Sexual Healing

by Jill Nelson

Book Overview

"Smart, explicit, and side-splittingly funny."--Ebony Jill Nelson, bestselling author of Volunteer Slavery and Straight, No Chaser, has written a steamy and uproarious debut novel that tells the story of Lydia and Acey, two childhood friends who've grown up to become successful midcareer professionals. But their career success is matched by their romantic and sexual frustrations. One night, dissecting their dissatisfactions over a bottle of wine, they concoct a plan: why not develop a business that discreetly supplies handsome black men willing and able to serve the sexual needs of black women? Thus is born the idea for Sexual Healing -- a "full--service" spa aimed at meeting all of black women's intimate desires. Launching the enterprise is a struggle, but the conflict is just beginning: even as their delighted customer base grows, they face a firestorm of attacks from hostile media, grandstanding church leaders and other outraged parties. From the most dignified black church in Oakland to sex-positive small-town Nevada, from the racks of Loehmann's to the skyscraping executive suites of San -Francisco, Sexual Healing is a page-turning comedy of outraged manners, a blistering satire on American gender and race relations, and a sexually frank exploration of what women really want. Jill Nelson unleashes the storytelling abandon that captivated readers of Volunteer Slavery and gives it full rein in what's sure to be one of the hottest books of 2003. Jill Nelson is the author of the bestselling Volunteer Slavery (Noble, 1993), which won an American Book Award, and Straight, No Chaser (Putnam, 1997), and the editor of the anthology Police Brutality (Norton, 1999). She is a regular contributor to the Village Voice and MSNBC.com, among other publications. She teaches at the City College of New York and lives in Manhattan."

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0972456201
• ISBN13: 9780972456203
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: Agate Bolden
• Length: 318 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Pleasurable and Satisfying

Jill Nelson's first foray into fiction is a success!She has written the outrageous, intelligent and humorous "Sexual Healing," a tale about about two best friends who open a "full-service spa" for African-American sistahs. Lydia and Acey know that women, no matter what their age or financial status, need the kind of affection a only "hard" man can provide. Enduring a few setbacks, the two women finally open the doors of A Sister's Spa -- not without a some oppposition. I won't spoil the the novel, but the hijinks Lydia and Acey endure are worth the lenghty 318 pages "Sexual Healing" boasts. I laughed out loud at the bold Lydia and sympathized with the laid back Acey.One thing that makes the book so good is the attention to detail. Nelson writes to not only entertain, but to educate. What could have simply been a raunchy sex tale (which partly it is) turns into a book about sexuality with pinches of racism, chauvinism, and feminism. Historical information is intertwined with the madcap that is "Sexual Healing."What an ingenious idea: a brothel for black women. If only there was really a place like this. Hmm....

Perfect for Summer

Hilarious, sexy and thought-provoking, Jill Nelson's debut novel is the perfect summer read. At one level, it's a funny and lighthearted romp; at another, it's a commentary on the mores of the middle class. Read it either way or both ways, but read it! Nelson is a jewel.

Sex for the 21st Century

Who would have ever thought that women could have such power over their sexual lives. Jill Nelson gives that power to us in "spades". This amusing, erotic, sometimes alarming, always entertaining first novel is a must-read from beginning to end. Ms. Nelson captures the frustration and loneliness of African-American women and offers a solution which is unorthodox, pleasurable, and, frequently, downright hysterical. The book is erotic and moving as well as roll on the floor funny. Some of the scenes are so steamy that I was loathe to read them on the subway for fear of embarrasing myself! Ms. Nelson's first work of fiction is as well-written and engaging as her previous non-fiction offerings. The main characters, Lydia and Acey, are fully realized, infinitely human, and engaging, and the plotlines' twists and turns keep you turning pages with a fury. I read the entire book over the weekend! Not content to write a book which deals with women's concerns about finding love and/or sex in the 21st century, Ms. Nelson throws political intrigue, race relations, ghost spouses, and transexuals into the mix. All of these elements come together to bring us a read that is at once thought provoking and entertaining. Don't just walk, run to get this book! You won't regret it. And once you've finished reading Sexual Healing, you'll find yourself clamoring for more fiction from this superb and uproarious author.

Pass This Healing Onto Your Girlfriends !!!

A GREAT way to start the summer! Ms. Nelson has skillfully combined spiritual, sexual and solidarity in a HOT book about BLACK WOMEN, SEXUALITY and FRIENDSHIP!!! No baby mamma drama here! This book is mature, refreshing and fun. This book is so good that I have purchased extra copies and gave them out as EARLY KWAANZA PRESENTS! I really wish there was such a spa!

It's Raining Men!

Reminiscent of Kathryn Harvey's 1996 novel Butterfly, author Jill Nelson's highly anticipated novel SEXUAL HEALING is the black woman's retort to sex in the 21st century. Best friends Lydia and Acey's humorous and sometimes unbelievable exploits will have readers in a fit of laughter as they embark to fulfill every woman's fantasy while satisfying their own selfish desires. Lydia Beaucoup and Acey Allen are in their early forties and still "fly". Lydia's profession as sr. account executive at a San Francisco PR firm is monotonous on a good day, while ace-boon-coon and proprietress of a small spa in downtown Oakland , Acey grows weary of husband Matthew and their almost non-existent sex life. Fed up with thwarted relationships and unfulfilling professions, a ludicrous tête-à-tête one Sunday afternoon unexpectedly spawns, A Sisters' Spa; a male brothel for African-American women in Reno, Nevada where "a special set of services are designed to meet the most intimate needs of black women." When politics, religion, sexism and scandal threaten to cease operation of A Sisters Spa, Lydia and Acey must pull together a plan of action or their hard work will go "limp" not to mention their male companions.This is not your mundane relationship sex-filled novel commonly crowding bookshelves today. SEXUAL HEALING is a titillating and side-splitting journey of two sister's determination to become the premier establishment, meeting the needs of dissatisfied black women in a safe, discreet and upscale environment. Jill Nelson's uninhibited characters and quick-witted storytelling will undoubtedly proclaim SEXUAL HEALING as an entertaining summer blockbuster, forming the question- does this place really exist? I highly recommend SEXUAL HEALING to women of all ages. Your reading will be totally pleasurable. Reviewed by Nicki LancasterAPOOO BookClub