The Edge of Heaven

by Marita Golden

In The Edge of Heaven, Marita Golden has fashioned a deceptively simple story of a family whose lives have been shattered by a single moment of angry carelessness--told through the eyes of Teresa Singletary, a twenty-year-old college student with an overwhelming emotional burden; her father, Ryland; and her mother, Lena, whose return to her own mother's home has precipitated a reckoning with Teresa. Together they all struggle to find a place to re-learn each other--somewhere that transcends the painful reality etched into their souls--only to discover that even the darkest tragedy is rivaled by love's transforming light.

Genres: Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

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

[Theresa P · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8

[Kia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really boring read. it took forever to get to the point. I kept wanting to put it down but I hate to leave a book in the middle. it felt like it was repeating the same theme over and over and the plot wasn't that interesting. blah

[Susan Frazier-Kouassi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book moved very slowly and I resisted the temptation to read ahead and discover the mysteries that the author laid out from the beginning. A good story of what factors can destroy a marriage and a family.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book explores the psychological impact of violence within a family, in this case unintended, and does it so that you feel the pain and helplessness and possible redemption. worth the read.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Slow for some but I loved it. It's almost similar to Dolores Claiborne (sp.) and Snow Falling on Cedars.

[Susanne]

I enjoyed it.

[VL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-crafted story from a master storyteller. I love how the plot unfolds.

[Theresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was disappointing. I have read a couple of her books, but it was years ago and I seemed to remember her being a good writer, but now I'm not so sure if memory serves me correctly. I understood what she was trying to convey, how tragedy impact us, individually and as a family unit, but it was lost somewhere in the telling. The other thing that I didn't like was how long it took to reveal what happen...the reader was three fourths through the story before it was revealed. It initially built up some level of curiosity, but after a while it became annoying. I didn't like the book...