Ever come across an author and know that even though you have yet to read a single word he or she has written, that author is destined to become one of your favorites, or least one that you will read again and again? That was what happened when I first heard about Beverly Jenkins. I am mildly embarrassed to admit that up until last year (2016) I had never heard of this African-American woman who writes African-American historical and contemporary romances. The more I learned about her books, the more I thought not only do I need to read these books, I need to own them!
I am a member of a book club called Mocha Girls Read. Every month our club founder announces the theme for the month. Members submit book suggestions based on theme and then we vote and choose a book from the list of suggestions. In February the theme was Beverly Jenkins. (Usually the theme is a genre like mystery, or an area of the world like South America. Having one person be the theme is unusual.) The Beverly Jenkins book that won the most votes was
Bring on the Blessings. For various reasons I didn't get around to reading it until late March. (Luckily my book club welcomes you if you didn't read the book.) Now that I've read my first Beverly Jenkins I can say I was right - this will be an author I return to again and again.
Bring on the Blessings starts with multiple threads and eventually weaves them together. First there is Bernadine Brown. She catches her husband cheating, divorces him, and leaves the courthouse with a bank account somewhere north of $200 million. At first she is content to travel and enjoy her money but knows she knows she was meant to do something more with her life. The second thread follows the plight of Henry Adams, a small town in rural Kansas founded by freed slaves after the Civil War. The town is so broke it put itself up for sale on eBay.
Interspersed between Bernadine's millions and Henry Adams' money problems are five children from across the country who are either homeless or in foster care. Bernadine reads about the town and about a woman who started an intergenerational community that brought foster children and elderly people together. With that Bernadine finds her purpose and starts her own intergenerational community in Henry Adams. The residents in Henry Adams are skeptical at first but few can resist being swept up in her hopeful vision for the future of the town and the children.
When you're in a book club there are a lot of hits and misses in terms of what you end up reading.
Bring on the Blessings was definitely on the hit side of the ledger for me. It wasn't a perfect book by any means. For one thing it is not terribly realistic. Almost every problem is solved with Bernadine pulling out her checkbook and everything happens way too quickly. New houses are immediately constructed without any delays or setbacks. Foster children and the foster parents needed to take care of them are quickly found and they all agree to move to middle of nowhere Kansas. Nevertheless, I am glad my book club picked
Bring on the Blessings. It was heartwarming and sweet in a Hallmark movie sort of way. I love Hallmark movies so this largely worked for me.
What I am really interested in are Ms. Jenkins historical romances. From what I understand she mostly writes African-American romances set in the 19th century. This is something I haven't seen too often and am eagerly looking forward to.
"Lydia is dead. But they don't know this yet." That is how Everything I Never Told You begins. Lydia is the 16-year-old daughter of James and Marilyn Lee. Of their three children, Lydia is the favorite, a fact that her older brother Nath and younger sister Hannah are reminded of constantly. For her part Lydia would gladly share the spotlight with her siblings. Being the favored child means carrying all her parents hopes and dreams on her shoulders: her mother Marilyn's burning desire to become a doctor and her father's wish to fit in.