Rating: 
Summary: Ball of Confusion
Review: How does a young woman keep her family together when secrets threaten to blow it apart? This is the dilemma of Lita Duchamp. Lita's family life wasn't exactly the American dream. Her father was a drunken loser who thought much too highly of himself. Her mother Helen was the breadwinner, a woman who knew how to earn, and ran the family business. Her sister Adele was a glamour girl with hot pants married to a sailor who thought the world of her. Then there were the young twins a last ditch effort by Helen to brighten her already dim marriage. This "idyllic" life was threatened by one Lucien Faure' who has one the heart of Adele and has a score to settle with Helen.Tervalon weaves a great story into a confusing ball of a book without the benefit of division by chapters. The reader knows that Lita is charged with keeping the family together, yet it seems that Helen is the actual heroine in this story. This reader isn't so sure that this was Tervalon's intention.
Rating: 
Summary: Moving
Review: I almost liked this one as much as Tervalon's Understand this. This is the story of a mother who's devasted when her daughther Adele start dating this guy Lucien, because of a secret she knows about him, from a earlier time in her life. The book is mostly told through Lita's eyes the middle daughter. This was a great book, although it had a lot of tradegy.
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Summary: Dead Above Ground
Review: I came into this, never before reading a Jervey Tervalon novel, and I must say hats off to the author, because this story is pure genius.
Tervalon paints pictures with his words as we travel in time to the 1940's, in the searing and humid city of New Orleans, Louisiana. We meet the Du Champ girls, Lita, and Adele who make up 2 parts of a family filled with deep secrets and much drama.
For the spirited and young Lita Du Champ, New Orleans is a place subjugated by her diligent mother, Helen who basically holds the family up. Devoted to her mother -- and sisters - she works very hard to keep the family together while making an effort to institute a life of her own.
When her beautiful, restive and MARRIED sister Adele falls in love with their mother's enemy, Lucien Faure -- a smooth operator with "the devil's good looks", Lita divulges her mother's mystifying past... With this new information, Lita finds that she has one last, frantic chance to save the destiny of the ones she loves.
Rating:
Summary: Dead Above Ground
Review: I dont have much to say, only that I have found it difficult to put the book down. I will most likely finish it this weekend and it will have only taken a week (and I work full time and do lots of community work outside of work, which does not allow much free time). I fit in reading about the Du Champs every chance I get. Mr. Tervalon's style just sweeps you up and gets you involved with the various characters. I look forward to reading his other novels.
Rating: 
Summary: Really interesting story
Review: I enjoyed reading this author's work. I read a great deal of books from all genre. I haven't read any of Mr. Tervalon's other work. This story was not one I would classify as mystery or suspense. It was a good story of the 1940s in New Orleans. The story that captured my attention was the tale of mother and children. The mother, who I believe to be the real heroine of this story, was a woman of amazing strength. I was surprised at the warmth and strength portrayed in the female characters by this male writer.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Job
Review: I enjoyed this book the author really kept me interested. The characters really came to life, a must read. I'm looking forward to reading his other books.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting read set in New Orleans
Review: I guess i had a misconception that this book was about the class system of New Orleans blacks. I soon found out differently.This story revolves around Lita, the daugher of Mama and Papa DuChamp. She is running things and taking care of everyone and she is getting married. Around this time, her mother is disowning her older sister Adele because of the man (Lucien) she chooses to be with. Mama DuChamp has to explain to Lita why she is so against this relationship. She tells Lita a story about Adele that explains her actions and reactions. It also explains the actions of Lucien. Now, If I explain I would give it all away, so you will have to read the book. There are other interesting characters such as Aunt Dot and Ruby. While I did not see this book as being an exciting mystery ride, it was intriguing in some places.
Rating:
Summary: Diamond in the rough
Review: I had never before heard of Jervey Tervalon before reading this book and I must say that I was impressed. From the first line of this book, I was captivated with the story of the Du Champs. Adele, married but still looking, fall into the hands of Lucien Fare who has the devils good looks and a history of murdering black women. Little does she know, he has some unfinished business for her and her mother Helen Du Champ, who saved one of his prostitutes several years earlier. This story of murder, love, and hate will not let you put the book down. I took it everywhere and I am about to look for the sequel, LITA.
Rating:
Summary: The real Jervey Tervalon???
Review: I haven't read the book, but is this the Jervey Tervalon who attended Foshay Jr. High School in Los Angeles in the 1970's and was interested in rockets? I also heard him on the radio in an interview for "Beneath the Surface". The story, based on a family history sounds fascinating. If this is the same Jervey, then "Hello and congratulations from your junior high science teacher!" :-)
Rating:
Summary: j'adore
Review: I love this book. I was so impressed. It was so good. At first I thought it was going to be a fluff book, where the writer substitutes New Orleans phrases, and sayings for real dialogue. But only a few pages into the book, and I was completely caught up. Everything about the book had a logical conclusion and flow. It had the right mix of tragedy and reward, the plot was interesting, the characters were real. In fact, the mother reminded me of my own mother, and grandmother. I loved the characters, espically the little boy. If you can read this book, you should. If you can give it to a friend, you should.
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