brand the newcomers pariahs. The neighborhood convulses and spasms of violence erupt. Rather than run or fight, Makayla, the new family's matriarch, her son Elvin Jr., and her daughter-in-law Shirley are determined to put their "best food forward”—inviting neighbors to parties that feature the family’s favorite dishes. The neighbors include the Kelly, Derico and Welles families, all of whose reactions traverse emotional arcs from contempt to confusion to grudging acceptance to love. Family members seek, find, and lose love; some are in trouble with the law; some die; all change and grow over time. Each character has his or her own unique reaction and response, as a neighborhood struggles to adapt, change and grow.
|
A gripping tale about life in the late 60s and early 70s. I felt some feelings of nostalgia for a time when kids were free to roam around the neighborhood with friends. But the novel was also an emotional tale of the intersection of different families from the neighborhood. It shows how our interactions with others can influence the outcome of others’ lives. It demonstrates, “Be the change you want to see” - Gandhi. In reading "The Neighborhood", we share in the neighborhood families' joys, losses, and traumas and see how they are transformed through their experiences. I was truly engrossed in this novel and would definitely recommend it. -Helen P., Amazon Reviewer |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Noir Mystery |
 |
 |
 |
|
Nonfiction |
A Novel Biography |