With the unique blend of truth and humor that made her first novel, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day . . ., a huge bestseller, Pearl Cleage returns with an extraordinary novel that is rich in character, steeped in sisterhood, and bursting with unexpected love . . . and maybe just a little magic.
Depending on the time of day, Regina Burns is a woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown or an overdue breakthrough. One shattered heart and six months of rehab have left her wary and shell-shocked-especially with the prospect of taking a temporary consulting job in Atlanta, a move that would allow Regina to rescue the family home that she borrowed against when she was "a stomp down dope fiend." Her stone-faced banker has grudgingly agreed to give her sixty days to settle her debts or lose the house.
Returning to Atlanta is a big risk. Last time Regina was there, she lost track of who she was and what she wanted. There's a lot of emotional baggage with her new employer, Beth Davis. Can she really forgive Beth for breaking up her wedding plans on New Year's Eve because she just didn't think Regina was good enough to marry her son?
Meanwhile, Regina's visionary Aunt Abbie has told her to be on the lookout for a handsome stranger with "the ocean in his eyes" who has a bone to pick and a promise to keep. Then a blue-eyed brother appears on the streets of Afro-Atlanta wearing a black cashmere overcoat, flashing a dazzling smile, and lending a helping hand when Regina needs it most. But between falling for Blue Hamilton and dealing with Beth, secrets will emerge that will threaten to send her life twisting in surprising new directions.
Like a conversation with a good friend, Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do shares hope, love, and laugher. As always, it is Pearl Cleage's unforgettable characters and her gift for dialogue that will earn this provocative new novel a place in the hearts of her growing family of readers.
From the Hardcover edition.
Industry Reviews
"Pearl Cleage croons a tale of politics-for-hire, community action, and strong men coming on with a voice as smooth and mellow as a jazz standard."
--BEBE MOORE CAMPBELL
Author of "Your Blues Ain't Like Mine" and "Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry"
"Pearl Cleage is one of America's finest young writers. We fall in love with her characters--but maybe 'friends' is a better description--all over again. We laugh and cry [and do] all the things we do when you realize that these may be characters on a page or . . . they could be you. Another triumph for the true black Pearl."
--NIKKI GIOVANNI
"Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do is not only smart, sexy, magical, romantic, funny, nuanced, otherworldly, surprising, scary, and right on time, it's also political. And did I say a fabulous read? Pearl Cleage is historian, archaeologist, realist, lover, and a magnificent storyteller. Instead of offering escape from life, Cleage's words summon the possibility of life's wonders. You will know the women and men who populate her novel--or want to."
--JILL NELSON
"Pearl Cleage is a modern-day Scheherazade. In this novel she weaves gorgeous fantasies of what our lives could be if we all were to provide equal measures of faith and commitment Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do is a tale stitched with magic and embroidered with hope."
--TAYARI JONES
Author of "Leaving Atlanta"
"Nobody writes human drama better than Pearl Cleage. Witty, engaging, tender, and bittersweet, Ms. Cleage writes tales that illuminate the generosity and power of women's souls. In this glorious novel, a good woman rescues herself, rekindles her passion for life and love, and heals a family torn apart bybetrayal and secrets. There's no better 'praise song' to love, living, and the wondrous imperfection of humanity than Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do. Laugh, cry, nod your head in recognition, for Ms. Cleage has captured life on the page."
--JEWELL PARKER RHODES
"With the publication of Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do, Pearl Cleage further solidifies her position as one of America's most engaging and accessible writers. Cleage's work has always been about life, truth-telling, and that spiritual bedrock we call love. Here, as she has done elsewhere, these elements are present, as is Cleage's gift for creating female characters who are complex, whole beings in search of the power within themselves."
--KEVIN POWELL
Author of "Who's Gonna Take the Weight:
Manhood, Race, and Power in America" "From the Hardcover edition."
