Back to Life

Black Issues Book Review, Nov-Dec, 2004 by Felicia Pride

Back to Life by Wendy Coakley-Thompson Dafina Books/Kensington Publishing. Corp. September 2004, $12., ISBN 0-758-20745-X

The notion of Prince Charming is fairy-tale fodder to Lisa Martin, a rightfully bitter 29-year-old on the brink of divorce from a real Jekyll and Hyde. That is, until she encounters Marc Guerrieri, a 40-year-old writer whose regretful chase after the best-seller left his marriage in ruins. If the age difference and unchecked baggage wasn't enough to make this love connection implausible, Marc's Italian ancestry and Lisa's blackness definitely could. Nevertheless, debut novelist Wendy Coakley-Thompson invantively adds another dimension that uncovers the stupidity and strength of racism.

Situated in metropolitan New York circa 1989, amidst the murder of young, black Yusuf Hawkins by a group of Italian teenagers, and David Dinkins's win for mayor, this sociopolitically charged setting transforms into a dynamic character. For readers, remembrances are evoked, tensions are reexperienced and beliefs are reexamined.

Equipped with well-exposed vulnerabilities, Lisa and Marc must navigate this vivid landscape of black and white; love and hate; failure and success; while sustaining a suffocated romance.

Supporting characters--as in any relationship--add fuel to the fire. There is the overbearing mother, the black militant archetype, and the racist, capitalistic figure. Even though these representations may have been seen before, the author manipulates this colorful cast through convincing dialogue, illuminating the prejudices that simmer below the surface.

Unfortunately, at times, the narration is too explicit leaving little room for readers' imaginations. At other times, events seem convenient for the author, but hey, it is understood that in the quintessential romance--the guy always gets the girl. The fun part is rooting for the couple's success. And in the midst of societal events stripped directly from our country's troubled past, the reader hopes that they flourish to prove that love always defeats hate.

Felicia Pride is the founder/editor of BackList (www.thebacklist.net), a publishing and literary newsletter of African-American interest.