In the Face of the Sun

 “In the Face of the Sun” by Denny S. Bryce   320 pages  

Denny S. Bryce hits another one out of the park with her second novel, “In the Face of the Sun.” She returns to the 1920s for one of her two timelines, but juxtaposes it with a 1968 road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.  

In 1928 Los Angeles, Daisy Washington is a young woman who has dreams of becoming a journalist, writing for Black-owned papers. Mostly she collects gossip for Harry Belmont’s column in the “California Eagle” she gleans from the rich and famous Blacks who are checking into the new Hotel Somerville where she and her sister work as chambermaids... From Bryce’s descriptions the hotel is stylish and glamorous. Daisy is excited that gets to meet Stepin Fetchit, the comedian, one of the first Black actors to make it big in Hollywood. But even more, Daisy is over the moon to see W.E.B. Du Bois as he and a bevy of Hollywood elite arrive. Du Bois has arranged to hold the NAACP’s annual meeting at the Somerville.  

Then the narrative shifts to 1968 Chicago. Daisy’s niece Francine (aka Frankie) has learned that she is about eight weeks pregnant with her abusive husband, Jackson. For the baby’s sake, and hers, Frankie has decided to leave him. As she is headed to the bus station, Daisy pulls up and talks her into going to Los Angeles with her. Since they will be driving, Jackson will never be able to catch up with her and force her to return. The two take off for a Thelma and Louise road-trip along Route 66. Daisy isn’t being nice; she has some business in LA and wouldn’t mind the company.  

The 1928 timeline was well-researched. I felt as if I were there.  In the 1968 timeline, there were more twists that made the road trip dangerous. 

A third plot line that weaves between the two narratives is Daisy and her sister, Henrietta. They were very close, but a tragedy forced them to not speak for over forty years. Bryce is excellent at spooling out bits of information about this subplot as the roared toward a conclusion. 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed “In the Face of the Sun.”  This sophomore novel receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Porcupine Of Truth

The Porcupine Of Truth by Bill Konigsberg, 325 pages

Carson is spending the summer in Billings, MT to be with his dying dad who he hasn’t seen since he was three.  Carson and his mom live in New York City and his mom left his alcoholic dad but is back to take care of him.  Billings is nothing like New York and Carson is sure that it will be the worst summer ever until he meets Aisha.  Aisha is hot, but she’s also an African-American lesbian who’s been kicked out of her home by her Christian dad.  Carson and Aisha manage to find a way to have an epic adventure and learn a few things along the way.  This was an awesome book that I think a lot of teens would like.

In the Company of Educated Men

 In the Company of Educated Men by Leonce Gaiter      177 pages

Back in 2005, I reviewed Leonce Gaiter’s Bourbon Street, a literary noir about the darker side of New Orleans’ most infamous street. Back then, I wrote of Gaiter’s debut novel, “Oh that voice trumpets loud and long of a new talent surfacing in the literary world.”

Somewhere along the way, I missed a 2011 historical fiction novel that he wrote. Now, a decade after Bourbon Street, he’s back with a wonderful thriller that left me gasping—at one point I was so loud that I woke hubby up---in another room. There are so many twists and turns that I was breathless by the end of this quick-read.

Let’s start with the cover. It’s subtle. On first appearance, I thought I knew how this tale would unfold…boy was I wrong! I love to be wrong in areas like this. I’ve seen this abandoned/or almost abandoned gas station in many places across the United States.

I can’t talk too much about the plot…don’t want to give anything away and spoiler for other readers. It’s ultimately about a very long road trip and what happens to the three friends.

The story open with the Harvard graduation of three best friends: Lennie, Paul, and Louisa. Lennie is the alpha figure. Rich and in no need or hurry to find a job, he talks Paul and Louisa into an extended road trip. They head south and see poverty like they’ve never witnessed it. While disturbing, they move on. The trio winds itself back up and into Oklahoma where the novel explodes off the pages. I really can’t go any further. It’s too great of a ride to take the chance on spoiling it for anyone.

I can talk about the novel’s timeframe. Graduation and ninety percent of the action takes place in 1980. Then the story jumps ten years with Lennie’s trying so hard to understand what happened, how it happened, and was he responsible. Then, in the last paragraph, it jumps thirty years.

I can talk about the writing and the voice. Gaiter has a gift. The action is ebbs and flows right on cue and explodes when the reader expects it. He paint wonderful pictures of the characters and the landscape. I felt as if I was in the car with the trio.

Put this one on your MUST read list!