I Reccommend “The Best Kept Secrets” By Kimberla Lawson Roby
Posted by caclarkfrieson on May 5, 2006
Because I am a writer, and I love to write, I also love to read the work of other African American writers.
This week, I’d like to recommend one of the best, most entertaining books I’ve ever read. It is The Best Kept Secret, by Kimberla Lawson Roby. THE BEST-KEPT SECRET (William Morrow/An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; Released February of last year; ISBN: 0060734434).
Kim is a New York Times best selling author of 9 fantastic novels. I had an opportunity to meet Kim last April while attending the Indianapolis Book Fest. She was there as the keynote speaker for the Indiana Public Library, where she shared insights on how she developed her characters and her writing process.
Well I must say I really enjoyed this book. Actually “enjoyed” is an understatement. The book is awesome!
Out of her brilliant imagination, Kimberla Lawson Roby has fashioned a black preacher, by the name of Reverend Curtis Black. He’s a handsome, charismatic, philandering minister whom she introduced in an earlier novel entitled Casting the First Stone and revived in the bestselling book, Too Much of a Good Thing. So, in The Best Kept Secret, Reverend Curtis Black is back again—but this time things are different. Curtis has learned the true meaning of faith, love and responsibility and has met his match in his third wife Charlotte. He has mended his ways, is devoted to the ministry and is happier than ever. His past indiscretions, however, will not go unpunished. A bit of divine justice is handed down when a terrible secret is revealed and Curtis’s life undergoes more chaos than ever before.
When Curtis Black was introduced in Casting the First Stone he resonated with readers because he is readily recognizable to them. Many have seen their own ministers, or simply the men in their lives, abuse their status in the same way that he did. Because of the many thousands of letters she received asking if his comeuppance was at hand, Roby brought him back in Too Much Of a Good Thing. Upon its release Publishers Weekly raved, “This novel should be her biggest hit yet,” and a hit it was. Too Much of A Good Thing placed Roby on the New York Times extended best-seller list and held a place on the Essence best-seller list for six consecutive months, enjoying the #1 spot for three.
When reading The Best Kept Secret, my emotions went from one extreme to another, I laughed out loud and I had some tearful moments. And a few times I felt a little sorry for “the good Reverend.” When Charlotte was in the hospital and she was telling her parents about the situation with Matthew, and her being pregnant again. I rolled on the floor when her father got in her case and started talking about the things that her mother used to do. And like Anise said, “The apple really don’t fall far from the tree.”
When she told her parents that she was pregnant again and wasn’t sure who the father was, I could have died laughing when the father said, “You’re just full of surprises aren’t you?” I could just picture that scene.
After The Best Kept Secret, many readers demanded that Kim might as well take Curtis Black all the way on and on, until it’s time for him to meet his maker. Having said that, many readers believe that Charlotte needs to pay her dues (seed time and harvest). They insist that Charlotte can’t come out this good. We have so see Matthew grown and he must find out just how scandalous his mother really is. So he has to find out the truth about his father. And the good Reverend still has to find out that his last child really isn’t his. Maybe she’ll need a blood transfusion or inherit some mental issues from her father in order for Curtis to find out the truth. But whatever it maybe I can’t wait to read all about it.
How many secrets were there? Some say they identified three main secrets. The interesting element was seeing how the secrets unfolded as we read the book. As they evolved, the secrets became more scandalous. As soon as we thought things were slowing down for the characters, another bombshell was dropped – very clever! Definitely not a predictable text.
It’s sad that this plot is stereotypical for many African American congregations. Let us just state that this is not true for every African American congregation; many of us have integrity and work to build God’s kingdom here on the earth. However, the bible states that Satan goes around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour; therefore, no one is exempt from being tempted into sin. In fact, James tells us that we are drawn away by our own lusts. So, we shouldn’t blame the devil or others for the choices we make. The devil is doing exactly what he does, so we really need to look within ourselves. It is ultimately our choices that yield us into being slaves to deception or overcomers by the true knowledge of His Word. People are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
This book was awesome. It taught powerful uplifting messages about love, forgiveness and the evils of loving money. It was a well-written plot-driven story. I finished in about 3 days. I already own two of Kimberla’s books, and looking forward to collecting all of her novels.
After reading The Best Kept Secret, I was prompted to go back and buy Too Much of a Good Thing, so I could play catch-up on the good Reverend’s escapades. If you haven’t already bought and read it by the time I finish, we’ll chat about it in another issue of The People’s Voice.
Copyright 2005 by Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson
This article was composed and written by Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson, and appeared in the May 5, 2006 edition of The People’s Voice African American Weekly News (http://www.peoplesvoiceonline.com/). This article may be reprinted with permission from the author:
Charlotte A. Clark-Frieson
email: caclarkfrieson@msn.com
322 Wilkie Clark Drive
Roanoke, Alabama 36274
334-863-4885
334-338-1149
