Loving Donovan

Book Reviews / Monday, February 16th, 2015

IMG_1392Loving Donovan is the third novel I’ve picked up from Bernice L. McFadden.  And I surely won’t wait so long to pick up another.  I previously read Glorious and then Gathering of Waters.  I really enjoyed both of these books.  In light of Loving Donovan being re-released this year with a modern fresh new cover, I was enticed to pick it up.  Loving Donovan, as all of McFadden’s work, shares some unique characteristics that define particularities in her writing style.  She manages to balance character development and plot to a fault, particularly in this one.  The two principal characters Campbell and Donovan are developed from childhood to adulthood.  We are given the chance to know them integrally. The book is split into 3 main sections:  Her, Him, and Them.  Through Campbell’s and Donovan’s development, the story develops too, while we are introduced to a myriad of spirited characters and some thought-provoking situations.

McFadden is clearly adept in keeping the reader entertained, captivated, and on our toes to try to figure out what’s going to happen next.  The rich characters, life situations, and language all wrapped up in such a small book and saying so much is a feat.  You will laugh. You will be profoundly saddened and you will be rooting for love the entire time.  This book is about love of all types – family, friendship, romantic.  It’s also about how one becomes who they become and how family and unexpected encounters shape a big part of who they become and how they can change one’s life profoundly.  It is part coming of age story and part love story.  I think that’s what makes it so special.  I do feel that if you haven’t read any of McFadden’s work you should definitely give this one a try.  She is a contemporary African-American writer that I feel should be getting a lot more press.  I’ll surely continue to read through her many treasures to discover more of her touching memorable characters.  As a matter of fact, next month I’ll probably be picking up Sugar and This Bitter Earth, a two-part story about a young African-American prostitute called Sugar Lacey who moves to Arkansas to start a new life.

9 Replies to “Loving Donovan”

  1. You will definitely love Sugar and this bitter earth even if the main vilain of the story don’t get the deserved ending. But the character development, the plot and the setting of the story will somehow captivate you. You know i’m slow reader but i finished both books within a week because i wanted to know the end…My next read from her is certainly going to be Camilla’s roses. I love Bernice’s writing she’s great

  3. You know how you hear about an author and then forget them somehow? I have heard about this author and never read any of her works. I found them on my Overdrive (online library) and just added to my wishlist. I also added Sugar which I beileve is a series.
    Thank you for the recommendations. I have created quite a wonderful list from you and the rest of the participants of the Black History bloggers. I will be so sad when February 28th arrives.

    1. Thanks Belinda! I know what you mean. Sugar has a second book called This Bitter Earth. Glad you found them. You’re welcome and thank you for supporting and participating. Tori did 2 great videos today on mysteries. You must watch it. I’ll be sad too when it’s over, but we will all have pumped up TBRs and that’s kind of cool. 🙂

  4. I just finished reading Loving Donovan for the 3rd time since it was released. Read it this time in preparation for the Stoop Series in NYC this month (3/31/15) with Bernice McFadden and Terry McMillan. You will love Sugar and This Bitter Earth