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     Ferociouskitty Veteran Poster Username: Ferociouskitty Post Number: 780 Registered: 02-2008 Rating: N/A |
Just finished this memoir by a black single dad in his early 40's who became his kids' primary caregiver after his wife had a New Age-change-of-life experience and divorced him when their youngest child was not yet a toddler. Ellis's devotion to his young son and daughter fairly leaps off the page, as does his longing to find love again (he is truly a hopeless romantic). From Internet dating to boyz-gone-wild trips to Vegas and Brazil to a synthetic vulva, he tries it all. ;-) This memoir is at turns hilarious and heart-rending. In addition to Ellis's loneliness, bad luck with women, and struggles as a writer, we also learn about his mother's suicide and his father's death as a result of AIDS, when he was 16 and 22, respectively. I found it interesting that Ellis, who writes at HuffPo about Obama and other topics, is black and "black-identified", doesn't delve much into race issues as they relate to his dating life. He dates women of all colors, unapologetically. I'll admit to being somewhat "conditioned" to expect that when a black man writes a book, he will probably do so as a Black Man, with race issues and racism as the focus. Ellis does a commendable job of not ignoring race entirely (hair and color issues with his young daughter, for example), while still telling his personal story authentically. He's a fantastic storyteller. |
