Good Fences: A Novel

By Erika Ellis and Alex Brown

Book Overview

In this exciting novel, an upwardly mobile black family moves to the affluent suburbs--with dramatic, sexy, funny, and provocative results. Mabel Turner, born and raised in the small and all-black... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679448764
• ISBN13: 9780679448761
• Release Date: May 1998
• Publisher: Random House
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

An honest portrayal of African Americans in the suburbs

Good Fences makes you want to meet the Spaders, have tea, and gossip. I liked the family, although Tom seemed a bit pensive. The author did what no Black author has done before, which was sound off without being whiny. Erika Ellis gives a strong message about the wrongs and perceptions that live and breath in the suburbs, especially the predominately white suburbs(is there another kind?) She tells the story in a simple honest language that we all can understand.

DIFFERENT BUT GOOD

I appreciated Ms. Ellis' style from the moment I began to the book. The story unfolds not so much as story driven but as character driven, snippets into the lives of those she writes about.At points brave, bold, humorous and poignant I never knew what to expect from page to page and that is what made this read so good for me. It takes real talent to pull such a work off and Ms. Ellis has done that.Every book is not for everyone but if you're looking for food for the brain then this is the book for you and in my opinion that is the best kind of writing. Make us think, catch us off guard, surprise us, enlighten us.There's only one word for this debut novel --- YES!Erika Ellis is on my 'author's to watch' list and I will be keeping my eye out for any future works. You go girl...

Great first novel, but read very slowly

This is a great start for Mrs. Ellis. I read a book review in Newsweek and ran out and bought the book. Unlike many books that I breeze though, Ellis forced me to read slowly in order not to miss important points in the story. This novel shows that the green isn't always greener on the other side and it is important not to forget who you are no matter where you go in life.

Moving and insightful

I think this was an excellent book especially for a first novel. Take your time reading it, it is an excellent look at African-American views of "success" and the price we pay (or choose not to) for attaining those goals. But it also is a novel about choices and family that everyone can relate to.

Grass isn't Always Greener on the other side of the fence

I just finished this book. Don't beleive the line in the synopsis which reads "in the tradition of Terri McMillan." Too many times African Amrican women writers are compared to Ms. McMillan! Read each author for yourself and decide.Good Fences is an interesting story which gives readers some food for thought. In the tradition of Benilde Little's "Good Hair", this book looks at the inside life of African Americans who have "arrived". Financial and material successes provide all the external trappings of the "Good Life" but there's more to life than meets the eye.Take your time reading this book. There's a message in it.