BRENDA LARNELL'S PICKS
Chief Reviewer
THE DUST BOWL ORPHANS
Suzette D. Harrison
BEFORE I LET GO
Kennedy Ryan
TAKE ONE OF MINE
Keith Thomas Walker
A masterpiece of storytelling that chronicles an African American family’s journey of survival. It’s the fascinating story told through the eyes of two characters (one from the past, one from the present) who are members of the same family. Faith Wilson, 1935 and Zoe Edwards, present day guide us through this “completely hard breaking and unputdownable historical”. The Oklahoma Dust Bowl of 1935 is the starting point. The story is an outstanding example of documented historical research, masterful pacing, and memorable complex characters. READ REVIEW HERE.
The quintessential Contemporary Romance story of 2022. Ms Ryan chronicles the marriage of Josiah (Si) and Yasmen (Yas) through the dual POV technique. Their story is a complex, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking story of a couple going through. They don’t get it right all the time, but with time, help, work, and professional help, they save themselves and their family. It’s a story that reassures us there is hope when love may not be enough. READ REVIEW HERE.
At times, this story took my breath away. Keith Thomas Walker sets this explosive story in the familiar town of Overbrook Meadows, Texas. The story is ripped from today’s headlines of a mass murder committed by a deranged person. Zahra is affected personally by the tragedy, and I her grief, she meets Demon (birth name, David). This meeting will change Zahra’s life forever. As tense and bold as this story is, there is also a romantic aspect that Demon and Zahra experience. It’s a blockbuster of a story checking all the “hashtags” and “thoughts and prayers” that have become a part of our daily lives. Keith Thomas Walker leaves his calling card with this story. READ THE REVIEW HERE.