I enjoy discovering new authors and Ernessa T. Carter is definitely a new one to watch! Her first book, 32 Candles was a treat for me, perhaps because the main character Davidia Jones is from a small town in Mississippi and grew up loving the John Hughes films created in the 1980's. The book title is a play on Sixteen Candles, one of Davidia's favorite movies, that has the storybook "Molly Ringwald-happy-ending" where the misfit girl wins the heart of the popular rich boy. Davidia idolized Sixteen Candles because she grew up being physically and mentally abused by her single mom, a prostitute in small-town Glass, MS. Davidia was always an outcast in high school but her troubles worsen when the Farrell family moves into town. The Farrell's own Farrell Fine Hair, the hair products plant that employs the majority of the residents of Glass. Davidia immediately falls in love with James, the oldest kid in the family and the one in line to inherit the Farrell Fine Hair plant when Mr. Farrell retires. Davidia is dealing with her crush until her mom starts having an affair with James's dad, soon to be a congressman. Victoria and Tammy, James' siblings immediately begin an intense hate campaign against Davidia which results in her running away to CA where she bcomes a singer in a 1940's-style nightclub. Davidia begins a new life, until people from her past begin to crop up and she must learn how to forgive and forget--or exact revenge? The book is a great story of discovery and growing up, written by a new African-American author, and Davidia is a delightful character. The reader learns to live along with Davidia and the experience is a wonderful thing to witness. Both the Mississippi and California settings are portrayed authentically and the reader delves into the world of nightclub singing along with Davidia. Ernessa T. Carter has worked as an ESL Teacher in Japan, a music journalist in Pittsburg, a payroll administrator in Burbank and a radio writer for American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest in Hollywood. She is also a retired member of the L.A. Derby Dolls roller derby league and graduated from Smith College and Carnegie Mellon University's MFA program. For more information on Carter, read her blog at http://www.32candles.com/.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
32 Candles
I enjoy discovering new authors and Ernessa T. Carter is definitely a new one to watch! Her first book, 32 Candles was a treat for me, perhaps because the main character Davidia Jones is from a small town in Mississippi and grew up loving the John Hughes films created in the 1980's. The book title is a play on Sixteen Candles, one of Davidia's favorite movies, that has the storybook "Molly Ringwald-happy-ending" where the misfit girl wins the heart of the popular rich boy. Davidia idolized Sixteen Candles because she grew up being physically and mentally abused by her single mom, a prostitute in small-town Glass, MS. Davidia was always an outcast in high school but her troubles worsen when the Farrell family moves into town. The Farrell's own Farrell Fine Hair, the hair products plant that employs the majority of the residents of Glass. Davidia immediately falls in love with James, the oldest kid in the family and the one in line to inherit the Farrell Fine Hair plant when Mr. Farrell retires. Davidia is dealing with her crush until her mom starts having an affair with James's dad, soon to be a congressman. Victoria and Tammy, James' siblings immediately begin an intense hate campaign against Davidia which results in her running away to CA where she bcomes a singer in a 1940's-style nightclub. Davidia begins a new life, until people from her past begin to crop up and she must learn how to forgive and forget--or exact revenge? The book is a great story of discovery and growing up, written by a new African-American author, and Davidia is a delightful character. The reader learns to live along with Davidia and the experience is a wonderful thing to witness. Both the Mississippi and California settings are portrayed authentically and the reader delves into the world of nightclub singing along with Davidia. Ernessa T. Carter has worked as an ESL Teacher in Japan, a music journalist in Pittsburg, a payroll administrator in Burbank and a radio writer for American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest in Hollywood. She is also a retired member of the L.A. Derby Dolls roller derby league and graduated from Smith College and Carnegie Mellon University's MFA program. For more information on Carter, read her blog at http://www.32candles.com/.
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1 comment:
Wow! Thanks for the review. I especially love when fellow SIXTEEN CANDLES lovers review the book. You don't have to be a fan to enjoy the book, but I think it definitely, definitely helps.
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