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Title: The Queen of Harlem by Brian Keith Jackson ISBN: 0-7679-0839-2 Publisher: Harlem Moon Pub. Date: 08 April, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.12 (26 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: What Is It I Want, What Is It I Need?
Comment: Carmen, The Queen of Harlem or so she believed, is looking for a border and Mason, a.k.a. Malik is it. Why does Malik remind Carmen of herself? Who is Malik, who is Carmen? These are the questions that are explored in The Queen of Harlem. While the synopsis alludes to Mason living on the other side, we get a glimpse of Carmen and who she is, which is just as intriguing. The conclusion is unexpected and exciting as well.
Mason is the son of a rich Southern family and before he heads to law school on the West Coast he chooses to live in New York City among the brothers and Harlem's resurrection. Jackson effectively terms this behavior, "blacks blending". Mason/Malik was a lost soul that lived, as others wanted him to live his entire life. Enter Mason's parents, especially his mother, and you understood Mason. Mother discovered some issues within herself that effected Mason and his decision. We learn of Mason's childhood and his understanding that he no longer wanted to be the "only one", "the black guy".
Told in first person and highlighted in journal form, Brian Keith Jackson's novel gives the reader plenty of food for thought through his masterful use of the English language. When Malik explains to Carmen his reasoning for moving to New York her thought is "bravery implies a choice". The following statement put the entire situation of Malik into perspective: "This city is a peculiarity, a place where chameleons do as they do; a veritable island of strangers hoping to become less so as they scurry to get where they have imagined they should be; a place where even a spiderweb can appear beautiful with the right light reflecting upon it, but what light is reflecting on me?"
Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves
Rating: 5
Summary: All hail the queen
Comment: Mason Randolph has always been known as "the black guy." He grew up in an environment in Louisiana where he could easily be identified by this nomer. Determined to experience the black experience in all of its glory, he heads to Harlem where he reinvents himself as Malik, an around the way boy. He boards with socialite Carmen England, a woman who seemingly knows all the right people. Continuing his facade with the friends he makes and with Carmen, he is forced to make a decision about who he is when he meets Kyra, the daughter of a well-to-do family.
Brian Keith Jackson unravels Mason's story through admirable prose. The Queen of Harlem is embedded with lessons about finding oneself and about the masks people sometimes hide behind. This is a worthy addition to any fiction lover's reading list.
Reviewed by CandaceK
Rating: 4
Summary: Interesting
Comment: This was a book that was assigned by my book club, a book I probably never would have picked up otherwise. The plot sounded good enough...and it didn't disappoint.
The story was a short & sweet read, which worked. The only thing I would have added was a bit more description and experiences from the Harlem side of life. It would have been funny to have him move there & have to learn the lingo, the way of life. Instead, the person that he chose to live with had a background similar to his. I don't think the character really experienced what he set out to do.
It was a good book though. I'd recommend it. Ending was a good as well!
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Title: A Little Piece of Sky by Nicole Bailey-Williams ISBN: 0767912160 Publisher: Harlem Moon Pub. Date: 08 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Walking Through Mirrors by Brian Keith Jackson ISBN: 0671568949 Publisher: Washington Square Press Pub. Date: 01 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do by Pearl Cleage ISBN: 0345456068 Publisher: One World Pub. Date: 26 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: The View from Here by Brian Keith Jackson ISBN: 0671568957 Publisher: Pocket Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 1997 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: One Day I Saw a Black King by J.D. Mason ISBN: 0312301545 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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