It's All About The Moon When The Sun Ain't Shining

by Ernest Hill

An ambitious young black man transforms his life with the help of an unexpected ally I this “poignant portrait of a young man at a crossroads” (Booklist).   It’s the 1970s and Maurice Dupree is the first person in his family to go to college. Now he’s on his way to becoming the first African American attorney in his hometown of Brownsville, Louisiana. If only the woman he loves was as happy for him as everyone else. But Omenita Jones isn’t planning on waiting three more years to start a life with Maurice. If he wants to go to law school, that’s fine. But she won’t be waiting when he’s finished.   Feeling more alone than ever, Maurice finds an unexpected ally in a young white woman. Danielle Davenport is the daughter of an influential judge. Maurice’s mother is the Davenports’ longtime housekeeper. As his friendship with this compassionate woman grows, she becomes a source of strength when he makes a stunning choice, one that will put everything—and everyone—to the test.

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2004

About the author

Ernest Hill won great praise for his first novel, Satisfied with Nothin’, which made its way onto required reading lists at universities from UCLA to Syracuse. He is also the author of A Person of Interest, Cry Me a River, A Life for a Life, and Family Ties. Hill lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Reviews

[Bonita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really expected to enjoy this book. It had all of my "must haves" for an enjoyable read: time period in the 70's, young adult lovers angst, interracial relations and dramatic situations. I was wrong. I felt the author could have given us so much more in developing the story and moving it forward. Instead, it dragged in places and was repetitive. And the worst thing of all was that it was incomplete. I've looked to see if the author has a follow-up. It appears he does not. Sorrowfully, he passed away in 2003.

[LaShonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read....loved the ending.....My two cents: The girl's name was Omenida, pronounced (Imma need a). So, Imma need her to go to school and get a career. Imma need her to stop waiting on someone, a man, to rescue her. And lastly, Imma need her to grow up and into her own person and become a grown woman who depends on herself and realizes that any other help is just an added bonus to her life. The end....

[Cheryl Durham · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read anything from Ernest Hill. It was like meeting an old friend. Maurice is the first in his family to go to college. Maurice doesn't just embark on college; he undertakes law school. His trek leads him to new discoveries. It is his hope that his girlfriend waits for him. Growth takes place for the two of them.

Unfortunately, as we know, to grow means to leave some things behind? Does Maurice move forward and move with familiarity. Does Omenita see the benefit in supporting him and understanding the reason for the patience? Earnest Hill does a masterful job in depicting young love and the challenges. Read it....no spoilers here.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lesson of love. Slow read..author is very detailed.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storyteller I wanted to crawl into the book and shake some sense into Maurice LOL any book that makes you that intwined in the lives of its characters deserves five stars :)

[Cedric Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book. The plot lines were intering. The story was a little linear however. At the end I found myself wishing there was a follow up book. I really enjoyed this book.

[Miller Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

He writes just like Richard Wright.

And his narrative ability is like the efficiency of the Sun.

You just have to read this book on a cool lonely evening and get the feel of it.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love the title!!! .the book was beautifully written!!! (no words)

[Tesha L.McKinney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great novel by Ernest Hill. Though I thought Maurice was a little too young to be getting married, I found him as a solid young man who had a good head on his shoulders. He really had to find out for himself the true meaning of love. And he almost found out too late. The name alone of his fiancee Omenita, in itself, seemed like a true warning of what was to come because if you removed the last three letters, you are left with Omen. Omenita strikes me as a selfish young woman but at the same time I could almost sympathize with her because she wanted to escape a horrible home life. The whole time I was thinking that what she really needed was a therapist because she acted very irrational throughout the book and was dealing with an inner pain that needed to be addressed. I sided with Maurice's mother because she could see what Maurice could not as mothers tend to do and very good at. He really dodged a bullet. It was a blessing in disguise that the judge was late to the courthouse to perform the wedding. Maurice really needed to hear the passages his grandfather read from his Bible. This helped Maurice to open his eyes. He realized that if Omenita had truly loved him, she wouldn't had been trying to dissuade him from his true passion. I think he may had also come to the conclusion that all alone, he had really been a rebound because she had just broken up with the other guy. I am so glad he learned this before it was too late and decided to give Danielle a chance. I'm confused as to what time period this was as I didn't hear any mention of smart phones or computers lol. But it was a very good book just the same.