Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good but lacks focus
Review: Before I read this book, I thought it would be a very straightforward tale of betrayal, revenge and reparation. In some sense, it is just that. But there are so many other things going on in this book that I think the main story gets lost somewhere.The first 11 chapters of this book is a fairly tight and riveting story of Hosanna and Gilda's relationship. We hear the story of Hosanna and Gilda in Hosanna's first-person narration. It is post WWII L.A. Black people have not prospered the way they should have. Hosanna is a maid who is strong willed and ambitious. She doesn't want to wash people's floors for the rest of her life. Although an optimist, Hosanna is very emotionally hardened by the relentlessness of daily racism. At one point later on, Matriece, Hosanna's daughter says "She was born the wrong race and the wrong gender at the wrong time." There is a clear message even in these early pages that Hosanna could have been a success if it weren't for the tragedy of racism. Along comes Gilda who is a Jewish woman. She is, as seen through the eyes of Hosanna, a timid woman who is simply surviving day to day from the ravages of her past. She is a Holocaust survivor of the Nazi death camps. Because this first part of the book is told from Hosanna's viewpoint, we never get a real bead on Gilda. For me, she remained a very remote figure, even later on when the POV switches to the third-person omniscience of the author. She is molded not just by her experiences as a prisoner but also as a person who finds herself in Hosanna's forceful presence. Even though it is true that she takes off with the money she and Hosanna make from their small cosmetics venture, it is very difficult to actually hate Gilda. At about chapter 12 the focus shifts, in more ways than one. We are now in present day LA and Hosanna's daughter Matriece is living the bitterness of her mother. She is working for Gilda, who is now a cosmetics giant (think Estee Lauder) and biding her time to get the reparations she is owed. But this isn't the only story. The narrative splinters all over the place. We get a story of an unhappy singer and her relationship with her absentee dad. We get a story of a woman who is slowly losing touch with her son. We get a story of a man with a gambling problem who is desperate for money. We get the story of the directionless son of a powerful black businessman. There are a lot of little stories all interconnected that get a lot of attention but the main story of Hosanna's legacy gets buried somewhere amongst them all. Of course there are some interesting themes that run through all the stories. The treacherous waters of parent/child relations run through all the stories. Matriece and Hosanna's relationship is just a back-drop for all the other parental relationships in the story. And the title alone "What you owe me" is strongly thematic of the entire book. Reparations is a heavy undercurrent in here. Gilda's receipt of a check from a Swiss bank with the money from her parents' savings (including 50 years of interest) is just a tangible (and ironic) example. Everyone in the book is seeking some type of reparation for something owed. But while the message of reparation is unmistakably clear, the answers to the question it raises is not so clear. Is it worth the time, effort and emotional toll to seek what is owed or is it better make a fulfilling life with what you have? I wish the book had been more focused on Matriece's struggle and Hosanna's legacy. As it is, it becomes almost anticlimactic. I did like the book because, although I found these other people's stories somewhat distracting, I couldn't help but like them, become very involved in them and root for them. This is a testament to Ms. Campbell's the absorbing storytelling. While I can't give this book 5 stars, I do think it is a good absorbing read and I do recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Engaging Drama
Review: "What You Owe Me" is an engaging five-hundred-thirty-three page drama that was well worth the wait. While having the multi-layered developmental syle of the master storyteller, Morrison, [Toni], Campbell's books are far easier to read, and have such a natural flow that they become can't-put-down books. Campbell's gift is her ability to make characters in her book come to life. In each of her books, the character's voice is clear and distinctive. As a writer, who happens to be Black, Campbell delivers a well-written story for readers, regardless of ethnicity. Ms. Campbell's personal appearance exudes meticulousness, which is even more apparent in her writing. Campbell is obviously dedicated to her craft and takes pride in producing quality not quantity. Again, "What You Owe Me" was worth the wait. I can't wait 'till my book group discusses "What You Owe Me," as I'm anxious to hear whether or not they share my opinion. If I were to rank Ms. Campbell: Tied for #1 Your Blues Ain't Like Mine, & What You Owe Me, #2 Sweet Summer, #3 Brothers and Sisters, #4 Singing in the Come Back Choir. I've alreay cast the movie. However, a television series would work.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I am a huge fan of Ms. Campbell's having read all of her previous novels and I eagerly awaited the release of this novel. Although I thought the basic storyline was good, I felt that there were far too many different characters and too many 'sub-stories'. I would have liked to have seen some of the characters and storylines eliminated (Blair/Porter/Judd..Kent/Peggy/ Jolie..Rachel) as such characters were not central or critical to the main story. Perhaps this would have allowed the author the opportunity to spend more time developing more emotional aspects of characters such as Asia, Sam and Tavares. I also found the book to be relatively predictable and thus, it lacked the unique quality I have come to appreciate in some of Ms. Campbell's other works. I thoroughly enjoyed Brothers and Sisters, Successful Women, Angry Men, Your Blues Ain't Like Mine and Singing in the Comeback Choir. In comparison, this novel was extremely disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Warm, Real, and what life is all about
Review: I could not wait to get my hands on Ms. Campbells novel as usually she makes me wait but she never disappoints me. The title is so good because the way that Hosanna led her life and never let go the hurt and anger and it was only a legacy she gave to Martrice. I cannot say much but READ IT it is worth the money and it is rich literature. The character's could be any group that is not reconized by society and one that is. It was wonderful. I cannot wait until she writes again. Ms. Campbell's writing has matured as she has. I want more.
Rating:
Summary: SIMPLISTIC, EASY READING!
Review: This book has a good plot, even though it did not move at an extremely fast pace. It was an enjoyable book but considering the length of the book and the numerous flaws in character development and dialogue, I would not likely read it again if I knew at the beginning how drawn out the book would be. "What You Owe Me" could have been written in a lot fewer pages and still told the same story. On the positive side, the realtionships among the characters in this book intertwine dramatically and the plot is full of twists and turns, even though some are quite predictable. The main flaws in the book are the rather weak, stereotype characters, and often painfully stilted, mundane dialogue, particularly that of the main characters Hosanna, Gilda and Matriece. Gilda, a Holocaust survivor, comes from a family who owned a cosmetic factory. She meets us with Hosanna, a maid in a luxurious Los Angeles hotel. The two go into business and become quite successful until Gilda and her husband empty the bank account and flee. Hosanna dies and her daughter, Matriece, is determined to attain the success in the cosmetic industry her mother failed to achieve and is taken under Gilda's wing. The two women bond until the truth of Matriece's identity is revealed. Revenge gives way more positive emotions and the story has a happy ending. The plot takes many different directions and, while it is not an action-filled suspense novel, it does have enough diverse sub-plots to keep the reader's attention providing one can endure the stiff, prosaic dialogue.
Rating:
Summary: Bland & Too Long
Review: I have to preface this review by saying that Bebe Moore Campbell is one of my all-time favorite authors and I LOVED her other novels. But this is by far her worst. First of all there are too many subplots that are unnecessary to the the central story. Not to say that they aren't intriguing, however, she would have been better off leaving them out and using them as plots for another novel. While they do all somehow tie together, they don't tie together in a relevant way. The central plot is about the betrayal of a black woman named Hosanna who started a cosmetics company with a while, jewish woman named Gilda in the late 1940s. Gilda ends up disappearing and runs off with the money that they both earned and eventually builds a cosmetics empire of her own. Hosanna's anger and pain is passed down to her daughter Matriece who goes to work for Gilda and vows to eventually collect what was owed to her mother. If Campbell had focused solely on this theme, without delving off on tangents involving her relationships with her long lost father, or her relationship with her nephew and sister's family, I think the novel would have been better served. As I said, these subplots were interesting, but perhaps she could have saved them for another book, or perhaps a sequel to this one. The characters were thin and stereotypical: the deadbeat dad; the famous, lonely and unhappy rock star; the son & daughter who feel overshadowed by their powerful father and mother, etc. This book could have be tighter by losing 200 pages. I hate to criticize any of Campbell's books because she is so talented. So on that note, I will HIGHLY recommend reading some her earlier works like "Your Blues Ain't Like Mine", "Brothers & Sisters", and "Singing in the Comeback Choir." Those are GREAT books. ...
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing, page turner
Review: It's very rare that I call a book a page turner, but this was one of those books that was impossible to put down. From the very first chapter where the ghost of Hosanna Clark begins her narrative and the vivid images Ms Campbell draws with each character, I am sorry that the book had to end. This is the story of two women, (one black, one white) who meet when they are working as maids in a hotel. The black woman, Hosanna, who is transplanted from Texas befriends Gilda, a Holocaust survivor and together the two of them feed off each other's strength and draw the best out of each other . They soon use that strength to begin a cosmetic company marketing to black women. But Gilda skips out on Hosanna and all Hosanna can do is funnel her anger and hate for Gilda into her own company and pass on her grudge to her daughter Matriece. What follows is a book that forces all of the characters to confront their choices in life, and makes everyone examine what a grudge can do to the soul, how secrets can devour your life, and how the act of forgiveness can be cleansing. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to laugh, cry, and feel inspired all at the same time.
Rating: 
Summary: Corporate Revenge
Review: Los Angeles in 1948 marks a crossroads for both Hosanna Clark and Gilda Rosenstein. Both are running from violent pasts. Hosanna from the vicious mob that raped her sister and stole her family's farm and Gilda from the death camps of Nazi Germany. Tapping their resilient inner strength, the two women manage to start a small cosmetics company catering to women of color. But their success doesn't last long because one day Gilda simply disappears taking all of the small company's assets with her.
Gilda's defection plants a bitter seed of retribution inside Hosanna that lives even beyond the grave and continues to grow inside her youngest daughter, Matriece. Gilda has resurfaced many years later and heads one of the most successful cosmetics companies in the world. Now it's time for Matriece to collect her dead mother's due.
Bebe Moore Campbell skillfully revisits a period when black people were migrating to Los Angeles with little more than dreams. It is a story that spans fifty years and all the poignant drama of three dynamic women, their friends, children and lovers. It is tantalizing, edgy, and sexy at times; sure to keep you turning the pages to discover who comes out on top in this corporate drama.
Rating:
Summary: Long, but Pleasurable
Review: This book may have been long, but i still enjoyed every bit of it. There were several characters other than the main character Matriece, and the late mother who is the opening narrator, Hosanna. Each and every character is well-developed. The author does a good job of making sure that the reader understands the viewpoints of each character. It was simply amazing. Trust me, each character contributes significantly to the whole of the story.
Hosanna is the mother of Matriece and Vonette, who are as different as night and day. However, Hosanna is now deceased, but still watches over her daughters, especially Matriece, who has the power to seek the revenge she never lived to pursue. Will Matriece fulfill her late mother's wishes in the end? You should definintely read this story to find out. This is a nice long read that entertains at best. I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Paid In Full
Review: I was surprised at some of the not so good reviews, but as a published author myself, I realize that the taste buds of readers vary. I, personally, was not intimidated by the size of the book. If grade school kids aren't intimidated by Harry Potter books, then I can't imagine grown folks being intimidated by this book. Size matters. The bigger the better. I love a nice long book I can spend time with. Quickies are okay sometimes. I must admit, I enjoyed the book more in the beginning chapters when it was being told in first person by Hosanna. But when the story switched to third person and started documenting Hosanna's daughter, Matriese's, life, I thought: Wow, this is a brilliant switch up. It was as if Hosanna had passed the torch to the next generation. In being truthful with this review, I must say that Hosanna brought such a fiesty kick to the story. I was hoping Matriese would have that same fiesty attitude and I was dissapointed when she didn't. This is why I give the book four stars instead of five. A fiesty headstrong character adds spice and kick to a fiction novel. So when the story switched to third person, it did lose that kick, but it didn't lose good story telling. I did start to wonder what the deal was when characters starting turning up here and there, but I'm patient. I knew, from the reputation of Mrs. Campbell that proceeded my reading this novel, that the story would tie together. I wasn't one bit worried. For a minute I even felt like I was watching a version of the soap opera The Young and the Restless. This is my first time reading one of Ms. Campbell's books and this is the first time I have ever written a review on amazon.com (and for another author under a different publishing house than mine to say the least). But this was just one of those books that I felt compelled to share my thoughts on. I once saw Mrs. Campbell speak. Well, actually I saw her twice. It was once in New Orleans at the Essence Music Festival and once in California where she spoke along side Eric Jerome Dickey, Omar Tyree, J. California Cooper and an up and coming author. It was in California where I heard her read an excerpt from this title. I knew I had to have it right then and there. Because of my own writing schedule, it has taken me all the way up until now to get to this book. Besides the excerpt Mrs. Campbell read, one other thing I remember during one of her speaking engagments was that Mrs. Campbell was asked if she had ever read a book and thought to herself "I wish I had written that book myself". She responded with a book by Toni Morrison. If someone was to ask me that same question today I would respond "What You Owe Me" by Bebe Moore Campbell. Avid readers who are not initially intimidated by the size of the novel will appreciate it more so than a virgin to the likes of true literary works who, of course, will be intimidated by size. I've come to learn that how well you enjoy a book is partly based on your attitude and preparations before indulging. I'm not saying that just because you prepare yourself a nice hot bubble bath and a chilled drink before reading a book that that is going to make the book good, but some literary works require preparation. I take reading seriously and I, like many other things in life, like to prepare myself. If you are looking for a quick read, then this is not the book for you. If you are looking for an enjoyable read with excellent plot and crafty word structure, this is worth the investment of your time and money. Before opening the book Mrs. Campbell owed me an excellent read. After completing it, the debt is paid in full!!!
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