Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Where's the passion?, 15 Mar 2002
By A Customer
Breena Clarke's portrayal of a family living in 1920s Washington teetered on the edge of being really very interesting, however her style of writing is so bland and wan that we don't venture into truly creative writing. Rather oddly, some of the potential high points in the lives of the characters were summed up in a few paragraphs, whilst mundane events seemed to take centre stage. I very much wanted to root for Johnnie-Mae, but couldn't empathise with the character. It's more Mills & Boon than Toni Morrison.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Great storytelling,filled with wisdom., 26 Aug 1999
By A Customer
Enjoyed this book, well worth the time. Breena Clarke is an excellent storyteller. "River" is filled with wisdom sayings and reflections on cultural traditions of Blacks from the South. Those insights reflect research done within Breena's family/the kind of listening research that many Blacks fail to do with the elders in their clans. The story of Johnnie Mae is a powerful one with lessons for young and old. I recommend teachers consider this for class assignments. This book will take off with reading clubs.
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Absolutely a brilliant read, couldn't put it down., 18 Aug 1999
By A Customer
This was set in Georgetown, Washington DC and even though I'm not even from the US I'd spent time there and this book caught my eye. A wonderfully told tale about how how family and friends react to the death of a young child. Great first novel.
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