Rating: 
Summary: A Superb Read.
Review: Maxine Clair did a superb job of providing us with a slice of life and weaving a rich story line. Her characters were rich and she brought together many threads that eventually came full circle. The story is one that "by the grace of God," anyone of us could find themselves in. A young woman thinking she found love, finds herself pregnant and hopes against odds that he will rescue her and find happiness ever after. Ms. Clair gives us a wonderful glimps of life in the 50's/60's, blending Harlem, St. Louis,the age of jazz and life in the mid-west. Her language is pure sweetness. I savored the sweetness of her language, the rhythm, characters and story line. A wonderful read that ended too quickly. Well done.
Rating:
Summary: A Superb Read.
Review: Maxine Clair did a superb job of providing us with a slice of life and weaving a rich story line. Her characters were rich and she brought together many threads that eventually came full circle. The story is one that "by the grace of God," anyone of us could find themselves in. A young woman thinking she found love, finds herself pregnant and hopes against odds that he will rescue her and find happiness ever after. Ms. Clair gives us a wonderful glimps of life in the 50's/60's, blending Harlem, St. Louis,the age of jazz and life in the mid-west. Her language is pure sweetness. I savored the sweetness of her language, the rhythm, characters and story line. A wonderful read that ended too quickly. Well done.
Rating: 
Summary: Well-Written and a Good Read!
Review: Maxine Claire's debut novel is a beautifully written coming-of-age story about a young woman who struggles to overcome her past while enduring the decisions that she must live with in the present and moving forward to shape a better future.October Suite is primarily the tale of October Brown and her relationship with her sister, Vergie and the two elderly aunts who raised the girls after their father murdered their mother. October has always been independent, smart and strong-willed, in fact she renamed herself October simply because she liked the name. The story begins in 1950 where we meet October Brown as a twenty-three-year old who's living away from home for the first time. She's a Negro(we were Negroes then) living as a single, first-year teacher, in Kansas. Times were different then. Negro Female Teachers couldn't marry and they definitely couldn't have children out-of-wedlock. So when October is abandoned by her married lover after he discovers that she's pregnant, in order to get her life back on track, she has no choice but to move back home to Ohio with her aunts and her older sister. After the birth of her son, she's numb and suffering post-partum depression. Believing that she wouldn't be a good mother and knowing that her sister has always wanted a child, October decides to give her son to her sister Vergie and her husband. October moves back to Kansas for breathing room and to start over; eventually her broken heart mends and she moves on and starts dating again. But as the years move along she realizes that something is missing and decides that she wants her son back. The resulting conflict that arises threatens to tear apart the two sisters as they both search for what is right for October's son, David. As October struggles with her sister, her life is further complicated as a sub-plot is brewing which involves a confrontation with her parent's violent past. Set against the backdrop of life in the 50s, segregation and midwestern values, October Suite is a complex-yet easy to read and understandable storyline as well as a lyrical and eloquently written story. It's a timeless tale that has universal appeal that moves at a slow but powerful pace. The beginning was a little slow and it took me awhile to adjust to the author's writing style but once I did I was in for a wonderful read. Interspersed with a spiritual, although not a preachy flair, October Suite is a story about family, love, sisters, forgiveness and redemption. October Suite is a stellar debut novel from Maxine Clair; it's a timeless literary read that would make for a wonderful book group selection.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit s-l-o-w
Review: Normally, I am a very quick reader and can finish a book in 3-4 days. However, I bought and started this book in September and just finished it yesterday; only after forcing myself to. The basis for the story was good and a bit refreshing from some of the other plots that are prevalent in A/A fiction today. However,the book stalled in some places and too much attention was given to characters that we could have done without. The resolution of the father's whereabouts were a bit too "storybookish" and there were a lot of answered questions. Why did Aunts Frances and Maude keep such secrets from Vergie and October? Did James ever find out the truth? I think that the author could have used a few more pages to clarify some of these things instead of leaving us hanging.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet old-fashioned storytelling
Review: October Suite begins with a rich, lyrical tale of two sisters, October and Vergie, who are drawn together and apart by family tragedies. Readers are forced to take sides, but that could change by the end. The characters are quite vivid, and their voices are bold and passionate. Even the voice of the deceased mother is audible. The author's words shape October, her family, friends and colleagues like a potter molds clay. Ms. Clair moves with slow precision as she meticulously unveils the lives of these sisters. October and Vergie grow up and grow apart after October changes her name and her direction. She leaves town to pursue an education and career in teaching. Outside the classroom, October learns lessons about love, family, and friends. This old-fashioned story is sweet and rich. However, the story comes to an unusually abrupt halt - leaving readers wanting more or a 'suiter' ending.
Rating:
Summary: October Suite....
Review: October Suite is a coming-of-age story about a young woman who struggles to deal with her family and relationship issues. Lillian "October" Brown and her sister, Vergie, are sheltered orphans raised by their two aunts because their father murdered their mother in their presence. The novel begins when October leaves home in 1950 for the first time to begin her life as an educator. Her naivety gets her into "trouble" and she returns home to give birth to her son by a married man. She allows her married, childless sister, Vergie, and her husband to adopt the child and tries to resume her life. Along the way, she deals with her curiosity and details surrounding her mother's death, the loss of her Aunts, the upbringing of her son, her career, her relationship with men and her sister.
The novel starts slowly but we see October as she matures, grows, and develops into a caring and smarter woman. The novel wraps up a little too quickly in my opinion with the door open for a sequel. I would have rated it a 3.5 if allowed, but feel comfortable bumping it up to a four.
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic, Lyrical Novel
Review: October, a name she gave herself after her mother's death, falls in love with a man and ends up pregnant. Her problem, though, is that he's a married man and he wants nothing more to do with her or the baby. After delivering the baby, she decides that she's not fit to be a mother and she gives away her baby to her sister, Vergie, who's unable to have a child of her own. This story, set in the 1950's, was one of my favorites of 2002. The writing was lyrical and vivid and the story was unforgettable. Maxine Clair has a style of her own and she tells the kind of story that's, quite frankly, missing in most of the other books currently out on the market. If you're looking for an excellent and different book to read, look no further than October Suite.
Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic, Lyrical Novel
Review: October, a name she gave herself after her mother's death, falls in love with a man and ends up pregnant. Her problem, though, is that he's a married man and he wants nothing more to do with her or the baby. After delivering the baby, she decides that she's not fit to be a mother and she gives away her baby to her sister, Vergie, who's unable to have a child of her own. This story, set in the 1950's, was one of my favorites of 2002. The writing was lyrical and vivid and the story was unforgettable. Maxine Clair has a style of her own and she tells the kind of story that's, quite frankly, missing in most of the other books currently out on the market. If you're looking for an excellent and different book to read, look no further than October Suite.
Rating:
Summary: Here's one for your reading list
Review: They call October Suite a literary novel. All I know is that I enjoyed this story. It was written so vividly descriptive and lyrically that I felt as if I could see the scenes unfolding in front of me. Imagine you are a "colored" teacher in the 1950's in Kansas. You are held to a high standard and your every move is being scrutinzed. Then, imagine you meet a man only to find out he's married. He gives you the line of leaving his wife. Then imagine you find yourself pregnant and alone. You have to return to Ohio to your family to have a baby. You can't not bond with him and you give him to your sister. Imagine, a little later you decide you want him back, but you made a promise. What do you do? Once you pick up October Suite, you will see how Ms October Brown copes with her decisions. You will also find how events of her life early on effects her life later. I found this book to be a interesting story in a time period that has always interested me. It's a slow read, but one you will want to savor because the story is so good.
Rating:
Summary: The Saga of October Brown
Review: This is a thoroughly enjoyable read that continues the story October Brown from her debut in "Rattlebone". The story follows October Brown dealing with romantic rejection, motherhood, adoption, family expectations, and job uncertainty. Through it all, she's learning the important life lessons under the eye of her deceased mother. As a result, we see October growing into responsibility and maturity, and understanding the value of family.
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