MINETTA LANE

The Author sent me a copy of his novel to read and review:

After reviewing A. Robert Allen’s first two novels in his Slavery and Beyond series, Failed Moments (see my review of 7/3/2015) and A Wave from Mama (see my review of 8/16/2016), I knew two things: The new story would bring us to the early 1900s and would be totally different from the first two novels. Well, guess what? I was right on the money. His storytelling is still good, but once again I think (that) the prose is a little weak and lacks a certain flamboyance. I know the author is trying to tell the story of the Black Peoples' struggle through the years (in this case, about 40 years after The Civil War), but I’m not completely feeling the empathy thing. Yes, he has me cheering on the sidelines for the downtrodden, but I don’t feel the kind of sadness I felt for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s lovable and long suffering Uncle Tom (that may be a unfair comparison). It’s not there, maybe it’s not supposed to be there. Was it a good story? Yes, but not a memorable one. I think that with his third novel of the series behind him, he has gotten closer to the traits I’m looking for...closer, but still no cigar. Is A. Robert Allen capable of getting to where I think he should be in his next novel? I say he is skilled enough in his storytelling but needs to become a better wordsmith.

The story centers around a tough neighborhood known as The Bend and particularly on Minetta Lane (the most dangerous block in the city) in 1904 NYC. Twenty year old Bodee Rivers arrives at his grandma’s house after the recent passing of his mom. Bodee is a tall and thin shy black man that previously tried out for a Brooklyn Negro League baseball team (he could run like the wind, but couldn’t hit). He hasn’t seen his grandma most of his life, because grandma Juba, and her daughter, Akua (Bodee’s mom), were in a life long conflict (reasons unknown to Bodee). The Neighborhood is a mixture of blacks, bars, whorehouses and a Irish mafia type gang similar to the gang in the 2002 movie, Gangs of New York. The Blacks and the Irish are respectful to Juba, because they believe her to be a female voodoo priest. Juba’s friend in the streets is Blood, who provides the brawn in The Bend. But the Irish gang, The Whyos, have a new recruit by the name of Arlin McFarland from Chicago, who seems to want to make a name for himself. Is he going to cause trouble in The Bend? On page thirteen, grandma Juba takes the newly arrived Bodee on a walking tour of the neighborhood, “Bodee, these houses along here are all whorehouses. Some are connected to the bars, like the one across the street-a place called Tigress. No sign out front, but that the name, trust me. Next door is a mixed bar called Snake Eyes where our local Black folk drink with the Irish gangsters, and the whores from Tigress work the club for customers. Nothing for a twenty-year-old boy. Understand?”

As Bodee looks for a job (on page fifteen), he is met with bigotry as he applies for a lifeguard job on pier six, “I want to apply for the lifeguard job because I swim real well. They say I’m a natural.” The man (white) laughed under his breath. “Hold your thought and wait right here, I’ll be right back.” The man brings two other white men back with him and have a lot of laughs considering Bodee for the job. “After two more minutes of finger-pointing, back-slapping, and general hysteria, one of the men put his hand up and the other two quieted down.” “Thanks for the laugh, you stupid Darkey. Do you think anyone wants your Black ass in this pool? We’d need to drain it after each time you went in-the fancy word is called contamination. That’s what you are, boy, pure and simple. No decent White folk gonna want to go into any water you touched.” The thing is that that kinda thinking went on for a long time, even when I was a boy in the 1950s (I love using that that). So unfair! What were the Whites thinking? Anyway, Bodee just happened to see that job available on a flyer laying in the street. He really wanted a full-time clerk’s job in a office. The streetwise Blood tells Bodee that Snake Eyes (the bar Juba warned him about) needs to hire a numbers man. He says, “They want to hire some kind of clerk. Opens around noon. Ask for Silvy. Tell him I sent you.” Silvy tests Bodee on figures and percentages, which Bodee passes with flying colors. Then he finds out that Silvy also wants him to read him the newspaper (Bodee thinks that Silvy thinks he can’t read). Silvy says, “No boy, I’m the one who don’t read so fast! Takes me all day to read the front page, so this will be our deal-you come in here every day around this time. Take care of the bills and explain the stories to me and I’ll give you a few dollars. Don’t want you in here after four - things change later in the day. Not the kind of place where you want to be. Deal?” “Works for me," said Bodee.

On page 32 (the last page of my review), a very unfortunate incident happened to Bodee: Finished for the day, Bodee rushed out the door, stepping backward as he joked, “Need to go to the Sun to complain about the St. Louis World’s Fair-like everyone else! Bodee backpedaled through the front door, and when he attempted to turn around, he bumped into Arlin McFarland - a new member of the Whyos gang. Bodee’s momentum propelled the Irishman into a lamppost, which struck his back with force.” Readers, I will stop here, because the poop is going to hit the fan. This is where the author’s story ignites. What will happen? You will have to buy your own copy to find out. Did I make this story rousing or what?

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Comment: This should be my last review for this author, because it’s the third review for him. I get so many request from authors all over the world to read and review their books that three reviews for any author is already too much. I have to move on and read other writers, nascent and classic authors alike. Mr. A. Robert Allen, I enjoyed reading your novels...good luck in the future.