The Prodigal Son

April 15, 2014
Roby (A House Divided, 2014) delivers another emotional adventure in the latest Reverend Curtis Black novel, telling the story of his two sons. Dillon is very resentful of the time and attention the reverend pays to his other children and ignores advice and help from his beloved aunt and his girlfriend, Melissa. He treats both badly and becomes even angrier when his aunt dies. Reverend Black leaves Dillon in Atlanta, tasking him with finalizing the funeral arrangements, while he flies to the bedside of his estranged son, Matthew, whose wife has become abusive and stabbed him. Matthew's young marriage is a disaster, and he and his baby, MJ, return to his parents' home. It is interesting to see the mistakes made by Reverend Black and his third wife, Charlotte, come back to haunt them through the problems of the next generation, and readers will enjoy this continuation. Roby's use of a scripture overlay lends perspective and irony to the tale, as she builds characters and increases intensity in this powerful installment in her strong and popular series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)