THE PARTY
Making her first foray into urban literature, Saundra Harris introduces us to five life-long friends: Benet, a homemaker and wife to a successful engineer; Diandra, a salon owner; Kendra, a self-described computer geek; Shaeyla, an event planner and organizer, and Worthy, an under-employed single mother. Ms. Harris takes us through a year in the lives of these five women, as they intertwine and intersect with each other, sometimes not so easily, tracing their adventures with romance, family, work, and empowerment.
The book begins in media res, ‘in the middle of’, and is told through a continuous flashback. Although the flashback is initially described as that of the ‘main’ character, Shae, it soon becomes clear that each woman stands on her own, and that the main character is actually the bond of friendship between the five women. Shae comes to terms with her ideas of what she thinks she wants, and what fate (and faith) have in store for her. Diandra eventually comes to see the rock that she keeps tripping over is the gem she’s been looking for all of her life. Kendra finds the strength to accept the happiness she’s been preparing herself for, with confidence. Benet takes time to revisit the dreams she had in her youth, with heart-wrenching consequences. Worthy, the most ironically named of the five, must explore her pain at its deepest, in order to begin healing from it. The author manages to weave a credible story that keeps the friendship of these women front and center, and deservedly, the main character.
A novel, even a full-length one, can be very difficult to navigate with so many characters. Although the characters are each separated by a chapter, I found myself turning to the back cover where the author had thankfully provided a brief synopsis of each character. Books with multiple protagonists often run the risk of getting jumbled, and storylines either left withering, or tied up too neatly. The author has avoided this problem by providing interim solutions, which can either be left as they are, or, [and more likely] explored in a sequel. For the most part, I found the book to flow smoothly, although I found some of the characters’ words and reactions at odds with their narratives. Similarly, I found the emphasis on designer labels as an avenue of description somewhat distracting, and it often left me wondering about the characters’ motivations. Although this was present throughout the book, it was only a minor detail, and did not interrupt the progression of the novel. As a reader, I have often found urban literature to be somewhat harsh and graphic, and I am happy to report that while the novel did incorporate some of these elements, it was not to the overall detriment of the book.
The author has clearly considered the direction of her novel, and seems to have arrived at a conclusion, and dedicated time to developing a story around that, resulting in a well-planned novel. She has clearly left places for further illumination and clarification, which any reader, being introduced to the characters initially, will want, in order to make the experience more complete. In my opinion, the author has successfully combined 5 disparate lives into one coherent story line, and leaves me in anticipation of the sequel.
The Party
Saundra E. Harris
Saphari Books
$15.95
ISBN 0-9745486-0-X
317 pp
Reviewed by Angela Hailey, Sableskin@yahoo.com
Black Butterfly Review