Title: In the Heart of Texas
Author:Ginger McKnight Chavers
Published:October 2016, She Writes Press
Format:Paperback, 328 pages
Pitched as “a poor man’s
Halle Berry,” forty-one-year-old soap star Jo Randolph, has successfully
avoided waiting tables since she left Midland, Texas at eighteen. But
then, in the span of twenty-four hours, Jo manages to lose her job, burn
her bridges in Hollywood, and accidentally burn down her
lover/director’s beach house—after which she is shipped home to Texas by
her agent to stay out of sight while she sorts out her situation.The
more Jo reluctantly reconnects with her Texas “roots” and the family
and friends she left behind, the more she regains touch with herself as
an artist and with what is meaningful in life beyond the limelight. The
summer of 2007 is cathartic for Jo, whose career and lifestyle have
allowed her to live like a child for forty years, but who now must
transition to making grown-up decisions and taking on adult
responsibilities. In the Heart of Texas is a wry, humorous
commentary on the complexities of race, class, relationships, politics,
popular culture, and celebrity in our current society.
What readers are saying:
“Funny, smart and compulsively readable! Ginger McKnight has a hit on
her hands. And Terry McMillan fans can rejoice that they can add a new
favorite writer to their list!”—Heidi W. Durrow New York Times best-selling author of The Girl Who Fell From the Sky
“Everything is bigger in Texas―the hair, the real estate, and the drama in the pages of In The Heart of Texas.
Forty-one-year-old soap star Jo Randolph manages to lose her Hollywood
dream and burn all Tinseltown bridges in the span of 24 hours―literally.
Caught in a PR nightmare, her agent ships her off to her Texas hometown
and she desperately tries to reconnect to life beyond the limelight.” —PopSugar
“Ginger
McKnight-Chavers expertly fuses politics, pop culture and hot topics
surrounding race to create one of the most rousingly inspiring reads of
fall.” —Redbook Magazine
“Readers seeking a
peek behind the scenes of Hollywood will want to rush out and get this
debut novel. First-person narrative can be tricky, but McKnight- Chavers
nails it.” —RT Book Reviews, Top Pick
“There’s quite
a bit to like about McKnight-Chavers’ debut novel…The bold move of
writing about the challenges of a interracial relationship offers a
fresh take on romantic comedy themes.” —Library Journal
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In the Heart of Texas by Ginger McKnight Chavers is one of BookSparks “Fall Reads” reading selection picks.
Follow the #FRC2016 hashtag on twitter to read reviews on this book as well
as reviews on the other fall books! Also, be sure to check out the BookSparks Facebook page for the#FRC2016 #Shelfie Grand Prize Giveaway and other fun links.
This sounds like a good one. Sometimes we get blinded by all that's out there in life.