Dead Above Ground

by Jervey Tervalon

Book Overview

In 1940s New Orleans, a light-skinned black family moves back and forth across the color line in this magnolia perfumed novel of Southern mores. By the author of Understand This. Reprint. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671034693
• ISBN13: 9780671034696
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Washington Square Press
• Length: 226 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Diamond in the rough

I had never before heard of Jervey Tervalon before reading this book and I must say that I was impressed. From the first line of this book, I was captivated with the story of the Du Champs. Adele, married but still looking, fall into the hands of Lucien Fare who has the devils good looks and a history of murdering black women. Little does she know, he has some unfinished business for her and her mother Helen Du Champ, who saved one of his prostitutes several years earlier. This story of murder, love, and hate will not let you put the book down. I took it everywhere and I am about to look for the sequel, LITA.

Diamond in the Rough. An absolute Gem!!!!

This book was awesome. It was set during the 1940's in New Orleans and took me back to that place and time barring the fact that I was born in the 1970's in Brooklyn, New York and have only visited New Orleans once. I did not want to put this novel down because it stimulated me to continue reading all throughout. It was enthralling, evoking and well put together. I highly recommend that if you are a true avid reader you will appreciate all that this great novel has to offer. Lita Du Champ was a strong young woman who fiercely believed in the ties that bind a family together. Her mother Helen made mistakes in the past and tried to protect her family from an ill fate while her oldest daughter Adele was a free spirit and lived for the moment. The men lacked compassion and were thoughtless to a great extent, but to be expected in those days and sadly still very reflective in today's society. Overall it was a splendid read. Dead Above Ground is definitely a keeper and a must read. This novel deserves a resurgence. I don't think that it received all the praise that it should have in the past!!!

A GREAT FIND

Having not read Jervey Tervalon before, I did not know what I was missing. From the first word to the last, I was swept into the life of a colored family in New Orleans in the 1940's. It was a straight through read, as the characters are fascinating, the writing perfection, the drama stimulating, the underbelly of New Orleans, frightening but enticing. I am very impressed with this author's brilliant style of prose; captivating, descriptive and poetic. I will be ordering more of Mr. Tervalon's books if this book is an indicator of his prowess. Excellent read!!

This is one smooth read

During the Great Depression and the subsequent war years, New Orleans Helen "Mama" Du Champ ruled the family roost with an iron glove. Mama's oldest daughter Adele married some low life and is rumored to be playing with the devil Lucien Faure. Mama's seventeen-year-old daughter Lita wants her freedom from the great female dictator who she loves even as she loathes her seemingly always drunken father. However, Lucien has a motive for gallivanting with Adele. He seeks vengeance against Mama, the one woman who burned him even though decades have passed. Knowing he cannot hurt Mama directly, he chooses her weak daughter and hopes to score two aces with Lita next. Lita, the heir apparent to Mama, will do anything to rescue her older sister from the devil. DEAD ABOVE GROUND is an exciting historical fiction novel that shows once again that Jervey Tervalon has a peculiar yet realistic and charming way with characters (see UNDERSTAND THIS). The story line works because the key female cast and Lucien appear as genuine individuals though the remaining male ensemble are stereotyped and written off by the strong women and the reader. The plot moves quickly forward as Lita struggles to save her family with each ensuing page making her more desperate. Mr. Tervalon provides his audience with a taut terrific thriller.Harriet Klausner

Dead Above Ground

I dont have much to say, only that I have found it difficult to put the book down. I will most likely finish it this weekend and it will have only taken a week (and I work full time and do lots of community work outside of work, which does not allow much free time). I fit in reading about the Du Champs every chance I get. Mr. Tervalon's style just sweeps you up and gets you involved with the various characters. I look forward to reading his other novels.