Family Lines

By Gwen Y. Fortune

Rosamund Jones-Keyes is a single mother living in Atlanta, Georgia, with her nine-year-old daughter, Caryl. Their lives become far from mundane when, after taking on a job at a chemical company, Rosamund is confronted by a coworker,
Jeffrey Shuggs. Mr. Shuggs believes that the company is involved in a cover-up operation that could affect the lives of many people. He asks her to help him investigate this alleged conspiracy in order to potentially save the lives of
numerous individuals. However, their exploration and examination of the facts does not go unnoticed. Someone seems to know about their plan and attempts to stop them from getting too close to the truth.

In order to try and make a better life for Caryl, Rosamund asks her Aunt Pet to come and live with them. Aunt Pet watches after Caryl when she gets home from school and tells her about their family history. Caryl confides in Aunt Pet
about some of her recent dreams, and Aunt Pet tells her that it may be her connection to their ancestors. This is just the beginning of Caryl's exploration into her family lines. At school she meets Darren, whom she will soon find out shares a closer bond with her than either of them could have imagined. In this fascinating story of finding alliances in unsuspected places, everyone 1/2s true loyalties are revealed.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1589801466
• ISBN13: 9781589801462
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company
• Length: 206 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Good

I had this book sitting on my shelf over a year and finally I sat down to read it, and it is GOOD!! real good; It's one of those novels with a down home flavor and you feel good about reading; You have this lady Rosamund Jones Keyes who gets a cushy job at an Atlanta corporation; While there, she stumbles onto a coverup that comes to her attention by Jeffery Shuggs, who works for her, but also may have a deeper tie to her than she can imagine; Unbeknownst to them, their kids meet as well, and due to the fact that Rosamund's daughter Caryl doesn't like the after care that she goes to, Rosamund gets her aunt Patricia(Pet)to come and be there for Caryl instead of going to the after care in the evening; Now here is where things get real interesting; you might can say that Aunt Pet is the glue that brings it all together here; But you got to sit down and check out the book for yourself; Very good, interesting and keeps you in till the end;

Who is in your family tree?

Fortune crafts a novel of corporate corruption and weaves in the value of honoring your ancestry. Rosamund Jones-Keyes (Mrs. JK) is a single mom climbing the corporate ladder in the biggest communication company in America, Dectel Global. She has been in the position for a short while and is proving she is an asset to the company.   Jeffrey Shuggs is the statistician assigned to Mrs. JK and is a "mountain man" at heart. Shuggs' dedication to the environment threatens to end both of their careers. Mrs. JK and Shuggs secretly set out to prove an increase of industrial waste will have detrimental effects. As the investigation unfolds, unlikely friends appear. Lois, Mrs. JK's secretary, introduces her husband, Liam, who sheds light on Dectel Global's shady dealings. Darren, Jeffrey's son, adds charm and humor to this tale as he befriends Caryl, Mrs. J.K.'s daughter. The spiritual inclusion of past ancestors (Munje and Frank) is a unique aspect of the storyline and brings history together. All the characters work together to uncover exactly what Dectel Global is hiding. The connection between characters reminds me of the idea of six degrees of separation. The in-depth knowledge of family heritage is strewn throughout with flashbacks of times past. The weave of family stories adds warmth and magic to the suspense of uncovering the truth about Dectel Global. Fortune designs a story, which interlocks the love of family, trust of friends, and respect for diversity that crosses every racial boundary. Family Lines will leave you asking if anyone at the office is in your family tree? Reviewed by M. Bruner for Loose Leaves Book Review

SLAVERY'S TRUE HERITAGE

On its surface a novel about corporate corruption, 'Family Lines' has at its heart the deeper message that, if you are a Southerner and black, you'd better love the white guy sitting next to you because chances are you have the same blood running in your veins, and ditto vice versa. If we are to love our families, we had better love each other, black or white. That, not division, is the true heritage of slavery.