Seen It All and Done the Rest

By Pearl Cleage

Book Overview

For Josephine Evans, home was on the stages of the world where she spent thirty years establishing herself as one of the finest actresses of her generation. Josephine was the toast of Europe, and her fabulous apartment in Amsterdam's theater district was a popular gathering place for an international community of artists, actors, and expatriates who considered themselves true citizens of the world. Josephine lived above and beyond the reach of conventional definitions of who and what an African American diva could be, and her legions of loyal fans loved her for it. She had a perfect life and enough sense to live it to the hilt, but then a war she didn't fully understand turned everything upside down, thrusting her into a role she never wanted and was not prepared to play. Suddenly the target of angry protests aimed at the country she had never really felt was her own, Josephine is forced to return to America to see if she can create a new definition of home.

Camping out with her granddaughter, Zora, who is housesitting in Atlanta's West End; and trying to avoid the unwanted attentions of Dig It , the city's brand-new gossip magazine, Josephine struggles to reclaim her old life even as she scrambles to shape her new one. Hoping her friend Howard Denmond is as good as his word when he promises to engineer her triumphant return to the European stage, Josephine sets out to increase her nest egg by selling the house her mother willed her, only to find the long-neglected property has become home to squatters who have no intention of leaving.

But an unexpected reunion with an old friend offers Josephine a chance to set things right. Spurning an offer from unscrupulous land developer Greer Woodruff, Josephine gathers new friends around her, including Victor Causey, a lawyer whose addictions left him homeless but still determined to protect his mother; Louie Baptiste, a displaced New Orleans chef hoping to return to the city he loves; and Aretha Hargrove, recovering from her role in the same scandal that sent Zora running for cover. As Greer gets serious about her plan to tear the community apart, Josephine finds herself playing the most important role of her life, showing her neighbors what courage really is and learning the true meaning of coming home.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345481135
• ISBN13: 9780345481139
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: One World
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Pearl Cleage

I have always been a big Pearl Cleage fan and this book (Seen It all and Done the Rest) has justified all of my ravings about her writing. She has done it again! I loved that the shero in this book was a woman of a certain age and that she was also computer illiterate. Josephine Evans, for all of her diva like qualities is just like so many of our mothers and grandomthers; afraid of the internet, has a cell phone she leaves at home and is a loving grandmother.

Back to Life

Pearl Cleage's latest release, Seen It All and Done The Rest, is the story of woman searching for her reason for being. Josephine Evans is an almost 60-year old theatre-diva in Amsterdam. The star knows where her story began but isn't certain where it will end. Facing prejudice for being an American citizen in Amsterdam during a war not many are in support of, Josephine returns to America. She returns to her homeland for three reasons, to check on her granddaughter, Zora, to tie up some loose ends with her childhood home and to prove the point she is still a "diva in demand" in Amsterdam. Josephine figures this is a prime time to take care of some much needed business while her best friend, Howard, stays behind to work his magic in Amsterdam. Returning to Atlanta, Georgia, Josephine Evans discovers that Zora is suffering at the helm of public scrutiny. She also learns that the childhood home she so depended on as her key to financial freedom was a vandalized, squatters paradise that doubled as a dumping site. With the help of neighbors and friends, Josephine, Zora and crew begin their quest to save the home. Never could they have imagined that saving the home would lead to them championing a cause with the potential to expose corruption and blatant disregard for humanity. They did not support the war and they did not support being run off by commercial developers. Would saving the home prove to be the release they all needed? The storyline progressed at a steady pace. The characters were believable and each had their own unique quality that rounded out the circle of friends. They all worked together, overcame obstacles and stood for what they believed in. Saving the home made them all realize what it is to "be free." Reviewed by Tavares Carney

Classic Pearl!

For those who know Pearl Cleage's books, this one is classic: A witty, smart, GROWN UP narrator I'd follow to the ends of the earth. Social issues that affect black folks and ALL folks (this one even brings in Europe in a fun way). Mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sister-friends and all manner of important relationships. A love of language. And a gripping story. For those who don't know Pearl Cleage's books: get to reading! You'll be very glad you did!Orange Mint and Honey: A Novel

Seen It, Done It, Loved It!

Seen It All and Done the Rest by Pearl Cleage is a mature, reading delight. Grande Dame Josephine Evans has been the toast of Amsterdam's theatre circuit for over twenty years. Aging gracefully, at fifty-eight, her life could not be better or so it would seem. However, Josephine discovers that it is not so hip to be an American overseas any longer and that being American is having an effect on her career. After all these years, she finds herself without a contract and limited funds. So what is a woman to do? She can always go home, she does have a niece, Zora, at home in Atlanta and a house that has been bringing in an income for years. So surely Atlanta and Zora will be waiting with open arms, or will they? Zora is a smart, educated young woman who has always been the apple of her grandmother's eyes. Her father drank himself to death at an early age but her grandmother was always there. However, as a grown woman, Zora finds herself in the middle of a controversy, involving the death of a prominent citizen and she has become fodder for a local tabloid, Dig It! The notoriety causes Zora to drop out of college and hole-up in a luxury house in West End, with her favorite companion, a glass of vodka. When her grandmother informs Zora of her return, she is not as excited as she once would have been. Jospehine's return home is filled with pain, love and laughter. She reconnects with friends while discovering what has been going on in the life of her granddaughter. She also discovers that change occurs whether one is there to see it or not. I absolutely loved meeting these characters and getting to know them. The flavor of family, friends and community flows through the pages of this book, painting a realistic picture of what life is really like. I also love how Ms. Cleage touched on the subject of a woman aging gracefully. I highly recommend Seen it All and Done the Rest to everyone. Angelia Menchan APOOO BookClub

Laugh, Love, and Liberate - Audiobook, Seen it All and Done the Rest

Bravo to Robin Miles for being blessed with such a talented voice that is the icing to a truly made from scratch pound cake story (have mercy). Pearl Cleage's novel Seen It All and Done the Rest is filled with laughter, love, tears and victories of ex-patriot diva, Josephine Evans that returns to the states because of her artistic differences in Amsterdam. Evans returns to Atlanta, to her granddaughter Zora who needs the arms, wisdom and spirit of her grandmother in order to heal from a scandalous year of being the star of tabloid news. While home, Josephine checks on her rental property; the duplex that she and her mother lived in. Her mother left the house to Josephine and she kept it as part of Zora's inheritance. Josephine discovers that the house has been vandalized and is now being squatted. The healing begins through Josephine and her crew of righteous people to take back the house and the community in order to stop it from getting torn down by greedy realtor, Greer Woodruff (the wicked witch of the South). Pearl Cleage's array of homeless yet hopeful characters have all found each other and are now setting a path to heal from addiction, Katrina, home invasion and tabloid scandals. They represent so many throughout this country that still call this home that love the essence but not the leaders and know they have a right to be free.