Seen It All and Done the Rest

December 24, 2007
This jaunty but topical coming-of-middle-age story from Cleage (Baby Brother’s Blues
) opens with an indignant argument about American culpability in the Iraq war, as African-American actress Josephine Evans—a self-proclaimed “Las Vegas of grandmothers” living and working in Amsterdam—has just been fired from a theater production, ostensibly for being too American. She returns to Atlanta to spend time with her granddaughter Zora, recently undone by her peripheral role in a splashy murder case, and to check on her family house. Josephine is hoping to keep Zora’s trust while steering her away from Zora’s father’s tragic bout with alcohol. After seeing the cracked-out wreckage of her stretch of Atlanta’s West End, Josephine also embarks on a plan with four other women to fix up her vandalized manse, a plan that includes the squatter she discovers there, Victor Causey. The plot is predictable but satisfying, and Josephine’s voice comes through movingly throughout.

July 15, 2008
Josephine Evans, a 58-year-old U.S. ex-patriate actress who for 30 years has been the toast of the town in Amsterdam, suddenly finds her acting career suspendedthe victim of antiwar and anti-American sentiment. While Howard, her eccentric gay agent in Holland, tries to get Josephine's acting career back on track, she flies off to Atlanta to visit her granddaughter Zora and to escape from the stress. Josephine arrives to find young Zora drinking to excess and hounded by paparazzi, resulting from her involvement in a scandalous murder. Instead of reducing her stress, Josephine learns, too, that the income-producing duplex she inherited from her mother is now a disaster, the house vandalized, the yard trashed, and the neighborhood nearly in ruins. Should Josephine and Zora flee the turmoil of Atlanta, or can a little faith and technology help them reclaim their inheritance? What follows is a fairly predictable but entertaining story of renewal and revival. The cast of characters is delightful, made even more so by Robin Miles's talents as narrator. Whether depicting Josephine as the consummate actress in her red kimono or young Zora with her gentle Southern accent, Miles's smooth narration sets the scene and brings to life these interesting portrayals. An enjoyable listen for the beach, a rainy day, or just about anytime; recommended for public libraries. [Cleage is the New York Times best-selling author of Baby Brother's Blues and Babylon Sisters; Seen It All is also available as downloadable audio from Audible.comValerie Piechocki, Prince George's Cty. Memorial Lib., Largo, MD

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