Crossing the Line

by Laura Castoro

Book Overview

Not so long ago, she had the perfect marriage - to a white man - and for once, her light skin and eyes didn't make her feel so out of place. But since her husband's death, Thea's not sure what to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0739427822
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Realistic characters and great plot.......

Really enjoyed this book. The plot and characters were both believable, something not often found in women's fiction. I loved Thea because she was "real." No phony, cardboard character here. She was strong, but like many females, doubted both her strength and identity.Loved the focus on family values and love. When all is said and done, this is what we're left with. And as this author so aptly wrote, despite the struggles and heartache to get there....it's worth it in the long run.Thought the race issue was very tastefully and realistically written about. Written with sensitivity and insight.This book gets a 5 star and I highly recommend it. Do yourself a favor and curl up to meet Thea,the sexy and sensitive Xavier, her daughter Jesse (a typical teen) and her delightful and entertaining, Aunt Della in addition to some other wonderful characters.Looking forward to Laura's next book.

Excellent!

"Crossing the Line" is a riveting story that encompasses all the major life themes: love, money, power, fame, race and death. The characters are extremely well written, definitely not flat, one dimensional book characters, especially Thea and Xavier the main characters. Ms. Castoro weaves a rich story that draws the reader into each character's experience and leaves you crying, frustrated, cheering or laughing with them. This book also portrays the race issue from a perspective that is foreign to most of us and it allows the reader to examine his or her own biases and stereotypes. Excellent! -ES

Engrossing.

A powerful story of one woman's experience in the world--or rather in both worlds,as Stephen L. Carter refers to them; the darker nation and the pale nation. Laura Castoro's novel feels very honest and real. Everyone may recognize the heroine's rebellious teenage daughter and the hero's protective family! This is women's fiction with lots of interesting family relationships, but the book is very romantic, too, with a compelling and complex and, um, quite sexy hero.

powerful contemporary relationship drama

Though successful at work, Theadora Morgan struggles with her personal relationships. Her almost sixteen year old daughter is giving her a hard time over trusting her with boys. Her Aunt Della is giving her a hard time over attending her sister's third wedding though Thea and Selma are far from being close to one another. Her white in-laws want their granddaughter raised Caucasian-American though their son is dead and Thea is half African-American.Thea attends Selma's wedding where the worst yank occurs as she meets her first love African-American minister Xavier Thornton. Ignoring her deep feelings that still exist for Xavier, Thea tries to live up to the image that her extended family expects of her even though they pull her in different directions. However, Xavier refuses to drop out this time as he knows he loves Thea, but she harbors a secret that will probably end several of her relationships if it surfaces.Laura Castoro provides more than just an enjoyable relationship drama as she digs deep into the issue of racial classification in a world that is increasingly rainbow-ethnic. The story line centers on Thea as the pivotal point with several spokes going from her to various other characters. Because the under siege Thea seems so real, fans will feel for her daily plight as everyone tries to paint her to fit their by the numbers portrait of her. In turn she makes the novel as she learns you can't please everyone so it is time to start with yourself. CROSSING THE LINE is a powerful contemporary relationship drama that showcases the abilities of a wonderful author.Harriet Klausner

I dare you to read this book.

I dare you to read this book.Yes, CROSSING THE LINE is entertaining and Ms. Castoro's humor, phrasing and understanding of Southern living is on the mark, but this book will make you uncomfortable. Why? Because you will come face-to-face with your prejudice.Perhaps you are not as tolerant as you thought you are? Not to be confused with the ignorance of racism, this is strictly about comfort levels. How many times have you heard someone say, "I'm not prejudiced, but-?" On the other hand, maybe you subscribe to the good-enough-to-hire-but-not-good-enough-to-marry philosophy when it comes to race, love and relationships. Maybe you are too PC and negate the issue of race to the point where you refuse to acknowledge it in a person thereby making them nonexistent. They have no race, no culture, and no identity.Thea Morgan has heard it all. Not only has she heard it, she is living it. Thea suffers with dignity the not-so-subtle snubs of being "light, bright, and damn near white" in the black community, while in the white community she is PC'd into non-existence by people who "don't think of her as black." She has, understandably, built walls about her for protection and she defends herself better than Tyson did with Lewis. She can give as good as she gets. Yet this does not mean she is any less vulnerable to the gut-wrenching blows life throws her way.Then there is Thea's daughter, Jesse. How does she come to terms being from a biracial home? Jesse is the quintessential teenager testing her boundaries against authority while trying to establish her own independence and identity. But how can you define yourself if you have to choose one heritage over another? What if others insist to do it for you? We may never know exactly how Halle Berry or Mariah Carey dealt with similar issues at Jesse's age, but here is an excellent basis for assumption.Finally, there is Reverend Xavier Thornton. He is, perhaps, the most charming but illuminating representation of a black man I have encountered in a book in a long time. Here is a man willing to take the responsibility for his actions without seeming like he is putting on a hair shirt or trying impress the ladies. This brother is genuine. "We need to stop breaking our arms patting ourselves on the back" he says and the sermons he preaches in this book will make you do that. How will Thea reconcile her feelings about the past she shares with Xavier and allow herself to have a future with him? Has society's racial beliefs and expectations segregated them out of the right to be happy?This is trademark Laura Castoro. She puts her characters in situations where you think the resolution is simple and obvious. Yet Ms. Castoro always keeps her stories grounded in reality so while there may be this breathtaking romance, you are still reminded there are bills to pay, children to discipline and crises to overcome. This lovefest has a price. The characters in CROSSING THE LINE are real. Ms. Castoro's far-reaching insight borders