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Pride
Four women, lifelong friends, are turning 40--and what a year it is.
Roz, the perfectly controlled (and controlling) politician's wife, is trying to keep her family together as she recovers from breast cancer and her husband runs for the biggest election of his career. Though he has strayed from her in the past, she has always been there for him--but all that is in jeopardy now that she has learned he has been sleeping with one of her three best friends.
Tam has been avoiding commitment all her life, both in an academic career that shows no sign of becoming permanent, and in her sexually combustive affairs with men. But she's ready to make some radical departures--including trying to return the interest of a sexy hunk who has more than just looks.
Ever since her husband's early death, Arneatha has immersed herself in her work as an Episcopal priest who runs a school and several community programs. But something is turning cold and brittle inside her, and for the first time in her life she questions her faith. Her last shreds of certainty are stripped from her when she is unexpectedly thrust into the role of mother--and finds herself falling in passionate, school-girlish love with a handsome African man.
Finally there is Audrey, whose climb back from the depths of alcoholism nearly costs her her life, but brings renewal to the friends' commitment to each other.
Vibrant, funny, heartwrenching, and real, Pride is an unforgettable novel.
Roz, the perfectly controlled (and controlling) politician's wife, is trying to keep her family together as she recovers from breast cancer and her husband runs for the biggest election of his career. Though he has strayed from her in the past, she has always been there for him--but all that is in jeopardy now that she has learned he has been sleeping with one of her three best friends.
Tam has been avoiding commitment all her life, both in an academic career that shows no sign of becoming permanent, and in her sexually combustive affairs with men. But she's ready to make some radical departures--including trying to return the interest of a sexy hunk who has more than just looks.
Ever since her husband's early death, Arneatha has immersed herself in her work as an Episcopal priest who runs a school and several community programs. But something is turning cold and brittle inside her, and for the first time in her life she questions her faith. Her last shreds of certainty are stripped from her when she is unexpectedly thrust into the role of mother--and finds herself falling in passionate, school-girlish love with a handsome African man.
Finally there is Audrey, whose climb back from the depths of alcoholism nearly costs her her life, but brings renewal to the friends' commitment to each other.
Vibrant, funny, heartwrenching, and real, Pride is an unforgettable novel.
- GenresFiction
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 5, 1998
4 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Lorene Cary
8 books86 followersLorene Cary (born 1956, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American author, educator, and social activist.
Cary grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1972, she was invited to the elite St. Paul's boarding school in New Hampshire, on scholarship, entering in St. Paul's second year of co-education as one of the less than ten African-American female students. She spent two years at St. Paul's, graduating in 1974. She earned an undergraduate degree and her MA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978.
She was awarded a Thouron Fellowship, enabling her to study at the Sussex University in the United Kingdom, where she received an MA in Victorian literature.
After finishing college, Cary worked in publishing for several magazines, including Time, TV Guide, and Newsweek. She also worked as a freelance writer for Essence, American Visions, Mirabella, Obsidian, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. In 1982, Cary returned to St. Paul's as a teacher. She is currently a senior lecturer in creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania.
After writing a 1988 article about her experience at St. Paul's, she published a longer memoir, Black Ice, which was published in 1991 by Alfred A. Knopf.
In 1995, Cary published her first novel, The Price of a Child. It is based on the escape of Jane Johnson, a slave from North Carolina who escaped to freedom with her two sons while briefly in Philadelphia with her master and his family.
In 1998, Cary published a second novel, Pride, which explores the experiences of four contemporary black middle-class women.
Cary’s first Young Adult book, FREE!, was a collection of non-fiction accounts related to the Underground Railroad, and published by Third World Press/New City Press in 2005.
Cary wrote the script for the videos of The President's House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation, a 2010 exhibition in The President's House in Philadelphia.
On April 19, Cary published her third novel If Sons, Then Heirs.
In 1998 Cary founded Art Sanctuary, an African-American arts and letters organization devoted to presenting regional and national talent in the literary, visual and performing arts. Art Sanctuary annually hosts an African American arts festival, during which writers discuss their work with up to 1,500–2,000 students, and another 2,000–3,000 people participate in panels, workshops, the basketball tournament, teachers' symposium, Family Pavilion, main stage, and other events.
(from Wikipedia)
Cary grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1972, she was invited to the elite St. Paul's boarding school in New Hampshire, on scholarship, entering in St. Paul's second year of co-education as one of the less than ten African-American female students. She spent two years at St. Paul's, graduating in 1974. She earned an undergraduate degree and her MA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978.
She was awarded a Thouron Fellowship, enabling her to study at the Sussex University in the United Kingdom, where she received an MA in Victorian literature.
After finishing college, Cary worked in publishing for several magazines, including Time, TV Guide, and Newsweek. She also worked as a freelance writer for Essence, American Visions, Mirabella, Obsidian, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. In 1982, Cary returned to St. Paul's as a teacher. She is currently a senior lecturer in creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania.
After writing a 1988 article about her experience at St. Paul's, she published a longer memoir, Black Ice, which was published in 1991 by Alfred A. Knopf.
In 1995, Cary published her first novel, The Price of a Child. It is based on the escape of Jane Johnson, a slave from North Carolina who escaped to freedom with her two sons while briefly in Philadelphia with her master and his family.
In 1998, Cary published a second novel, Pride, which explores the experiences of four contemporary black middle-class women.
Cary’s first Young Adult book, FREE!, was a collection of non-fiction accounts related to the Underground Railroad, and published by Third World Press/New City Press in 2005.
Cary wrote the script for the videos of The President's House: Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation, a 2010 exhibition in The President's House in Philadelphia.
On April 19, Cary published her third novel If Sons, Then Heirs.
In 1998 Cary founded Art Sanctuary, an African-American arts and letters organization devoted to presenting regional and national talent in the literary, visual and performing arts. Art Sanctuary annually hosts an African American arts festival, during which writers discuss their work with up to 1,500–2,000 students, and another 2,000–3,000 people participate in panels, workshops, the basketball tournament, teachers' symposium, Family Pavilion, main stage, and other events.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 22, 2013
It was absorbing. It is not a work of genius, but absorbing, thought-provoking, and highly readable. Does the author mean pride as in ego or as in a pride of lions? Both? Are those words related? They both seem to apply here. Interesting perspective on female friendships - but perhaps contrived? Can people that different remain friends over decades? Slightly unbelievable.
January 29, 2021
Aside from some things in the book not aging well(what did age well from the 90s though?) I really enjoyed it. I was happy to get perspectives from all four of the friends instead of it being from the point of view from one all the way through(because, honestly, Roz is that friend that... she's the damn my way of no way, everyone should listen to me on his they should live their lives and ugh!) I loved Tamara, she reminded me so much of my own best friend and I would have no problem reading a book just about her. Arneatha and Audrey were fleshed out characters but just didn't speak to me as much as Tamara.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2016
Friendships among four women are tested by changes in each of their lives. My favorite was Roz, wife of a politician, mother of two, who deals with her husband’s infidelity, her friend’s betrayal, and her 19 year old daughter’s pregnancy. This is the third of Cary’s books that I’ve read. All very different in focus, they show this U Penn professor to be a writer of no small talent – watch for more.
October 16, 2023
The book is entertaining (sometimes it seemed like it dragged on with too much added detail but I get it). I do like the format of it being written in subsets of the characters with their pov about their lives and their friendships with each other. In terms of characters, Audrey is hilarious and I’m glad she was able to experience a “rebirth” and newfound hope for life. Tamara really is terrible like even after her friends found out about her affair with Hiram, she still didn’t want to fully own it (even though she said she still loves Roz and will be a friend to her if she wants it but it’s like you should’ve thought about that before sleeping with your friend’s husband…) I was expecting more action from Roz when she learned about Tamara and Hiram’s betrayal but of course she wasn’t going to leave her husband lol typical. Arneatha’s story was the least interesting to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2010
I enjoyed this book about four childhood friends and the different paths of each of their lives. The joys, aspirations and betrayals (sometimes of each other) was nicely put together by the author. I did not think that this book was good as "Black Ice," but it was well written.
June 5, 2015
Thoughtful well crafted story of friendship.
March 3, 2016
African American women tell their heartfelt stories in this novel by Lorene Cary. Pride is the first book by her that I've read and I have already ordered many more.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews