#IReadsYou Book Review: ON THE CORNER OF HOPE AND MAIN

ON THE CORNER OF HOPE AND MAIN (A Blessings Novel)
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Beverly Jenkins – @authorMsBev
ISBN: 978-0-06-269928-2; paperback (March 3, 2020)
304pp, B&W, $15.99 U.S., $19.99 CAN

[On the Corner of Hope and Main is available in a trade paperback edition and a “hardcover library edition.”  This review is of the paperback.]

On the Corner of Hope and Main is a new novel from bestselling author, Beverly Jenkins.  This is the tenth novel in Jenkins' “Blessings” series (following 2018's Second Time Sweeter).  Set in the fictional small town of Henry Adams, Kansas, the book follows the lives of its citizens who never know a dull moment in their historic little town.  On the Corner of Hope and Main finds Henry Adams caught up in a mayoral election, while a former trickster returns with new tricks.

On the Corner of Hope and Main opens with Trent July, mayor of Henry Adams for the past four years, ready to stop being mayor, so it's time for a new mayoral election!  Right from the beginning, two slightly unsavory candidates throw their hats into the ring, including the town's perennial pariah, Riley Curry.  Barrett Payne, a former Marine who directs the town's security infrastructure, decides he wants the job.  When a surprise candidate also enters the ring, however, Barrett is shocked, offended, and thrown for that proverbial old loop that shakes him down to the core of his being.

While the town has opinions on who would be the best candidate, Leo Brown, the ex-husband of Henry Adams' owner and savior, Bernadine Brown, is back in town... with a new scheme.  He hopes to make inroads with his new employer, Mega Seed; gain some closure with his former employer, Salem Oil; and get a measure of revenge against his ex.

The election and Leo Brown's schemes are not the only drama in town.  Malachi “Mal” July continues to make reparations for the damage he has caused and to the people he has betrayed, but his biggest reclamation project will be restoring some kind of relationship with the love of his life, Bernadine.  Is she finally ready to forgive him and let the past go?  It will be a blessing if she does.

THE LOWDOWN:  I had heard of author Beverly Jenkins, but had never read her work until I read her 2016 novel, Stepping to a New Day (the seventh “Blessings” novel).  I immediately fell in love with the characters and with the town of Henry Adams, the kind of small town that Norman Rockwell or Walt Disney could have loved.  Unlike a Disney small town idyll, however, Henry Adams has a diverse, but predominately African-American population and was founded by freed slaves.

On the Corner of Hope and Main is the fifth Blessings novel that I have read.  I've read the previous three novels, and last year, I went back and read the first book in the series, Bring on the Blessings.  Although On the Corner of Hope and Main has a few dark moments, it is radiant, hopeful, and positive, a sharp contrast to 2018's Second Time Sweeter, which I found to be a very dark, but hugely enjoyable read.  I think the new novel also encapsulates author Beverly Jenkins' theme of “blessings.”

Jenkins' characters in this series can work toward, gain, and find blessings if they deal honestly with other people and especially with themselves.  In the “Blessings” series, a blessing isn't just getting some material satisfaction, nor is it always manifested physically.  A blessing can be spiritual and mental, or it can be a personal enrichment that comes indirectly to a character when his or her family, friends, co-workers, etc. directly get a blessing.

Invariably, characters who embrace wickedness and selfishness and those who trade in hubris win curses instead of blessings, sometimes with devastating, even tragic consequences.  When one cannot love others as one loves oneself, what seems like a blessing will eventually turn out to be a disaster... or even a curse.

The struggle between getting what you want with good intentions and getting what you want at the expense of others is a winning formula for storytelling.  That is because the struggle is played out by the vibrant characters that Beverly Jenkins creates.  The good, the naughty, and the just-plain-bad are the kind of great characters that everyone says a successful novel needs.  There are no duplicate characters in Jenkins' “Blessings” novels.  Each character is unique, and no matter where he or she measures on the hero-villain or protagonist-antagonist scale, you will love reading about that character even when you can't exactly love the character.  These characters have literary depth and weight because Jenkins has fitted them (each and every one) with wants, needs, fears, and motivations.

On the Corner of Hope and Main exemplifies that.  I wanted to know more about what was happening in the lives of every character and player, even the ones that only appeared in a scene or two.  There may be no better small town in modern fiction than Henry Adams, Kansas.  If you need a good book to get you through this crazy time, you will find it On the Corner of Hope and Main.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Beverly Jenkins and of stories set in wonderful small towns will want On the Corner of Hope and Main.

10 out of 10

The paperback edition of On the Corner of Hope and Main contains the following William Morrow “P.S. Insights, Interviews & More...” extras:

1. About the author:  “Meet Beverly Jenkins”

2. About the book:  “Author's Note” and “Book Club Discussion”

https://twitter.com/WmMorrowBooks
https://www.facebook.com/WilliamMorrowBooks
https://twitter.com/HarperCollins
https://www.harpercollins.com/


Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and  syndication rights and fees.


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Book Review: BRING ON THE BLESSINGS (Blessings #1)

BRING ON THE BLESSINGS (A Blessings Novel)
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins; @WmMorrowBks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Beverly Jenkins – @authorMsBev
ISBN: 978-0-06-168840-9; paperback (January 27, 2009)
384pp, B&W, $13.99 U.S., $17.50 CAN

Bring on the Blessings is a 2009 novel from bestselling author, Beverly Jenkins.  It was the first novel in what became known as Jenkins' “Blessings” novel series.  Bring on the Blessings introduces the fictional small town of Henry Adams, Kansas, which is largely the setting of all the following “Blessings,” books, including the recent (as of this writing) ninth novel in the series, Second Time Sweeter (2018).  Henry Adams is a fictional town established by freed slaves after the Civil War.  [Henry Adams is based on a real town founded by freed slaves, Nicodemus, Kansas.]

Bring on the Blessings introduces Bernadine Edwards Brown.  Two days after her thirtieth wedding anniversary and a day before her fifty-second birthday, she walks into her husband, Leo's office and finds him having sex with his secretary on top his desk.  One divorce later, she ends up with a $275 million dollar settlement.  Having been raised in the church, Bernadine believes that when much is given, much is expected, so she asks God to send her a purpose.

That purpose turns out to be a town: Henry Adams, Kansas, one of the last surviving townships founded by freed slaves after the Civil War.  The town is failing and has put itself up for sale on the Internet, so Bernadine buys it.  To the town's mayor, Trent July, Bernadine Brown is a savior.  After he meets Bernadine, Trent is even impressed by her vision and strength, and especially the hope she wants to offer to the town and its few remaining residents.  Bernadine also wants to offer hope to a handful of foster kids in desperate need of a second chance, changing their lives and the lives of the people who will become their foster parents.

But not everyone is down with Bernadine Brown and her vision for a promising future.  There will be bumps along the road – for her, for the residents, both old and new, and for the children.  In Henry Adams, Kansas, there is never a dull day.

As I have written in previous reviews, I had heard of author Beverly Jenkins, but had never read her work.  Then, I received a review copy of her 2016 novel, Stepping to a New Day (the seventh “Blessings” novel).  I immediately fell in love with the characters and with the town of Henry Adams.  I went on to read Chasing Down a Dream (2017 – #8) and Second Time Sweeter (2018 – #9).

Over a few exchanged tweets, Jenkins suggested that I go back to the beginning and read the series in order.  I was able to squeeze in the first “Blessings” book, Bring on the Blessings.  It was worth setting aside time to read this book, which I really love, and it may be my favorite.  That is difficult for me to decide because I have thoroughly enjoyed all the “Blessings” books that I have thus far read, especially Second Time Sweeter, which has some dark and edgy moments, belying its title.

Jenkins is an excellent character writer, creating a cast that the reader wants to know intimately.  I am exciting about all of the characters, even the detestable Riley Curry, and I must say that even the ill-fated Morton Prell is worthy of his own story.  I think that people who like Jenkins' books can't wait to get back to the characters, which is the case with me, dear readers.

Bring on the Blessings isn't all cozy and comfort.  Jenkins depicts the suffering of abandoned and abused children in stark terms.  My late aunt and uncle were foster parents to numerous children, and one of the many things that Jenkins gets right is the horrid situations from which many children in foster care came.  Even when foster children are placed in better situations, a whim or act of fate can threaten whatever good fortune... or blessings they found.  Jenkins is known as a romance writer, but readers should not underestimate the sense of verisimilitude that permeates her novels when it comes to depicting real-world dilemmas.

Bring on the Blessings is one of the best novels that I have read this past decade.  If the books that come after this first novel also keep it real, I say bring on more “Blessings.”

10 out of 10

http://www.beverlyjenkins.net/web/

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: SECOND TIME SWEETER

SECOND TIME SWEETER (A Blessings Novel)
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins; @WmMorrowBks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Beverly Jenkins – @authorMsBev
ISBN: 978-0-06-284617-4; hardcover (August 28, 2018)
302pp, B&W, $19.99 U.S., $24.99 CAN

Second Time Sweeter is a new novel from bestselling author, Beverly Jenkins.  This is the ninth novel in Jenkins' “Blessings” series (following 2017's Chasing Down a Dream).  Set in the fictional small town of Henry Adams, Second Time Sweeter focuses on a too-proud man seeking forgiveness and redemption and a single-father hoping that he can get a second chance with an old high school flame.

In Henry Adams, Kansas, there is never a dull day, especially when someone is trying to resolve events that occurred when we last visited our friends in Henry Adams.  Malachi “Mal” July betrayed the town by stealing $70,000 (and promptly losing it in an investment scheme) and also the woman he loves, Bernadine Brown, the owner of Henry Adams.  Now, Bernadine has dumped Mal and refuses to talk to him, and Mal's son, Trent, is both furious and hurt as a result of his father's actions.  Even Trent's sons (and Mal's grandsons), Amari and Devon, are disappointed and exasperated with their grandfather.  Mal knows that he needs to make restitution, but he has prideful notions that everyone should simply forgive him and move on from his... indiscretions.  However, the revenge of another woman he spurned will force Mal to reconsider his uppity attitude.

Meanwhile, single-father, Gary Clark, is looking forward to his thirtieth high school reunion.  Although he deeply loves his two daughters, Leah and Tiffany, Gary feels that his life is in a rut.  He hopes a reunion with Elanor “Nori” Price, the high school girlfriend he was forced to give up, will prove that there is still a spark between the two of them.  However, the woman he did end up marrying, his ex-wife, Colleen Ewing, is demanding a reunion of her own.  Is the second time sweeter?  Witness all this and more, plus the arrival of a mob hit-woman...

I had heard of author Beverly Jenkins, but had never read her work until I read her 2016 novel, Stepping to a New Day (the seventh “Blessings” novel).  I immediately fell in love with the characters and with the town of Henry Adams.  Adams is the kind of small town that Norman Rockwell or Walt Disney could have loved.  Unlike a Disney small town idyll, however, Henry Adams has a diverse population.  Henry Adams' predominately African-American population is descended from slaves, freemen, Native American, and assorted rascals

Second Time Sweeter is the third Blessings novel that I have read.  It is also the darkest of the trio, as several characters are confronted by the consequences of their actions and/or by their troubled pasts.  Jenkins also references some violent and troubling incidents from Henry Adams' past that I really do not remember her doing (or doing as much) in Stepping to a New Day or in Chasing Down a Dream (Blessings #8).

But damn, in Second Time Sweeter, every word of the good times, the bad times, and the ugly times is a joy to read.  Jenkins' prose is efficient, but also elegant and is straightforward, but also evocative and emotive.  In articles and courses that try to teach and guide budding authors on writing, creating engaging characters is emphasized.  Jenkins offers the most lovable protagonists and the most engrossing antagonists.  Jenkins captivates her readers with good guys and gals and bad folks alike, as always, especially in Second Time Sweeter.

Beverly Jenkins is a fantastic teller of tales of the heart.  I recommend her novels without hesitation, and Second Time Sweeter is a sweet read times three.  If Ms. Jenkins stopped writing “Blessings” novels, I might have to act like that crazy-ass woman in Stephen King's Misery.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: CHASING DOWN A DREAM

CHASING DOWN A DREAM
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins; @WmMorrowBks

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

AUTHOR: Beverly Jenkins – @authorMsBev
ISBN: 978-0-06-241265-2; paperback (July 4, 2017)
336pp, B&W, $14.99 U.S., $18.50 CAN

Chasing Down a Dream is a 2017 novel from bestselling author, Beverly Jenkins.  A William Morrow paperback original, this is the eighth novel in Jenkins' “Blessings” series (following 2016's Stepping to a New Day).  Set in the fictional small town of Henry Adams, Chasing Down a Dream welcomes two newcomer children, finds a prodigal son leaving town in a huff, a sudden family gathering, a death in two families, and a wedding.

In Henry Adams, Kansas, there is never a dull day, even if you are just passing through.  Ten-year-old Lucas Herman and his sister, 8-year-old Jasmine “Jaz” Herman, are passing through Henry Adams, on the way to their new home after the death of both their parents.  Tragedy strikes again, and single-grandmother, Gemma Dahl, finds Lucas and Jaz walking on the side of the road.  She takes them home and eventually hopes to be a foster parent to the orphaned children, taking care of them along with her grandson, Wyatt, the child of her daughter who died in Afghanistan while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.  However, the Kansas Department of Social Services may put an end to that dream, which will then put Lucas and Jaz into a dangerous situation.

Meanwhile, Tamar July, Henry Adams' town matriarch, is having strange dreams, filled with symbols and spirit totems related to her African and Native American ancestry.  Is someone in the family going to die?  Well, Tamar could just die when her despised cousin, Eula Nance, shows up needing a place to stay and bearing terrible news.

In the midst of that drama, college professor Jack James and his girlfriend, Rochelle “Rocky” Dancer, are planning their wedding, but even they have issues.  Rocky, co-owner of the local favorite restaurant, the Dog & Cow, clashes with her suddenly obstinate and secretive business partner.  Plus, an irritating relative of Jack's ex-wife shows up to cause trouble.

I had heard of author Beverly Jenkins, but never read her work until 2016.  That is when the marketing department of Jenkins' publisher, William Morrow, offered a copy of Jenkins' 2016 novel, Stepping to a New Day.  I immediately fell in love with the characters and with Henry Adams, the kind of small town that Norman Rockwell or Walt Disney could love.

This year, William Morrow marketing has been acting funny with me, not sending books I request and sending me books about which I have never heard.  I picked up a copy of Chasing Down a Dream from Amazon, and while I did not know if I would like more of Henry Adams, I did expect that at least some of the new novel to appeal to me.

Turns out, every word of it appealed to me.  Like Stepping to a New Day, Chasing Down a Dream, could be one of those holiday movies on Lifetime or Hallmark, but with much better writing and storytelling.  Because Jenkins is African-American and considering the kinds of stories told in the “Blessings” novels, her stories could be compared to the films of Tyler Perry.  The difference is that Jenkins' eschews favorite Perry tropes like crack addiction, incest, and female characters who were raped as teenagers.

The two main themes of Chasing Down a Dream are family and dreams, but both of those are braced on a foundation of love.  Love renews a family (Tamar and Eula), and love can build a family (Gemma and Jack and Rocky).  Love moves dreams into reality, both the metaphysical (Tamar's dream visions) and the professional (town owner's Bernadine Brown's dreams to grow the town and Gemma's dream to better herself professional and personally).

These themes of dreams, family, and love in all shades and types would wither on the story vine if not for Beverly Jenkins' strong character drama and development.  Henry Adams could be just a name on a book cover, but because Jenkins offers strong, characters whose hopes, dreams, and melodrama seem genuine, then Henry Adams stops being just a name on a book.  It becomes a place, the idealization of small town America – so much so that the reader might believe or hope that Henry Adams is real.  And with so many middle American small towns in crisis, it is good to have a Henry Adams.

Previously, I wrote, “It's a wonderful life in Henry Adams, which is kind of like Mayberry, but with Black people.”  The truth is that Beverly Jenkins' characters are just fine without the reader knowing the color of their skin.  They are likable in so many ways that I start to forget that I want to know what color their skin is.  Something I do want you to know:  Chasing Down a Dream is a wonderful book, and yeah, you should be chasing down your own copy, print or digital.

A
9 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You'


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Book Review: Stepping to a New Day

STEPPING TO A NEW DAY
HARPERCOLLINS/William Morrow – @HarperCollins; @WmMorrowBks

AUTHOR: Beverly Jenkins
ISBN: 978-0-06-241263-8; paperback (June 8, 2016)
302pp, B&W, $14.99 U.S., $18.50 CAN

Stepping to a New Day is a 2016 novel from bestselling author, Beverly Jenkins.  A William Morrow paperback original, this is the seventh novel in Jenkins' “Blessings” series.  Set in the fictional small town of Henry Adams, Stepping to a New Day welcomes a newcomer, finds a prodigal son creeping back into town, and witnesses a good-woman-done-wrong find a good man.

In Henry Adams, Kansas, you cannot start over without stirring things up, and that is what Genevieve “Gen” Gibbs has done.  She is a new person with a new attitude, and that irritates her soon-to-be ex-beau, Clay, who prefers the doormat version of Ms. Gibbs.  Gen would like to find someone who appreciates the “new” her; then, Terrence “T.C.” Barbour appears in her life.

T.C. discovers that this tiny Kansas town is so vastly different from his native Oakland, California.  However, helping his divorced nephew, Gary Clark, work through single fatherhood with his two teen daughters, Leah and Tiffany, is just the change T.C. needs.  Driving a limo for the most powerful woman in Henry Adams, Bernadine Brown, brings T.C. into contact with Genevieve.  When the two find themselves connecting, they become the talk of the town, but the return of Gen's ex-husband, Riley Curry, could ruin everything.

I had heard of author Beverly Jenkins, although I had never read her work.  When William Morrow offered a copy of Stepping to a New Day to reviewers, I picked it up because I love stories set in small towns that Norman Rockwell or Walt Disney could love.

Stepping to a New Day could be one of those holiday movie on Lifetime or Hallmark, but with a dash of Tyler Perry.  Why do mention Tyler Perry?  Beverly Jenkins is African-American.  Henry Adams is based upon the small townships founded in Kansas in the 1880s by freed slaves.  The town has African-American, Latino, and White citizens, and some of this novel's subplots resemble melodrama one can find in a Tyler Perry movie.  [See Reverend Paula's trip home.]

It's a wonderful life in Henry Adams, which is kind of like Mayberry with Black people.  The characters in Stepping to a New Day are endearing and the storytelling goes down like comfort food.  A kind of non-denominational Christian God is regularly called upon by many of the characters.  Redemption and forgiveness are served in big bowls.  No, this isn't William Faulkner small town, but prose fiction pot roast can be as enjoyable as great American novel filet mignon.  I can't wait for the next Blessings novel, and I hope to share the good news with you.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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