«Here and Now» by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Already at the top of the Blackboard Bestseller List, this critically acclaimed new voice in African-American literature is both passionate and vibrant. In this, Kimberla Lawson Roby's second novel, strong characters explore the complexities of such real life issues as relationships, single parenthood, and infertility. Racquel and Marcella are sisters with very little in common, except that each wants what the other has. Racquel has a beautiful house, a fulfilling career and a loving husband. But driven by her desperate longing for a child, she is alienating her husband and family. Marcella is a single mom, trying to support her two children with a low paying job, food stamps, and occasional child support from a deadbeat ex-husband. She won't allow anyone to interfere with her dream for a better lifestyle, not even her own children. Narrator Donna Bailey skillfully renders the emotionally powerful experiences of two women as they learn to accept their losses. Sometimes funny and often heartbreaking, their story touches listeners with a message of healing and hope.