When Twilight Comes by Gwynne Forster
By Yasmin Coleman • Dec 10th, 2009 • Category: Book Review 2009 •
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From the 2002 Archives
When Twilight Comes is Gwynne Forster’s debut into the contemporary/mainstream fiction arena. Forster takes us into the world of Marge Hairston, newspaper owner extraordinaire and the mother of three adult children. Marge Hairston has always had to be the strong and independent matriarch of the Hairston family. For years her life has revolved around her position as the owner of the Woodmore Times (North Carolina’s most influential African American newspaper) and the three children she raised alone after her husband’s death. So when Marge finds herself feeling a little more tired than usual she finally succumbs to her better judgment and goes to visit her family doctor. She is shocked to learn that she is terminally ill and only has a brief time to get her affairs in order. The first order of business is which one of her three adult children will take over the family business.
Meet Drogan, Marge’s oldest child and only son, who’s handsome but oftentimes manipulative while he constantly thinks only about his well-being. The second child is Cassie, Marge’s oldest daughter, who appears to suffer from ‘me-ism.’ Sharon, Marge’s youngest child, seems to be the most levelheaded and rational sibling. Sharon is the peacemaker of the family. She sees the best in everything and everybody almost to a fault. It is Sharon, who gives up her professional career in order to take over the day-to-day running of the Woodmore Times and to lead the newspaper into the next millennium. True to expectations, eyes roll, fingers snap, necks turn, ‘tudes mal-adjust and sparks fly as the baby of the family steps forward to handle HER business. Not only are the siblings at odds with each other, but they’re also at odds with their mother, their spouses and their world. Will their cherished close relationships survive? Will time heal all wounds? Will they be able to forgive, forget and reconcile?
When Twilight Comes by Gwynne Forster is a commendable departure into the mainstream fiction arena. Forster writes an engaging and touching story although at times I felt that the story got ahead of itself. Additionally, in the first few chapters I kept wondering what the big rush was. Why did decisions need to be made in a split second? I kept thinking will a day or two or even a week be too much to ask for when you have to make a major decision that will impact the rest of your life? These points aside, When Twilight Comes is still a book that I would recommend to others. Fans of Forster will especially enjoy her mainstream debut novel. Forster has piqued my interest with When Twilight Comes and I plan to test the waters again by reading her next romance novel titled “Once In a Lifetime” which is due out in July 2002.
Yasmin
APOOO BookClub
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Yasmin Coleman is a literary publicist and promoter, book reviewer and founder of APOOO Books and BookClub. In 2000, she founded APOOO, www.apooobooks.com, an online author and reader community dedicated to advancing African-American literature.
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