From Publishers Weekly
Dry covers plenty of political and historical ground in this epic, multigenerational debut novel, an earnest but derivative saga that chronicles the efforts of an African-American family to overcome the inequities of racial injustice. The story begins in 1959, when matriarch Ruby Washington travels from her rural South Carolina home to Oakland in search of a better life. But by leaving, she unknowingly sets off a cycle of poverty and violence that will mar the lives of her children. The most intriguing subplot is that of her charismatic half-brother, Easton, a potential civil rights leader who survives a difficult trip to attend the march at Selma, Ala., after getting involved with a white girl, only to get shot by police back in Oakland. The other major subplots are familiar: Ruby's daughter, Lida, falls victim to heroin, while Lida's son, Love, struggles to escape the clutches of the Oakland hip-hop gangs. Dry is a solid storyteller with plenty of compassion for his characters, but unfortunately they never rise above the level of stereotypes, and the author's decision to skip back and forth chronologically in his narrative rather than to relate each character's tale is distracting at best. The result is a generic retelling of a struggle that's been detailed with more flair, grit and verve by other writers. Agent, Victoria Sanders.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
English instructor Dry has written a first novel of impressive scope and ability that examines three generations of an African American family from 1959 to 1994. Ruby Washington is introduced as a pregnant 21-year-old escaping with her 13-year-old stepbrother, Easton, from violence in South Carolina to her father's home in Oakland, CA. The lives of Ruby; Easton; Ruby's child, Lida; and Lida's two sons, Love and Li'l Pit, are detailed in alternating chapters, forcing the reader to pay close attention to time frames and characters. Leaving explores the transience of many African Americans, a bitter, lingering consequence of slavery. Dry's mature, sensitive prose presents a compelling portrayal of civil rights activism, educational aspirations, family disintegration, sexual and drug abuse, and gang life. The novel ends with Ruby's two young grandsons escaping to South Carolina. Expect more from this powerful writer, winner of the Joseph Henry Jackson Literary Award from the San Francisco Foundation and Intersection for the Arts. Recommended for both academic and public libraries and for all African American collections. Sarah Brechner, ProQuest, Louisville, KY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
