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Reviews and Comments
"I'm
very impressed with the vivid characterization here. From the self-conscious,
guarded, headstrong Deanie, the hilariously crass but needy Barett,
to the big-hearted Zerk, tortured by his past, and the quietly noble
Kojo, each character is unique, consistent, and nicely layered. Deanie's
struggle to discover and stand by beliefs in an adult world that is
constantly asking her to compromise is especially engaging. I also admire
the moral force underlying the narrative: The Kojo Hand makes
it clear that longing--whether for recognition, sex, fame, a sense of
belonging--can lead to destruction and isolation when people let their
desires blindly motivate them. But it also shows how people can act
positively on their desires, by making room in their dreams for loved
ones and friends. The Kojo Hand is a giving and humane novel,
exploring interesting and important human problems with a gentle hand." - Writer's Digest JD Reed, former Senior Editor, Time Magazine, and author of Free Fall and Pursuit of D.B. Cooper, says of the manuscript: "The Kojo Hand is a wonderful novel. It's a kind of Shane for baby boomers with a neat twist. Making teacher and student different sexes is a fine touch. Kojo is a truly magnificent character. I wish I'd known him. The cast is great." John Stewart, Professor of African-American and African Studies, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, and author of Last Cool Days, Curving Road, For the Ancestors and Looking for Josephine says of the manuscript: "The range of experiences and the ways the characters persist in their world are handled with considerable insight. There are some nice things there." Dr. Marcellette G. Williams, Interim Chancellor and Professor of English and Comparative Literature, The University of Massachusetts, Amherst, says of the manuscript: "Gatten's handling of his female narrator's point of view is deft and refreshingly 'faithful to the grain' (to borrow from Kojo Dedu's phrasing), as is his handling of the narrator's feelings about love in her relationship with her lover, managing even to 'incorporate the knots into the overall design.'" |
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