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P.G. County #1
P.G. County
In the sprawling homes and upscale townhouses of the exclusive, largely African American Prince George’s County, the lives of five women intersect–and the secrets, scandals, loves, and losses that ensue are par for the course where power, beauty, and wealth reside.
Barbara is the most influential woman in this swanky neighborhood, but she’s got her hands full–one hand is busy dealing with her husband’s wandering eye, while the other always needs a cocktail glass. Jolene is half of P.G. County’s number-two couple–and she desperately wants what she doesn’t have: namely Barbara’s husband. Pearl owns a hair salon and lives on the outskirts of the posh community with her son, Kenyatta. She’s not only juggling a growing business and a bad divorce, but now she’s has to cope with Kenyatta’s less-than-ideal girlfriend. Candice is white and liberal, but her daughter’s new beau tests her beliefs–and opens a can of worms she never knew existed. Lee is a runaway teen, a girl whose only connection to her father is an old photo and the belief that he’s well-off and waiting for her in . . .
P.G. COUNTY
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Barbara is the most influential woman in this swanky neighborhood, but she’s got her hands full–one hand is busy dealing with her husband’s wandering eye, while the other always needs a cocktail glass. Jolene is half of P.G. County’s number-two couple–and she desperately wants what she doesn’t have: namely Barbara’s husband. Pearl owns a hair salon and lives on the outskirts of the posh community with her son, Kenyatta. She’s not only juggling a growing business and a bad divorce, but now she’s has to cope with Kenyatta’s less-than-ideal girlfriend. Candice is white and liberal, but her daughter’s new beau tests her beliefs–and opens a can of worms she never knew existed. Lee is a runaway teen, a girl whose only connection to her father is an old photo and the belief that he’s well-off and waiting for her in . . .
P.G. COUNTY
From the Trade Paperback edition.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
33 people are currently reading
888 people want to read
About the author
Connie Briscoe
14 books377 followersCONNIE BRISCOE has been a full-time published author for more than ten years. Born with a hearing impairment, Connie never allowed that to stop her from pursuing her dreams…writing. Since she left the world of editing to become a writer, Connie has hit the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
June 3, 2018
Oh wow...as someone who has some roots and countless connections in PG County, I was really excited to get my hands on this novel. There is a particular brand of showmanship that occurs in PG, and while many are fascinated by it, few have attempted to take it on in literature.
While Connie Briscoe definitely includes a bunch of soap-worthy drama, I did feel underwhelmed by the universality of her scandals. Basically, every woman is in an unhappy marriage, and every man is sleeping around with his semi co-workers. Though their jobs are mentioned, they aren’t fully incorporated into the stories, and the haughty community events are never really mined for their true shady potential. In the county itself, there are SO many stories she could’ve used as examples—of corrupt mega-church preachers, of workplace embezzlement (even in the public or non-profit sector), and of crazy in-fighting in those beloved societies and alumnae chapters (LOL.) Also, this book is a bit older, but for years, rampant gentrification of DC's black neighborhoods has caused greater migration into the county, and I think she could have discussed the Silver Lake neighbors’ opinions of people who live in Seat Pleasant/the like with more of this context.
It is also a bit wrong to simply toss aside the “fake it til you make it” attitudes of these people. In my experience, there is definitely grating materialism and striving present amongst many county residents, but it’s tempered with very real anxiety about the precarious nature of black wealth, especially generationally. My immediate family moved from Bowie right at the start of the 2008 housing crisis, which hit black middle-class areas like PG County particularly hard, so much so that in neighborhoods like ours, almost half of the residents foreclosed by 2010 (This Washington Post series really breaks down the economic demise many black families in the county experienced.) Clearly, thanks to discrimination from mortgage lenders and lack of generational safety nets, these “picture perfect” lifestyles of people in PG are extremely vulnerable to collapse. Furthermore, one of the biggest struggles I’ve witnessed in the county is that even young people who come from a multitude of resources and opportunities still fall victim to the criminal justice system, underemployment, and eventual poverty. I think showing this very real fear—that despite your current house on the hills, disaster may not be far off—is crucial to uncovering the heart of this specific place.
All in all, Briscoe has delivered a fun, easy beach read with some low-brow indictments of PG County’s bougiest residents. However, she tells an extremely generic story, that could’ve happened in any county with some rich black people, making the title and focus seem a bit unnecessary. Perhaps I am asking too much of such a light book, but I’d love to see someone write a novel that considers this very unique setting a bit more rigorously.
While Connie Briscoe definitely includes a bunch of soap-worthy drama, I did feel underwhelmed by the universality of her scandals. Basically, every woman is in an unhappy marriage, and every man is sleeping around with his semi co-workers. Though their jobs are mentioned, they aren’t fully incorporated into the stories, and the haughty community events are never really mined for their true shady potential. In the county itself, there are SO many stories she could’ve used as examples—of corrupt mega-church preachers, of workplace embezzlement (even in the public or non-profit sector), and of crazy in-fighting in those beloved societies and alumnae chapters (LOL.) Also, this book is a bit older, but for years, rampant gentrification of DC's black neighborhoods has caused greater migration into the county, and I think she could have discussed the Silver Lake neighbors’ opinions of people who live in Seat Pleasant/the like with more of this context.
It is also a bit wrong to simply toss aside the “fake it til you make it” attitudes of these people. In my experience, there is definitely grating materialism and striving present amongst many county residents, but it’s tempered with very real anxiety about the precarious nature of black wealth, especially generationally. My immediate family moved from Bowie right at the start of the 2008 housing crisis, which hit black middle-class areas like PG County particularly hard, so much so that in neighborhoods like ours, almost half of the residents foreclosed by 2010 (This Washington Post series really breaks down the economic demise many black families in the county experienced.) Clearly, thanks to discrimination from mortgage lenders and lack of generational safety nets, these “picture perfect” lifestyles of people in PG are extremely vulnerable to collapse. Furthermore, one of the biggest struggles I’ve witnessed in the county is that even young people who come from a multitude of resources and opportunities still fall victim to the criminal justice system, underemployment, and eventual poverty. I think showing this very real fear—that despite your current house on the hills, disaster may not be far off—is crucial to uncovering the heart of this specific place.
All in all, Briscoe has delivered a fun, easy beach read with some low-brow indictments of PG County’s bougiest residents. However, she tells an extremely generic story, that could’ve happened in any county with some rich black people, making the title and focus seem a bit unnecessary. Perhaps I am asking too much of such a light book, but I’d love to see someone write a novel that considers this very unique setting a bit more rigorously.
February 7, 2015
As someone who lives in PG County I was initially very interested to read this book. To say i was underwhelmed would be a huge understatement. I think the book is written relatively well but I found the characters and the story line to be very shallow. I found our book club discussion about the book much more enjoyable than the book itself.
July 29, 2011
I found out about this book after the sequel came out, so i made sure i found it and read it first! They were both really good, and very descriptive.
October 23, 2011
Pointless potboiler with nasty and sad people which does as much damage to the image of well-to-do educated black people as most books do with stereotypical representations of poor uneducated black people. Not to mention the representation of the white family. Yuck. I had read this a few years ago and forgotten it, and I just picked it up out of curiosity. Now I realize why I forgot it. There's so much more to the people of P.G. County.
March 16, 2023
I first read this book as a new release back in the early 2000s, so this was a reread. When I tell you....I THOUGHT I remembered exactly what this book was about, but I did not. My book buddy/sis hadn't read anything by Connie Briscoe, so I said let's read this one as part of our Reading Across America challenge for Maryland.
What I did remember, the messiness and the pretentiousness. I just didn't remember HOW messy. I also completely forgot about the interracial dating conflict contained within.
In the end, I'm glad I revisited this one. It makes me excited to reread some other favorites.
I didn't give it five starts because I thought Candice's story was kind of unnecessary and a bit meh. Also, the characters are mostly flat and one dimensional, but I did enjoy it. I really liked the way Connie Briscoe kept the story going off the page. I say that to mean, a character would say, "it's been a month since she's last seen Bradford..." I like when a story moves along while we are reading from a different character's POV.
Ashley Jackson and I read this book as part of our Reading Across America Challenge. This book took us to Maryland. On to the next! Happy Reading!
What I did remember, the messiness and the pretentiousness. I just didn't remember HOW messy. I also completely forgot about the interracial dating conflict contained within.
In the end, I'm glad I revisited this one. It makes me excited to reread some other favorites.
I didn't give it five starts because I thought Candice's story was kind of unnecessary and a bit meh. Also, the characters are mostly flat and one dimensional, but I did enjoy it. I really liked the way Connie Briscoe kept the story going off the page. I say that to mean, a character would say, "it's been a month since she's last seen Bradford..." I like when a story moves along while we are reading from a different character's POV.
Ashley Jackson and I read this book as part of our Reading Across America Challenge. This book took us to Maryland. On to the next! Happy Reading!
April 2, 2013
I was unpleasantly surprised by the lackluster tale of the wonen in PG County. Between the racism, color struck talk, and class distinction I was at a loss. The worst scene was when a mother yelled out "she's not white so please stop saying that" at one of the most inopportune times imaginable. That scene was sooooo incredibly stupid I just shook my head as I struggled to keep reading. The fact that discovering your grandparent was of a diifferent race than originally thought could change who you yourself are overnight is not a relatable or understandable in my estimation.
August 3, 2014
I think it was a page turner but it was very predictable and a bit shallow . I did not like the "Lee" story line. Felt like some type of forced character for the book. And the way it ended with a little over the top. Overall it was ok at best.
January 8, 2009
My DC roots really allow me to relate to this novel.
March 15, 2023
Messy. Blackity black. Rich. Did I mention messy? HA!
I read this with Tami Reed on our Reading Around the USA challenge for Maryland.
I read this with Tami Reed on our Reading Around the USA challenge for Maryland.
December 25, 2024
2.75 stars!
I honestly don’t have any thoughts… or feelings.
I honestly don’t have any thoughts… or feelings.
March 11, 2009
I "read" the Audio CD version, and the narrator most certainly did the book justice. I picked it up from the shelves (in Centreville, VA, in Fairfax County) because I've lived in P.G. County-- albeit not in a community like Silver Lake! I thought Ms. Briscoe's take on the local environment was pretty darn accurate, how there are some very posh areas, and some very violent and run-down areas, and the separation between them isn't all that far. The scandal, infidelity, gossip, and small-town, inter-knit personal relationships between the characters was easy to follow, and had a very "Peyton Place" feel to it. Parts of the end were gratifying; parts of the end felt unresolved. Overall, I really enjoyed reading (listening) to "P.G. County," and would recommend it. The individual threads of the characters' lives start out in separate mini-stories, which all weave together in the end-- right up to a big, "I can't WAIT to see what happens next" explosion. Very juicy, this window on other peoples' lives!
September 11, 2007
The Pages of a Black Soap Opera
Remember Robert Townsend's soap opera skit entitled, "The Bold, The Black, and The Beautiful"? Well, P.G. County is a longer version of that skit in written form. From the beginning page to its very end, this novel is packed with scandal, infidelity and betrayal, all of the classic elements of a daytime soap opera. Though not the most noteworthy book from a literary perspective, the novel is very entertaining and would be good for anyone looking for a little lighter "fluff" reading in between more serious reads. The storyline and characters are definitely one part Jerry Springer, and one part Young and the Restless, which makes the book a page-turner and it will definitely spark some interesting feedback.
Remember Robert Townsend's soap opera skit entitled, "The Bold, The Black, and The Beautiful"? Well, P.G. County is a longer version of that skit in written form. From the beginning page to its very end, this novel is packed with scandal, infidelity and betrayal, all of the classic elements of a daytime soap opera. Though not the most noteworthy book from a literary perspective, the novel is very entertaining and would be good for anyone looking for a little lighter "fluff" reading in between more serious reads. The storyline and characters are definitely one part Jerry Springer, and one part Young and the Restless, which makes the book a page-turner and it will definitely spark some interesting feedback.
July 13, 2012
It was an alright book, I think I was expecting something more. I don't know what more I was expecting, but more. The story didn't hold my attention from the beginning and took me a while to get into it. The ending left me underwhelmed and I felt like it shouldn't have ended that way. The Lee story line kept throwing me off. I forgot about that character and then she would pop up again. She wasn't that memorable to me.
December 30, 2008
This book was definitely a big change for Connie Briscoe. I read Sisters and Lovers but P.G. County is on an entirely different level. I went to college in Baltimore, MD and remember the students representing Prince George's County and let me tell you. Connie Briscoe hit it on the nail plus she lives in Maryland.
July 16, 2010
If I could give it lower stars, I would.. it was terrible!!!!
June 3, 2023
This is such a silly book. As someone born and raised in PG County there are some fun references but man! This book feels so dated, I guess 20 years is a long time.
March 22, 2024
Ok read
This book had plenty of drama. The storyline was interesting along with its characters. I didn’t like Jolene. Poor Lee. It took me a while to get into the book. I would read book 2 to find out what happened to the characters. Just an ok read.
This book had plenty of drama. The storyline was interesting along with its characters. I didn’t like Jolene. Poor Lee. It took me a while to get into the book. I would read book 2 to find out what happened to the characters. Just an ok read.
February 27, 2020
A soap opera of a tale involving the rich Blacks of Prince George County, Maryland. Secrets, love, lust, and adulterous affairs abound! It was a good read.
July 18, 2009
There is nothing new in this book. The story of riches, affairs, betrayal, attraction, and interracial love have been the subjects of many books. The only caveat is that this story takes place in a very affluent African-American neighborhood. This book was a quick read and most of the characters were likable. Connie Briscoe does a great job of delving into the background of these characters but the ending was less than stellar.
July 22, 2009
The story of riches, affairs, betrayal, attraction, and interracial love . P.G. County A Novel
August 3, 2016
Looking for more from this author!
This was an excellent read. Kept me guessing with the twist and turns. Great writing style building the characters. Would recommend to my book club.
This was an excellent read. Kept me guessing with the twist and turns. Great writing style building the characters. Would recommend to my book club.
January 29, 2008
stayed up all night and read it -- laugh out loud funny
July 31, 2008
High class is not everything..I read this book twice a must read!
February 6, 2009
A Must Read !!!
March 2, 2009
If you like drama.....this book has it!! Also read the sequel Can't Get Enough.
November 21, 2009
This was a great book. Connie Briscoe knows how to write from novels about the Black middle class and always puts a twist on it. I can't wait to read her new book, Sisters and Husbands.
May 23, 2012
I love this book I think it would make a wonderful movie and I feel like it would make a true statement into what black women are really like.
February 15, 2013
good book
March 4, 2013
This book was okay a quick read. It did show me a different side of Prince George's County look at Dallas type twists and a rushed ending.
March 19, 2013
Excellent!!! Read it twice!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews