So, I last week I finished Pearl Cleage’s new book, Till You Hear From Me. I love her books. I love the sense of community all her books pull from. They’re all primarily centered around West End, in Atlanta Georgia. I think I Wish I Had a Red Dress was the first one in this semi-series. I say semi, because although all the books have a lot of same characters, they can easily be read independently and not necessarily in order, but I highly recommend reading them all.

Till You Hear From Me is her most recent novel, and the way she pulls in the events of what’s going on in today’s climate, with Obama and how he became elected and some of the people who helped get him elected is great. The political commentary, without being too political is also very engaging.

The story centers around two main characters, Ida B. (GREAT NAME!), and Wes, the children of two best friends. Wes & Ida B. were on opposite ends of the political fight to get Obama into office, although Ida doesn’t know that about Wes. Ida’s big dream is to work beside President Obama in the White House, and the book is set in the time right after he’s been sworn in.

Ida B.'s father, Reverend Horace Dunbar, is a retired pastor and...GET THIS...one of Jeremiah Wright's (I like when books play off of actual people to support fictional characters) biggest supporters and a good friend of his. Part of the story tells about the civil rights movement, which is great, and also explores the mentality of the "changing of the guard" so to speak between the old leaders as the new leaders emerge. LOVE that vein in the story.

Ida B. has headed home (back to the West End) from D. C. to try to talk to her father.  He's done some seemingly bone-headed, out of character thing that's turned up on Youtube.

Wes is also headed home.  Wes has a way more nefarious purpose for returning home, but a-headed there he is.

The conflict between Wes' horrible aspirations and Ida's more lofty ones is heightened because Ida doesn't even realize she's in a conflict & Wes is seemingly like a wolf in a hen house with no farmer in sight. 

The ONLY thing I didn't like too much about this book is the ending. I'm big on endings.  That is to say, I don't like them.  I don't like everything wrapped up in a nice neat little bow.  I once read something that said that the worst thing a writer can do is to take away the responsibility of it's readers to interpret in their own way, what the message of the book/story is.  I don't like it when the bow on the story is so tight it's pulling it's edges in.  I may be alone in this, but that's how I feel.  Till You Hear from Me isn't collapsing in on itself, but there's a bow there.

All that being said.  I highly recommend this book.  I also highly recommend this author.  I may go back and read and review her others.  Have a good day.