Something Real

by J.J. Murray

Book Overview

Thanks to her black mother and her Irish father, Ruth "Penny" Borum is the color of a new penny. Big-boned and notoriously sassy, Ruth is nonetheless the organist and a member in good standing of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1575668653
• ISBN13: 9781575668659
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Length: 337 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Something Real

Ruth Childress Borum, the ex-wife of Anitoch Church pastor, Jonas Borum, continues to keep her faith and uses the gift that God gave her: to play the organ.Dewey Baxter is a single,working father struggling to raise his 2 biracial children with the help of his mother. Ruth and Dewey meet one day when his children, Tee and Dee, come in for a haircut unaccompanied. The attraction Ruth feels for the children and Dewey are instant and she makes up her mind that she will be apart of their family. Despite the disapproval of her many people of Anitoch Church b/c of their interracial relationship and other things, she stops @ nothing to get the love she's been denied for so long. She finds out who her friends really are and learns to have more faith in herself with the help of her friends Tonya and the Jarman aka Fred.You'll love the interaction of Dewey with Tee and Dee as well as the children with Ruth. This novel by Murray is incredibly funny,charming,endearing, and a great read. Even though this book is written by a man, he does a wonderful job as telling the story through an African-American woman's eyes. As a reader, I could tell that he knew what he was talking about b/c he himself is in an interracial marriage with an African-American woman.I recommend this to anyone. You'll laugh from the comedy and cry from the pain and joy Ruth feels.

RE: Want a Book That Dares To Be Different?

In his second book author JJ Murray is creating his own style. The characters are very well developed and interesting. He shows the various trials and tribulations that black women encounter when dealing with an interracial relationship, especially if they had a previous relationship with a black man. Ruth, the main female character is very strong and knows who and what she wants. Dewey the main male character is a little bit slow and reserve, but as the story progresses he steps up to the plate.If you are looking for a story that dares to be different with a a positive twist, then this is the book for you.

All women should be loved like this

Okay I read it, and there is only one word: it's a four-letter word that starts with 'd'. I was moved by Ruth's pain, and surprised at the depth of the other characters. I came to know them, love them, like them, and despise them. One of the most moving passages in the book was when 'Ruth' flipped out and told the corner store owner off about what they just couldn't have; the other was Sam's preaching about not enough ink, white-out, etc... It surprises me how well JJ Murray was able to not just get into the characters, but how well he was able to portray both the ugly and the beautiful in Life. I would like to thank Mr. Murray for another great book, but I am awaiting his retirement or major cash windfall so that I can read his book about teachers. I for one am glad to have read not one, but two books from Mr. Murray that showcase a Black woman being so thoroughly loved, instead of showcasing her as a downtrodden victim. Love is the one thing that everyone should be able to understand. The reality is that Life is full of characters that are far from perfect...that includes preachers and their wives; congregations and communities. To any of his would-be critics: I recommend that he tell them off like 'Ruth' told off 'Dee's' teacher. I have already rubbed-in the fact to my he-thinks-that-he-is-the-better-half about Mr. Murray writing a book merely make his wife laugh; I am definitely going to have to rub in the fact that 'Dewey' built an entire church for his woman (dramatic sigh...wait for husband to inquire what is wrong...another sigh...state that nothing is wrong...wait for him to go out of his way to please me). I'm thinking that if a man would build an entire church for his woman, at the very least I should be able to get a Ferrari...or a dog. And to Mr. Murray's beautiful wife... I chant her name because not only has her husband written her a book, I have a feeling that he would have also built her a church if that is what it would have taken. I wish all women of all races could be loved like that. And here I am, still Ferrari-less.

High Praise for JJ Murray

Mr. Murray is without a doubt on of the best new authors to date. His ability to tell a story from a black woman's point of view is amazing.Something Real moved me from the very beginning to the very end. Ruth's struggle to stay a part of her church and win the heart of the man she loves truly warms the heart and soul of the reader. Every character adds their own special sense of style, grace and humor that brings this story together in a magical harmony.I can honest say that this is the first novel to ever make me cry. I just loved it, can't say enough about it. This is a MUST READ!Well done Mr. Murray, well done.

The Genuine Article

Ruth "Penny" Borum has just been to hell and back. For fifteen miserable years she was the wife of Jonas "Bore-em" Borum, the pastor of Antioch Church. Antioch has been Ruth's church home since she was a child, and now that she has divorced the pastor she is considered an outcast. Though the church members go out of their way to make her feel uncomfortable, Ruth stays on in her capacity as the church organist just to make life difficult for the pastor and the congregation. The end of her marriage has forced Ruth to take a long, hard look at herself. She is angry, struggling financially and is feeling lost and alone. Ruth has also begun to face the reality that she is severely overweight and is extremely unhappy with herself. One Sunday during church, Ruth spots the unlikely man of her dreams, Dewey Baxter. Dewey Baxter is a big, homegrown farm boy, who is a father struggling to raise his two children. The children are Tee and Dee. Tee is an energetic and headstrong little girl who always speaks her mind; Dee is a quiet, reserved little boy who seems to have some deep rooted emotional issues. Ruth and Dewey are as different as night and day, and have some cultural differences. Ruth is black and Dewey is white and the small town community that they live in can often be narrow- minded. Ruth is half white and wants to explore the other side of her heritage. Ruth is a strong woman, but the mere thought of Dewey and his children makes her weak in the knees because she is so overwhelmed with love for them. Author J.J. Murray has outdone himself with his latest work, Something Real. He has written a realistic story that could happen to anyone. Divorce, betrayal, strength and pain are things that occur on a daily basis and he made you feel everything that the character was feeling or thinking. I highly recommend that you get a dose of reality and read Something Real.Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks