Fans of Tina McElroy Ansa have waited many years for the next installment in the story of Mulberry's Lovejoy sisters following the death of their overbearing, but memorable, mother.

You may wonder what would propel continued interest in the lives of these characters? After all, Mudear (the mother, Esther Lovejoy) died in the first novel (“Ugly Ways,”initially published in 1993). To answer that question, you would need to have discussed and identified with one (or more) of the Lovejoy daughters, or recognized and empathized with the survival techniques each young girl used to overcome their childhood traumas. A heated discussion of these topics drove book club discussions ‘back in the day’ and authors like Ansa propelled the heyday of African American publishing and general acceptance of other authors works whose characters reflected the African American experience.

In my literary circles, interest in these characters has never waned, though publishers seem to believe otherwise. So, we have been forced to wait far too long to see whether the family survived. It was well worth the wait.

Ansa seems to know these characters so well the story picks up right where the last one left off. She continues to reveal her talent for writing in the voice of each character, devoting each of them separate chapters and she delves into their personalities in depth in each one. There is a reason Mudear returns to influence their lives, and reading this new book will make you understand her need to be involved and the family’s need to ultimately separate themselves from her influence. Supernatural and superstitions play a large part in the story, so keep an open mind to the fantastical events and motivations that drive the story.

I bought my copy (only available as a first edition paperback) directly from the author to support her effort to self-publish (via DownSouth Press). The writing was wonderful, but there seemed to be some problem with the typeset which had large gaps between some letters and words that interrupted the flow when reading it. This seemed to occur only early in the book, so about midway through the book, the story easily becomes your primary focus.

I still love the Lovejoys and will continue to speculate on their lives. Don’t miss the opportunity to read the next installment. There are no gaps in the story and you will smile as you turn the final page of this latest installment. ( )