 Mainstream Fiction |
THROUGH THICK AND THIN Leslie E. Banks Pocket Books March 2003 (4) Nathasha Brooks-Harris |
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PLOT SYNOPSIS: |
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Encouraged by her sisters--but not by her husband Kenny--Maxine enrolls in a writing class and finds herself making a deep connection with her writing instructor. |
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REVIEW: |
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It was quite a wait, but finally, the second SOUL FOOD novel for the popular cable series, has been published. This time, the storyline focuses on Maxine, the "knee baby" of the Joseph sisters.
Maxine, who's always thought of as the most grounded sister, is fed up, tired and bored. She is through with her husband Kenny. Kenny, though he is a hard-working man, a great provider and an even better father, has his life all mapped out for himself. He is a successful entrepreneur and has a loving wife and family. He even knows that he will get the Wednesday night special (a long bath, a home-cooked meal and a night replete with hot lovemaking)--all courtesy of Maxine. But she begins to see something wrong with that picture--all of the amenities are being bestowed on Kenny and by the time she's done, she's exhausted.
See, Maxine is upset because her day begins before dawn because she is getting Kenny and her children ready for their day so they can do something productive, but there's nothing left for her. If she is given a fleeting moment of anything other than Kenny, her children or housework or running their errands, she is too tired to enjoy them.
So one day, she says enough is enough and she announces that she has found that one thing to make her feel worthwhile and productive: a six-week writing class with famed author, Paul Gotier. She mentions it to Kenny and he has a fit because her taking that class would upset his precious Wednesday night ritual and he's not having it.
Arguments ensue and he refuses to relent. She won't give in either. In fact, she decides to go on strike and she follows through on her threats.
Maxine doesn't make Kenny's coffee before day anymore and she refuse to cook, clean or have sex with him. She lets him get a taste of how important her work is and how it will impact everyone if she doesn't do it. She's unhappy and feels unappreciated because Lenny refuses to realize that she needs something other than kids and housework to sustain her.
Kenny forbids her to tale the workshop and she sees red. Anyone who knows Maxine knows that you don't forbid her to do anything. That makes her all the more determined to achieve her goal. She enlists the help of her sisters-- Bird and Terry--and she buys a laptop.
With their help, the laptop, and some newfound hours of peace in which she no longer runs everyone's errands, does housework or cooks, she sits and writes. She writes around-the clock and Kenny gets angrier each time he sees her writing. He goes to the stove and finds that the pots are empty, so he really gets ticked off.
By the time the first class rolls around, Maxine has a first draft done. She is determined that she will leave a legacy for Ahmad and Kelly in the form of a book telling them how life used to be for the Joseph clan back in the day.
That class changes her life because she feels something she hasn't felt in a long time--sexually excited. Paul Gotier is a tall, dark and handsome Caribbean man who's just as talented as he is fine. And her body reacts shamefully. As angry as she is with Kenny, Maxine refuses to let temptation overtake her. So she concentrates on working with Paul professionally.
Leslie Banks, aka Leslie Esdaile, does a wonderful job telling Maxine's story. It is impressive how well she understood Maxine's character and all of its nuances so she could tell this incredible story. It's as if she created the character herself because she got even the most minute aspects about this very complex character right.
This is a fantastic story of what can happen in what are considered the best of marriages. The kind of problem Ms. Banks depicts is one that can happen to anyone at anytime and is one that she added a slightly different twist to giving it that Banks stamp of creativity. The storyline was believable, interesting and was so fast-paced that readers will be sure to keep turning the pages. In fact, Maxine's story couldn't have been better told because it has humor, pathos, romance, wisdom and an array of other elements laced throughout this tale.
The only other thing to be said is to go to your favorite bookstore and pick this one up. It's a fast, easy and fun read and is perfect for those lazy days of vacation or beach reading.
However, this book begs another question: how quickly can we expect the third book of the series--Terry's story? It is at that point that we will really see what Ms. Banks is made of literarily because Terry is a very complex character--rife with psychological issues. Pardon the pun, but she'll have a lot to chew on when writing her story.
In retrospect, this SOUL FOOD book is every bit as good as the first one--if not better. It's well-written and is the perfect choice for any readers desiring a good, down-to-earth read. |
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nathasha@romanceincolor.com (3rd August 2003) |
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