Significant Others

by Sandra Kitt

An African American Brooklyn woman finds that her light complexion brings her trouble as she falls in love with a Black businessman fighting his own struggle against prejudice

Genres: Romance, Fiction, African American, Contemporary Romance

Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1996

About the author

Sandra Kitt is the author of more than twenty novels, including The Color of Love, Significant Others, and Close Encounters, as well as numerous short stories.

Her work has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award and has appeared on theEssence and Blackboard bestseller lists. She is the recipient of the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award.

A native New Yorker, Kitt previously worked as a graphic designer, creating cards for UNICEF, illustrating books, and exhibiting her own work, which is included in the collection of the Museum of African American Art in Los Angeles. She formerly served as the managing director of the Richard S. Perkin Collection in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History.

Reviews

[La Tonya Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sympathize with the character Patricia. She was trying to find her identity as a "Black Woman". The definition of what is "Black" was completely examined, but unanswered. It appears to me it is in the eye and heart of each person. I did admire Morgan for his brilliance as President and CEO, but most importantly for his desire to be a good father and mate. The ability to switch between two major problems and continue to work through each one with precise and detail I admire. Good Read.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good read. It shows the dynamics of African-Americans with different skin tones and colors and how,within the race, people are treated based upon the color of their skin. The emotional navigation that happened between counselor and student was very eye-opening. I never thought about how it could be for a person of mixed heritage to try to find their place in either one culture or another, or maybe navigate both. To try to find acceptance in a place that may not necessarily want to acknowledge your existence because of how you look. I guess growing up in Las Vegas it just doesn't matter as much. This book made me think if I've treated anyone who was of light or dark skin differently because of their skin tones. This was a book of growth for Kent who was the teen as well as for Ms. Gilbert who was his counselor as she dealt with her own insecurities being a full blooded black woman who looked like she was white. Ms. Kitt handled this story beautifully. Her stories are not extreme, but there is emotional attachment to the characters where you come to care about each and every one if them.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

OHHHH my goodness this this book turned out way better then I thought it would I have literely read it in two days I could not put it down, it was one of my better reads in a long time.

[Doris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel some type.....

I feel some type of way about this book and not in a good way. It has left me feeling extremely offended.

[Muthoni]

OK

[L.S. Bergman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story held me, sucked me in and then blossomed into this broad, detailed stage. Significant Others could easily have been two or three books. It is a well-written love story between Patricia, a school counselor, and Morgan, a high-powered corporate executive and divorced single father. When Patricia intervenes to support Morgan's biracial teenage son's difficulties in fitting-in at his new school, their attraction for each other sets in motion a beautiful friendship. This book has a host of other interesting characters as well, along with their significant backstories, which the reader gets to know along the way, making the book a very rich read.

Sandra Kitt weaves complex themes into the narrative, grappling with a host of engaging issues from teen development, single-parenting and the complexities of the biracial adult and youth race experience. The latter theme really grabbed me. The author deals eloquently with the inbetweeness of race and builds an authentic understanding off some of the issues of inclusion and exclusion involved, along with the compromises and emotional urges of belonging neither exclusively to one race or another. Interesting stuff. This was an enjoyable read, worthy of 4.5 stars.

[Jill Sorenson]

I really liked the beginning chapters. The heroine is a HS guidance counselor who becomes concerned about a troubled student and tracks down his CEO father for a meeting. I've never seen the n-word used in a romance novel the way black teens actually use it. The hero's son is called "oreo" by his peers which is derogatory obviously. These are brave choices and the writing is very good but there were a few problems. The hero's son gets in a fight before school and the heroine doesn't report it. Later he calls her for a ride home (how did he get her number?), drunk and high, and she initially lies to his father about his condition. Apparently this was published in 1996 so that might account for some outdated school official behavior. But it also reads more like WF than romance and I'm not a big fan of businessman heroes.

No rating because I didn't get past 50%.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incomplete

I don't know but maybe it's the editing that gets me with Sandra Kitt's work. I think she a good writer. She does know how to develop characters and keep readers engaged. Yet each time the closing takes place it all seems a rush to the finish.

This story was filled with elements of appreciation. You have Ms Gilbert and Mr Daly two counselors from Duncan High who were passionate about their jobs and yet conducted it in different ways. You have Ms Gilbert who was more than what met the eye as outwardly one assumed she was something she was not. Her conflicting battles with the world and self were surreal. Gilly did a great job of raising Ms Gilbert and providing her perspective.

[--karen Green-berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

I have always enjoyed this author's work; she has mastered the art of great storytelling. She gets to the heart of each character that I sometimes have great difficulty remembering that they are not real.

This is another of her long history of writing great stories.

[Seye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a good read. Interesting characters.

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great-I have read everything she has written!