Long Distance Life

by Marita Golden

"A novel of impressive artistry and power." The Washington Post
Caught in the web of history, generations of an African-American family play out their parts on a world stage that constantly changes, protected always by the love of one another, which never will.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Adult Fiction, Historical, Family, Ethnic

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Marita Golden (born April 28, 1950) is an award-winning novelist, nonfiction writer, distinguished teacher of writing and co-founder of the Hurston/Wright Foundation, a national organization that serves as a resource center for African-American writers.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[BernieMck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found the characters to be interesting and the storyline was on point. I spent so much time being annoyed with Esther because in her youth she chose a man that should have been off limits. I was angry at Randolph because he was married and still on the prowl. I don’t like giving out book details but their union produced a doctor and a fatherless drug dealer. I recommend this book.

[Marit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this novel because I currently live in DC and wished to gain a more nuanced understanding of the sense of place and people here. Golden carefully constructs the story of the focal family around the context of the DC in the changing decades from the Depression through the early 90's. Main characters reflect both their own particular personalities and the movements of society around them and Golden treats them all, including the ones who act badly and selfishly, with the same tolerance and care. Her novel creates a steady look into the character and structure of an African-American family rising from poverty to middle class that both celebrates and struggles with its internal changes in a city that also embraces and rejects in equal measure. While I admire the care with with Golden crafted her story and its characters, the writing style itself was not particularly compelling and at times, the switches from first-person to third-person narration was forced.

[JayBee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I originally read this book in 1995; long before kindles, IPads, and other electronic devices. Ms.Golden opened the literary door for me with her sensitive writing style and discerning prose. Thank you for leading me to the literary well and allowing me to drink at my own pace. This is a keepsake in my personal library and was well worth a 2nd read.

[MC]

DC book

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever finished reading a book and when you try to talk about it all you can do is make incoherent noises because you can't find the words to describe it? That's the way I feel about this book but, I am going to try and put some things at least into words that can be understood. I hope!

This is at the heart a story about a family and about love but, it's also so much more than that. Naomi is the matriarch of the family. She leaves North Carolina in the great migration and heads for Washington D.C. There she establishes a good life for herself eventually marrying Rayford a good man, and giving birth to their only daughter Esther. Esther grows up in relative comfort but is head strong and stubborn, she drops out of college and becomes involved with Randolph a married man. Randolph and Esther have Logan their oldest son who grows up with the civil rights movement in the background. Esther abandons Logan to be raised by Naomi and Randolph and takes off to help in the civil rights movement in the south. Logan grows up longing for his mothers love and channels that longing into a career as a doctor. Esther eventually returns to Washington and reunites with Randolph and, tries to reestablish a relationship with Logan. Esther becomes pregnant with their second child Nathaniel. In what I see as a way of making up for her past mistakes Esther gives Nathaniel all of the love and more that she never could give to Logan. Nathaniel grows up adored by his mother but restless and he too eventually drops out of college and becomes a drug dealer in his neighborhood.

This is the first work of fiction I have read by Marita Golden I have previously read 2 of her non-fiction works. I knew going in I was going to enjoy her writing style. Marita has a way of making things sound pretty without making them sound forced or fake of fluffy (if that makes any sense). She is eloquent and gets to the point but never makes you feel like you've missed out on something. So many of the things she writes about in this book make me say YES out loud because it sounded so much like my family. There are some major historical events that take place in this book although they are just background they still have profound effects on the characters and their lives and, are handled in just the right way. The first 3/4 of this book are pretty much amazing. I was riveted and engaged and found so many things I could relate to. The last 1/4 wasn't as strong but was still really good I just felt like I wanted more of Nathaniel's story then I got.

Overall this book was the kind of book I would read multiple times. Marita Golden was already one of my favorite authors and this book only strengthened that.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A multigenerational novel that manages to not be 500 pages

"But your daddy had a mind! Ummph ummph! Seemed like he'd read everything and knew the rest. And he didn't make me feel small 'cause I didn't know as much as him. Made me feel like what he knew and I didn't was just a way for us to get closer. [...] And I never tried to figure out how much I loved him-i wouldn't have even known how to do that. Even with all the education you've got, you couldn't pull that off. But I guess I loved him enough to let him make me a better woman for knowing him." (78)

"As she lay in bed, the day was merely a backdrop for Esther's despair. She sat dredging up the past, combing through memories for moments to remind and convince herself of her worthlessness. The vivid, continuous images were easy to produce, a nightmare unraveling in her brain. Esther salvaged and stoked a sense of wickedness from ordinary failings, banal mistakes." (134-135)

"Yet no one asked Esther what she had seen in the hospital or what she had suffered. And she felt that until the ones who loved her could bear to know, they all would merely circle one another in a meaningless, corrupt dance. [...] The part of her that had been ill but not crazy, anguished but always worth saving, that was the part of her they all refused to touch." (146-147)

"Their spacious ranch houses [Riggs Park] had made them proper Negroes, worthy of the social integration that was inevitable, but which the whites still fought tooth and nail. They were not dangerous, merely ordinary, attending church on Sunday mornings, committing their sins with discretion and more than a little fear, counting the years until they were eligible for their pensions, joyfully building up enough debts to give them financial credibility but not to endanger the lives they had created." (154)

"I don't meet many people willing to have a picture taken that reveals the face they've earned instead of the face they wish they had." (Felicia, 233)

[Shequaila Lacy]

this story is about a family and about love. But I think it's so much more than that. Naomi is the matriarch of the family. She leaves North Carolina in the great migration and heads for Washington D.C. There she establishes a good life for herself eventually marrying Rayford. and giving birth to their only daughter Esther. Esther grows up in relative comfort but is head strong.But also can be stubborn at times. she drops out of college and in up marring a men named Randolph. Esther becomes pregnant with their second child Nathaniel. In what I see as a way of making up for her past mistakes Esther gives Nathaniel all of the love and more that she never could give to Logan. Nathaniel grows up adored by his mother but restless and he too eventually drops out of college and becomes a drug dealer in his neighborhood. This was a trip of a story when one of here son be come a drug dealer.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a sucker for DC fiction.

And DC was a minor character in this story of four generations of African Americans living in Washington.

It started strong but got weaker and outright thin by the end.

This is the Black lit version of an average gay coming novel. It became overburdened by trying to depict all of Black life rather than focusing more on one or two characters.

Generally enjoyable but the ending got in the way of the message if the rest of the book.

[Sara Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought this in a Georgetown bookstore on a whim & it has stayed with me. I’d reread it if I was a rereader.