Black Jesus

April 15, 2012
Dubbed Black Jesus by his fellow marines, Lionel White, who is neither black nor religious, returns from Iraq blind and bearing memories no one should have to keep. At the same time, Gloria, aka Desiree, a Venice, California, pole dancer, flees the West Coast and Ross Klein, the boyfriend who broke her leg with a baseball bat. This episodic novel follows Lionel, Gloria, and Ross through a short period in their lives, demonstrating that physical damage isn't necessarily the worst thing that can happen to a person. As would be expected from singer-songwriter Felice, the style is lyrical, spare, and resonant. Places, especially the economically impoverished upstate New York town of Gay Paris, come alive in the same way as the vivid main characters. Sights, smells, and sounds provide a rich reading experience. Characters, even the villainous Ross, are well motivated and include some powerfully entertaining eccentrics. Even though the story is predictable and the ending somewhat pat, the strengths in style and characterization will keep readers of literary fiction involved right to the satisfying resolution.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)