Friday, May 29, 2020

THE TALKING DRUM by Lisa Braxton _ BLOG TOUR



Review: 5 Stars

A fascinating and original exploration of urban "gentrification" from the viewpoint of the residents and shopkeepers most directly affected, rather than the upscale citizenry who directly benefit from sports stadiums, gourmet shops, and hugely expensive loft apartments. The characters are deeply delineated and the urban setting is brought vividly to life along with the concomitant issues, domestic, political, and socio-economic.

Info Sheet / THE TALKING DRUM by Lisa Braxton
THE TALKING DRUM by Lisa Braxton / Info Sheet
On sale date: May 30, 2020
Publisher: Inanna Publications
ISBN: 9781771337410
Price: $22.95
Buy Link: AmazonIndieBoundB&N 
Author website: www.lisabraxton.com
BOOK SUMMARY
In 1971, the fictional city of Bellport, Massachusetts is in decline with an urban redevelopment project on the horizon. The project promises to transform the dying factory town into a thriving economic center, with a profound effect on its residents. Sydney Stallworth steps away her law degree in order to support her husband Malachi's dream of opening a cultural center and bookstore in the heart of their black community, Liberty Hill. Across the street, Della Tolliver has built a fragile sanctuary for herself, boyfriend Kwamé Rodriguez, and daughter Jasmine, a troubled child prone to frequent outbursts.
Six blocks away and across the Bellport River Bridge lies Petite Africa, a lively neighborhood, where time moves slower and residents spill from run-down buildings onto the streets. Here Omar Bassari, an immigrant from Senegal known to locals as Drummer Man, dreams of being the next Duke Ellington, spreading his love of music and African culture across the world, even as his marriage crumbles around him and his neighborhood goes up in flames. An arsonist is on the loose. As more buildings burn, the communities are joined together and ripped apart. In Petite Africa, a struggling community fights for their homes, businesses, and culture. In Liberty Hill, others see opportunity and economic growth. As the pace of the suspicious fires pick up, the demolition date moves closer, and plans for gentrification are laid out, the residents find themselves at odds with a political system manipulating their lives. “It’s a shame,” says Malachi, after a charged city council meeting, where residents of Petite Africa and Liberty Hill sit on opposing sides. “We do so much for Petite Africa. But still, we fight.”
AUTHOR BIO
Lisa Braxton is an Emmy-nominated former television journalist, an essayist, short story writer, and novelist. She is a fellow of the Kimbilio Fiction Writers Program and was a finalist in the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University, her M.S. in journalism from Northwestern University, and her B.A. in Mass Media from Hampton University. Her stories have been published in anthologies and literary journals. She lives in the Boston, Massachusetts area. www.lisabraxton.com


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