God Don't Like Ugly

The book was good I highlighted the passages about the Lord & his work they felt comforting to me. In this book I really didn't have a favorite character everyone made me mad in their own right. But , Florence shes the one I liked, wish there was more about her I did truly feel sorry for Annette but when she continued to let the abuse happen and then go to that negro when she needed something made me upset. Then when she got older and let the past consume her I really felt she needed counseling, or at least tell her mother What was going on. These black folks in this book turned a blind eye to everything...... I hate the fact Annette went through all this bull crap and barely changed she's still overweight, insecure , and not sure what she wants to do with her life ....... I was hoping she would grow out of the same mindset that held her back.

Mary Monroe is a master storyteller. God Don't Like Ugly has so many sub-plots and characters that it is a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing story. The basic plot revolves around a young girl, Annette who is being sexually abused by the live-in border Mr. Boatwright. Sexual abuse is a horrific crime no matter how you look at it but Mary Monroe captures the dichotomy of the relationship between Annette and Mr. Boatwright in a manner which few could. It would have been easy to paint Boatwright as an evil, old peg leg with no redeeming value but in reality life is not that black and white. Instead she shows how he cooks for the family, takes Annette to the market with him, to the movies and goes with the family to church and at times is kind to her, and then at night destroys it all by making Annette his victim.
But that is only part of the story. We have Rhoda Nelson, the beautiful, intelligent daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Nelson, the biracial Undertaker and his beautiful but fragile wife. Mr. Nelson's mother who is white lives with the family as does his half brother, Uncle Johnny. The Nelson's while they appear the very picture of a upwardly mobile black family with their big beautiful house, extravagant furnishings and fine cars have more than a few problems of their own.
You'll become enraptured in Annette and Rhoda's lives because they certainly have stories to tell, but save a little of yourself because there are a few others in this small circle of residents in the more affluent part of town who have stories they would like to tell you. Now Scary Mary, the local Madam has a few things she would like to share with you about herself and her 2 daughters and maybe even a little about the girls who "work" for her. Then Caleb and his son Pee Wee want to introduce themselves and share with you all the gossip you can handle. Annette's beautiful and hard working mother has a lot to tell you about life and how to go on no matter what. A few others will want to stop by . Uncle Carmine, Mr. Nelson's best friend and benefactor; Judge Lawson, Annette's mothers employer and "protector" who believes in looking out for his "girl",Uncle Johnny will stop by, if he's not in jail and Aunt Lola will stop by and drop a little knowledge.
As we follow Annette and Rhonda lives from childhood through adulthood others will introduce themselves, so be gracious and invite them in. You're guaranteed a riveting and entertaining time.

God Don't Like Ugly is a compelling and engrossing novel from first-time novelist Mary Monroe. Monroe takes us into the world of an overweight, shy, fatherless, insecure and lonely girl by the name of Annette Goode who's being sexually abused by the elderly boarder(Mr. Boatwright aka Buttwright) who lives with Annette and her single mom. Sexual abuse is a harsh subject to read about and an even harder pill to swallow. When it goes on for years and years one starts to question why and where was the mother when all of this was going on. Maybe the mother assumed that because Mr. Boatwright was an elderly man, with a peg leg and a church-going man that Annette would be safe in his care. Afterall he did have some good qualities...uum they were too insignificant to mention and didn't make up for the fact that he was a perp. Fortunately, Annette found a friend, Rhoda who she could share her secrets and dreams with. Rhoda was everything that Annette wasn't. She was attractive, slim, outgoing, daring and came from a middle-class family. There was no Buttwright around to secretly molest her. Rhoda was also revengeful and very overprotective of Annette. Rhoda had the courage to stand up to Buttwright and do the things that Annette was afraid to do.
This book is not only about surviving molestation, but it is about life and growing up in the 1960's and 1970's. Thank goodness there were some laugh out loud moments which made up for the sadness of the sexual abuse which went on for over a decade. One of Monroe's greatest strengths is her character development. The characters were so well developed they practically jumped off the pages! The cast of colorful characters included folks with names such as Scary Mary, Pee Wee, Flo, and Viola just to name a few. Additionally, GDLU was so vivid and graphic that the imagery appeared lifelike. Along the way Monroe gives us surprising and shocking plot twist and turns to keep us rapidly turning the pages. If I could change anything about the book it would probably be the ending...the story seemed to drag with the last 50 pages; I'm not sure they were necessary. That aside, Mary Monroe's writing style is fresh and captivating and I look forward to future reads from this talented author.

Overall, I absolutely loved the novel God Don't Like Ugly by Mary Monroe! I think this book was funny because the characters loved to gossip and talk about people. This book was also poignant and enjoyable because it left an indelible mark on me that changed my view of the past. Annette Goode, the main character and narrator is a shy, overweight girl who is troubled because she is sexually abused daily by Mr. Boatwright, a boarder from her church who her mother has taken in. Trying to find friends, Annette finally gives up all hope until one summer, when she turns thirteen. She meets Rhoda Nelson, a rich, powerful, beautiful, slim, green-eyed, light skinned, black girl. Soon after they become the best of friends and Annette reveals her shocking secret about Mr. Boatwright. As Rhoda tries to help Annette survive her teen-age years, Annette begins to find out a revelation of things she never knew about her best friend. People should definitely find this book interesting. I would definitely recommend this book for teens, young adults, adults, and seniors, especially those who like books by Mary Monroe or fictional books about the 1950's or 1960's. This book made me laugh, cry, and actually feel what the characters were feeling. The way Mary Monroe describes her characters is fascinating and completely fantastic. The settings which took place in Miami, Florida , Richland, Ohio , and Erie, Pennsylvania during the early 1950's through the late 1960's were absolutely perfect for the plot and the different chapters. Also, the story itself could be related to any time or era.

This was a very good story, particularly the characterization. Although some of them are easy to hate, they all come off as colorful, interesting, and alive. I liked how the motivation for Boatright's abuse is revealed after his death, and I also enjoyed Rhoda and her eccentric family. The town of Richland, Ohio seemed like a very real place, and the author's writing style kept things moving throughout the novel.
The few things I didn't like were the fact that all through the book, I was waiting for Annette to find some strength, but she remains passive and weak to the end. She never makes anything happen; she only lets things happen, even as an adult. Her moving away and the disintegration of her relationship with Rhoda are probably the only two decisions she makes. Rhoda was a very interesting character, and I would have liked to know a little more about what went on inside her head, and what made her do the things she did (and always believe she would never be caught.) PeeWee seems to want to be an important part of the story, but the author doesn't seem sure if he is or not. I would have liked for Annette to confront her mother (not even neccessarily in a bad way.) Her mother, like Rhoda, never has to answer for the wrong she did...although as a black woman in that day and time, I can understand how she could fall under the "did the best she could" shield, but to me she could have done much better.
However, this was a very good book, well-written, with a careful plot and real-life characters. Good Job, Ms. Monroe!

The title alone grasped my attention. I check God Still Don't Like Ugly from library and I was kinda lost in the book and I had to stop reading it when I found out it was A squeal. Then I check out God Don't like Ugly from library. What I have to say about this book is the author is a good writer, and she very detailed/descriptive. However, I was disappointed in the main character,Annette; For example, the way she allowed people to mistreat her and I just could not understand her reasoning for her not defending herself. Rhoda was a true friend and she did not like seeing Annette getting hurt.I didn't like how Annette suffered for so long and her mom did not have a clue. Then when Rhoda killed Mr Buttwright LOL, Annette started to annoyed me. I have the second book so I will read it but cant recommend it yet. I did like Gonna Lay Down My Burdens by this author it was much better book.

This good was a great read from beginning to end, the characters captured you from the beginning.
The story is surrounds Annette, a young black, obese, and poor woman. Her family is dirt poor and her father leaves Annette and her mother to fend for themselves, for a white woman. Annette is trouble with moving from month to month, until her mother lands a job for Judge Lawson . . a wealthy black judge who let them rent one of his homes.
Enter Mr. Boatright....a God-fearing church going man moves into the household as a grandfather figure to Annette. From day one this spells nothing but a life of misery and sexual abuse for the little 7 or 8 year old....
This books has twists and turns that leave you wanting to read page after page... It is really a book about how someone can try to shatter your self-esteem, self-confidence and all of those other self words...
This is a must read!!!

This book displays the abuse of a child that goes on each and every day by trusted friends and family members. Here we have Annette who has been instructed by her mother to do whatever Mr. Buttright tells her. At no point in the book did I feel sorry for Mr. Buttright. Yes, he had a bad childhood but that didn't give him the right to abuse a child. Later in life, Annette becomes friends with Rhoda who is pretty and appears to have a good life but Rhoda has some serious issues going on.
Annette's mother was just plain blind . She couldn't see that something was wrong with her child from day to day. Maybe she didn't want to see it. After all, Mr. Buttright was going to marry her after Annette finished school. Scary Mary, the blind girl, Viola and Peewee all played a major part in making this book one that will remain with me for some time. This novel comes highly recommended. Mary Monroe, I applaud you. Excellent work. Be Blessed!

I had no intention of buying this book, but something about the cover caught my eye. After reading the jacket I thought ok sounds good I love sistafriend books.
Every character in this book reminded me of someone I once knew or someone in my family. If I had a gun I would've shot Mr Boatright, Annette's mother truly got on my nerves with her not seeing self. How can you nto see your child in pain and agony, how can you not see a child has a secret she needs to tell.
I loved the Rhonda character, she was made out as a princess to Annette but Annette saw through her glass house and realized she had cracks in her windows just like she did. The friendship and secrets they shared I thought would bond them forever, but what tore them apart was enough strain for anyone.
There's another character in the book I loved but her name escapes me shewas the blind girl who had the gift of knowing and the insight of a grandma.

What a book! Mary Monroe has definately done a fine job with adding to the much needed market of good books.
God Don't Like Ugly takes you into the world of Annette Goode, her mother and Mr. Boatwright, a wonderer who becomes a live-in grandfatherly family addition. As the story moves on, you quickly learn that Annette and Mr. Boatwright don't see eye to eye on things and Annette begins to feel that Mr. Boatwright doesn't necessarily have her best interest at heart.
Then along comes Rhoda, who befriends Annette and after sharing her thoughts and feeling with Rhoda about Mr. Boatwright, Rhoda decides it's time to teach Mr. "Buttwright" as Rhoda calls him.......a lesson he'll never forget.
Entertaining and a page turner until the very end, God Don't Like Ugly is a definate read for all who would enjoy a good book!

Annette's storyline was very depressing. If it hadn't been for the inclusion of Rhoda, I would have stopped reading the book after the first few chapters. I think Rhoda should have been the protagonist--not Annette. How many persons can say they have a friend like Rhoda who risked so much to help them? Other elements in the book were so incredibly pathetic that I wanted to rip the book to shreds. For example, in later years, Annette regrets having an abortion as the result of rape; her mother admits to having an affair with the rapist (although she doesn't know about the rape); Annette wants to pursue a relationship with her low-down father; Annette turns down office jobs to continue working in a greasy factory; and Annette has the nerve to discontinue her relationship with Rhoda when she should have been worshipping the ground on which Rhoda walked. WHAT WAS THE AUTHOR THINKING??

this book was excellent and i recommend this book to all people of age and race. this book touched me and its filled with drama and you cant put it down.....mary monroe did a wonderful job of the characters. its about a girl named annette and her best friend rhoda. well annette has some issues going on. the first reason in that she's fat. her mother is always working and the have a man thats living with them because he has no where to go and he, well lets just say he does some things thats just not right, i dont want to spoil it. then next door is rhoda, shes annetes best friend and her whole family is twisted, from her mother to her grandmother, and she does things thats just not right. i know you will enjoy this book as much as i have

having been sexually molested as a child, reading about the atrocities visited on annette brought me to anguished tears throughout the book. i could truly feel for her plight and CAN feel for the plight of those thousands of innocents (girls & boys) who are going through this horrific nightmare on a regular basis. ms. monroe makes it no less palatable because she puts it in novel form. for those of us who "don't want to read about it" don't, but DON'T turn your back(s) on the fact that it DOES happen, and IS happening, quite possibly to a little girl (or boy) you see and perhaps KNOW personally. annette survived the trauma with good sense. most of us do. it's the ones who CAN'T live with it that we hear about on the news. the thousands of us who deal with it and "go on" you'll never know. this book is worth reading if only to open the eyes of some who think it can't happen to them or theirs. believe me, it can.

I passed by this book a countless amount of times based on the title alone I was un interested. Well to make a long story short I found Mary's other book "Upper Room" at Target and fell in love with her writing style so I went to the store and bought a bunch of her other books this one included, I just love Annette, PeeWee, Muh'dear and even Rhoda and Scary Mary.

Mary engages you into each character but she does not force you to pick a side. She shows bad and good sides of each character even evil old Mr.Buttwright.

This is a great read that will have you laughing and sometimes close to crying. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story.

This story has some interesting twists and turns, that causes one to want to continue reading from the first page on. The story is from the point of view of the main character, Annette. A shy overweight little girls who has a big secret. She lives in Ohio with her mother who works terribly hard, and they are barely scraping by. So her mother takes in a boarder, Mr. Boatwright, so that she could have help with the rent, and help ends meet. But everything went downhill from there. Annette was raped by Mr. Boatwright on a daily basis starting at the age of seven and for the next ten years while her mother is at work, which caused her to turn to food and keep this secret from her mother, and anyone else for that matter. Annette's mother was so wrapped up in herself and her work, that she didn't even notice that anything was wrong with her daughter. She was blind to what was happening. This book makes one wonder, what it is like to keep a huge secret like that to yourself. Why wasn't Annette able to tell her mother what was happening? Yes, she was afraid no one would believe her, but it just saddened me. A mother should know when something is not right with their child.
After being raped for years, a pretty girl named Rhoda moves in down the street with her family. Rhoda is one that is full of drama, and excitement. She was everything that Annette wasn't. But the two girls become great friends, and Annette eventually tells Rhoda what Mr. Boatwright was doing to her. Rhoda comes to the conclusion that he needed to be stopped from doing that horrible act, so she does something that may surprise you!
At times I was frustrated with Annette for just letting Mr. Boatwright abuse her. I think she could have told her mother, and she could have stopped him somehow. Yes, he may have threatened to hurt her, but if I were her, it would have made me feel better to at least try to break free and let someone know. There are other characters in the book that are quite interesting, and will may you think, "hmmm?". They are filled with anger, gossip, and so much into self.
This books is great for those who love suspenseful, melodramatic, keep you on you toes reads. It keeps your attention, and makes you think about your own life, and what you would have done in some of the situations the characters were faced with. The author gave us real-life situations that happen everyday in the world, whether we admit it or not. As a reader, you may be surprised what happens, and what the characters do, but you will not at all be disappointed. I would recommend "God Don't Like Ugly" to teens through adults. There may be some topics in this book that kids shouldn't read, but Mary Monroe does a great job at keeping the language at ease.

Great book! Very sad and filled with all kinds of emotions.. One min you will laugh and the next cry.. I didn't think I would like it because its just to sad hearing about the old days, years before I was born, but I loved it.. I hate I read it so fast until I realized there's a whole series ?.. can't wait to read the next 5..

Normally, when I find a literary treasure, I put it away in order to read it again at a later date. This book was placed on my list of books that I will never read again. I found it depressing, unrealistic and the trials of the heroine, downright unneccessary. I could not relate to the main character and did not want to. This was one of the few times that I could recall reading a book that I truly did not enjoy. I kept reading and waiting for the author to redeem herself and help me discover something that I liked about the book in the process. It never happened, so this book goes on my "never again" list.

Annette is a characther that you have to feel sorry for, she's and overweight teenager who's abused by her mom's border Mr. Boatwright. Mr Boatwright a supposely chrisitan man, is never suspected of being a abuser. Rhoda is Annette's beatiful best friend who she confides in. Rhoda helps Annette deal with Mr. Boatwright in a way Annette never would have imagined. As the book goes on, Annette finds out things about Rhoda, that she just can't deal with. I throught the book was good, but so very sad, and it's an eye opener for parents that let other people stay in your house.

Jasmine W. Lowe
�God Don�t Like Ugly�
God Don�t Like Ugly is a story of a girl name Annette Goode. Annette was a shy, overweight, dark-skinned young girl who went through a lot during her life. When she was young her and her mother moved and a man name Mr. Boatright moved in with them. Throughout the first year Mr. Boatright replaces the absence of little Annette�s dad. In the second year Mr. Boatright starts sexually abusing Annette who was only seven years old. he continues to do it for the next ten year of Annette�s life.
When Annette moved into her new house she meets a girl name Rhoda, who becomes her life long friend. Rhoda is everything Annette would like to be, beautiful, strong, smart, thin, and light-skinned. Rhoda lives in a house with her father who is a Negro undertaker, her white grandmother, referred as Granny Goose, her white Uncle Johnny, and her brother Jock. Having Rhoda as a friend helps Annette in some ways and in some ways it doesn�t.
The book was very interesting, I never was bored once reading it. It�s an excellent novel. In some of the characters one might find characteristics of themselves. I can relate to Annette. Sometime I feel like the shy fat girl who has no friends and searchers for a person to confide in. The difference between Annette and I is that I haven�t been sexually abused. Then on the other hand, I feel like I can also relate to Rhoda. Sometimes a person has to stick up for themselves and not take so much drama from people. I really don�t like when people try to take advantage of other people. There is also a difference between Rhoda and I, some things that I thought Rhoda wasn�t cable of I wouldn�t do.
I recommend this book to people who love to stay reading and really interested in books. While reading the book you never want to put it down, you will always want to know what�s going to happen next.

This is an excellent book and I will purchase future novels from this author because I liked this book so much. I had everybody at my job reading this book and everybody had nothing but good reviews. I hated Mr.Boatwright with such passion that I myself wanted Annette to kill him, but that was not possible. Annette was not strong enough to do anything like that, after years of abuse and her father leaving her at a young age she was not capable of even standing up for herself. As I was reading the book I was expecing her to get counseling as an adult but she never did. Just like so many people in out community. I too wanted her to confront her mother about what was going on all of those years...no disrespect her but to let her know because instead of "serving up the judge" she should've been paying attention to her child. I really enjoyed reading this story and even though it was based on abuse you were still able to laugh out loud.

Spoiler alert**** This is a really good book but be warned *** The child in the story will be raped constantly. Normally I would not be able to read this type of thing but somehow in this story (credit to the author I am able to read the story without feeling completely ill. Great book good read and it's a series. You do not need to read them all to be able to enjoy them. But if you are going to read them start here first. The two young ladies in this book are very interesting.

I LIKED THIS BOOK, ALTHOUGH I HATED TO READ ABOUT THE TRAGEDIES THAT ANNETTE SUFFERED THROUGH AS A CHILD. WHAT DOES NOT KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER AND THAT IS EXACTLLY WHAT IT DID WITH ANNETTE. IT ALSO HELPED THAT SHE HAD THE SHOULDER OF HER BEST FRIEND, RHODA, TO LEAN ON. THEY STUCK TOGETHER WHEN THEY NEEDED EACHOTHER THE MOST. THIS BOOK HAS IT'S SHARE OF DRAMA AND IT KEEPS YOUR ATTENTION WONDERING WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT!!! THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPEN THAT YOU HAVE TO READ IT TO FIND OUT!!!!!

THIS BOOK WAS WELL WRITTEN AND THE STORY WAS WELL DEVELOPED.THE PROBLEM I HAD WAS THE FACT THAT ANNETTE ALLOWED THE SECUAL ABUSE TO GO ON FOR YEARS AND SHE DISN;T STOP IT ONCE SHE WAS OLD ENOUGH AND COULD PROBABLY HURT OLD BOATRIGHT (MAYBE WITH HIS OWN PEGGED LEG). HER MOTHER WAS TOO TRUSTING OF THIS STRANGE MAN JUST BECAUSE HE WAS INTRODUCED BY THE CHURCH.RHONA WAS A DEMON AND I THINK SHE WAS PROUD OF HER OWN ACTIONS. WHAT HAPPENED TO HER BABY WAS THE PRICE SHE HAD TO PAY.ALSO TO GRANNY GOOSE ,THE POLICEMAN AND APRIL. DAVID WAS A VICTIM.

The gift of self love was lost on young Annette. Unfortunately this extreme lack of self love and worth was noted by Mr. Boatwright. This book left my with my mouth open and my eyes teary. The life of Annette so related closely to my own that I could not help but become angered at the adults and her for being sooo blind. How can a child learn to trust when the ones who she is supposed look up to for protection are the very ones who are inflicting her emotionally and physically with so much pain. And Rhoda, God Bless as crazy as she was. There was only so much that she would take. This book takes you through an emotional journey that makes you wonder. "What would you do?" Hats off to the author for writing such an prolific novel on a very interesting friendship.

This was a truly amazing novel written by Mary Monroe. When I read the first page, I knew Mr. Boatwright was no good but anyways Annette suffered so much during her life time. Being raped and not having one good friend intil she meets Rhoda, Rhoda was a slim, beautiful green eyed girl that could have any man she wanted but in a way her and Annette we're still the same and shared the same interests. While reading this novel I felt tears down my eyes because how much the character suffered but at the end, Annette finds her way through without Rhoda when things start getting ugly. The title is not based on Annette's looks because she was a truly beautiful woman, I bet but it's based on what you do and what Mr. Boatwright and Rhoda did was defenitly ugly. If you love reading novels, any kind, read this one because this is real and it shows how real people suffer.

Overall this book intrigued me and I enjoyed reading it, but I was saddened by how little the women thought of themselves. Even as Christians they were willing to rationalize the usage of their bodies by men who were using and abusing them. There is prostitution, sexual abuse, and sex out of wedlock running rampant in their neighborhood and it's just a way of life for them. The main character never tells on her abuser because of fear. She feels sorry for HIM and cares for him in a strange way. It just goes to show how victims can be brainwashed into a sick attachment to their abusers. There is a sort of raw, sad, reality to this book that is rare. There is no wild, exciting plot line, just a long story of these women's lives and the realities they faced from when they were children through their adulthood.

This was a very good book. All the characters kept me guessing all the time and wondering what was next. Annette,her part was well thought out and written. She reminded me of some of the many foster children I've had come thur my house. Rhonda,was the most evil person within to be such a pretty and smart young lady but I guess with her baby's death I guess she got back some of what she deserved. Florence,sense of Mr. Boatwright been a very "NASTY" old man was so correct being that she couldn't see very well then not at all. I really enjoyed this book from chapter to chapter this is a must read.

I read this because the author was likened to Maya Angelo and Toni Morrison. They each wrote a book dealing with a young African American girl being raped ("I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and "The Bluest Eye", respectively). It is not an insult when I say that Mary Monroe is no Toni Morrison--no one else is. Only one artist is Leonardo da Vinci. "The Bluest Eye" was Toni Morrison's first book, and although she has implied that it is her weakest, it is a much more powerful book than "God Don't Like Ugly." If you like this book, then you should read "The Bluest Eye." Maya Angelo's book "I know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is also a beautifully written classic.

This book was SLOOOOOW and unnecessarily long. The author repeated herself, made goofs in the storyline, created characters with no depth or real emotion, and she is in dire need of a thesaurus. I don't think I will ever be able to hear the work "incredulous" again without thinking of this book. In addition, as someone who listened to the audio book I was tremendously disappointed with the performer (I guess that's what they are called) who stumbled on words and made no attempt to hide her swallowing and smoking sounds as she spoke. It was often gross to hear.

I personally love reading books that take place in the South in the early to mid 1900's of the African American experience. There's just something about it that I find so humbling. This book may not be for everyone as it really touches on the subject of child sexual abuse. The description was quite ronchi I didn't expect all that. The book was good but also frustrating. I'm disappointed that the author did not take the opportunity with this book to "out" the abuser. Instead she chose to keep the crime a secret and the shame remained on the victim. A huge aspect of this book was also on friendship. The development of the friendship was really nice, makes you remember that best friend you might have had back the school days. Good times:) the book ended with (once again!) some over the top drama. (...) I'm hoping that in the sequel, the secret of the crime will finally be revealed.

It took me along time to finally get through this one. It was very slow at the beginning, and ended up being alittle bit too predictable. Annette made me think she really enjoyed the relationship between her and Mr. Boatwright, and her mother was alittle bit too naive. Rhoda and her whole family were unrealistic, and the whole story seemed not to have a point. I thought it would be better than what it turned out to be.

I read this many years ago. Wish I could remember more details other than it was a book that stuck with me. I will have to re-read it and edit this someday. It is on my great African American Authors list.

God Don't Like Ugly is an understatement! The Author took this story in so many directions that she could have written another book. Annette's love and trust in her mother, should have allowed her to tell her about the awful things that were happening to her. Her obesity was never fully covered which was a problem within itself. Rhoda STRONG ISSUES!!! Rhoda's issues were never addressed. She had major issues that should have been discussed and maybe she and Annette's friendship could have developed and they both could have had true happy ending. Florence was the strongest and most positive character, it's too bad she came in at the end. We hope there will not be a sequel because there is so much rape, molestation and overeating that a reader can take in one book!
Sisters Interested in Reading (SIR)

A beautiful, warm, emotionally touching sorry. This is by far one of the best books I've read. When your in a situation such as the one Annette was one could only imagine how hard it would be to keep such a miserable secret to herself. Keeping in mind the time frame then compared to now, helps us appreciate that we should thank God that times have progressed to the point we don't have to keep ugly secrets as sexual abuse a secret. Each character was interesting in their own way. The power of love truly transends from the heart of a little girl who sacrificed herself for the love of her mother. I love a fast paced book, the action was non-stop. I am so looking forward to your next book. This was the first book of yours I've read and just judging by this wonderful accomplishment of yours it certainly will not be the last. You are going on my list of authors.

This was my first time reading a Mary Monroe novel, and I must say that I was impressed. The plot was the not usual kind where you could predict what was going to happen. It was original and unique. Look, I'm not the type of person to write a looong review on a book, so I'll end it here. I am sincere when I tell you that I really enjoyed it and the sequel to this book. (This one is better).