What Doesn't Kill You

by Virginia DeBerry

Opinionated, straight-talking, and witty, Tee is a fly forty-something. Divorced since her daughter, Amber, was young, Tee has been “handling her business,” supporting herself after her would-be songwriter husband took off for L.A., and she’s done all right. Organized, responsible, hardworking, and loyal, Tee went from being the first employee of a start-up purveyor of organic lotions to the right hand of the president of what became a major player in the home and personal fragrance market. But then everything changes. First, she’s outplaced from her longtime job and doesn’t tell anyone. Then she gives her daughter the wedding of her dreams and, after overindulging in champagne, Tee wakes up in bed with the younger best man. For the first time in twenty-five years, Tee doesn’t know who she is or what she’s going to do every day. Deep in denial, she continues to live her life as if nothing has changed. After a series of financial mistakes, miscalculations, and missteps compound her already shaky situation, she’s soon teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. That’s when Tee decides that it’s time for her to wake up and face reality. Beyond “making money,” Tee never really decided what she wanted to do with her life. Then she just stopped thinking about it and invested her hopes in someone else’s dream. Now it’s her chance to invest in herself. Can she step out on faith to follow her own dream?

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary

9 pages, Audio CD

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

We are best friends who’ve been co-writing women’s fiction since 1990. For more information about who we are, what we do and...what we did, please visit deberryandgrant.com. We can also be found online at: Facebook.com/deberryandgrant
Instagram @deberryandgrant

Reviews

[Reading Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Navigating

What happens when an unforeseen tragedy occurs? Well, for Thomasina "Tee" Hodges, whose life always seemed so on track, life begins to unravel at the seams after her boss dies and she's out-placed. Bills, debt, collections, lies and chaos begin to leap out the closet that she so carefully tried to organize.

Forget the fact that Tee has splurged on a lavish wedding for her only daughter, Amber! What about the future and the bills that continue to arrive on her doorstep, with no money in the bank to cover them?

Watch how Tee's issues spiral as she denies and tries to compete with the Joneses, learns that friends she's known for years are mere acquaintances and love isn't necessarily comfort. Will Tee finally get to utilize her god-given talents?

As with their other novels, Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant have surpassed the bar that they've raised. Tackling real life issues with the ever changing economy, WHAT DOESN"T KILL YOU is a mature, fun-loving read that will keep you glued to the pages.

OOSA Book Of The Month

[OOSA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life Cycle

“What Doesn’t Kill You” is a superior read. Writing duo, Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant, distribute a well-written novel with a smooth tempo. Fans will be spellbound by Tee, a stubborn person, whose life has hit a hard snag. While planning her daughter’s wedding, Tee learns that her services are no longer desired at Markson & Daughter, a company that she regarded as more than a place of work. Before the ink can dry on all of the checks she’s written, Tee’s outrage on being let go may have cost her more than she can afford to lose. What happens when Tee is forced to try her hand at employment in this day and age?

Although this is just my first read by these two authors, I loved it! It’s apparent that they definitely have the right modus operandi for story telling. I’m looking forward to adding to my DeBerry & Grant collection.

Reviewed by: Taye

[Carleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tee's story is one that far too many people will be able to relate to. Bad for the economy, but good for readers who check this one out. Tee loses almost everything and in the process gains what she didn't even know she was lacking. If you've lost your job or you're stuck in a bad job or a bad relationship or just anywhere you don't want to be, read What Doesn't Kill You. It'll lift you up, make you laugh, and show you what's possible (even in a bad economy). A very hopeful book that flies by and is over far too quickly!

[Nandi Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tee's story is something that is happening every day now. The right hand assistant of a business owner who suddenly dies, and when her daughter takes over, loses her job, is a story that is happening every day. While I am so glad that these two ladies are tackling this subject, I am truly surprised that no one else is at present. There are so many good things that can come out of this recession, but only if we put forth a great effort. Great book. I recommend it.

[Nardsbaby Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely Destiny

Fabulous forty-ish Tee is droll and straight like that and enjoys life. Right now she's throwing an elaborate wedding for only child, Amber, and baby son-in-law, JJ. While things on the home front appear picture-perfect, her career is a sore topic. After twenty-five years of dedication, hard work and commitment, she was dismissed. Instead of sobbing and sharing her bad news, Tee maintained her composure. A few drinks too many and a hangover isn't the only thing Tee woke up with. This can't be good, can it?

Albeit upset and distraught over the loss of her career, Tee knows that she'd be an asset to any company and decides to take it for all that it's worth. Besides, she actually has time to relax. Regrettably, Tee's good fortune hits an abrupt tailspin. Pending litigations, miscalculations, denial, confusion, budgets and avoidance land her only milliseconds away from bankruptcy. Will she finally be able to fess up and re-examine her life?

WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU tells an enchanting story about life, the economic pangs and a desperate need for change. A care-free flow and great characters, DeBerry & Grant are sure to touch your heart with this one. Definitely one of my best reads for 2009.

OOSA Book Of The Month

[Linda Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tee Hodges' year-long bout with reality on steroids is a super read. Anyone who has looked up at the sky, and shouted "Really?" when your last nerve has a boot stomped on it, can disappear into Tee's life and reemerge shaken, stirred and sassier. After a calamitous series of choices (some of which we have all made more than once), Tee, asleep at life's wheel, wakes up in a situational traffic jam of entirely human proportions. The first-person narrative is excellent and the characters so sculpted, I think I've met each. Well done. A great beach read, Saturday night, lunchtime, anytime read.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Great!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute book and I really like the characters in it. It starts out with Tee being at her daughter's wedding. She has way too much champagne and finds herself the next morning in bed with the best man, the groom’s cousin. We learn that Tee was with a company and spent twenty years there and the founder of the company, Olivia dies. Soon thereafter, Olivia’s daughter takes over and Tee is without a job. Tee then has to file for unemployment. It seems that it is one thing after another and she goes on a cruise that she had booked when she had a job. Her former husband who she would have brief flings with ends up getting engaged and with her daughter gone, she is in a bad place. Tee is spiraled into a very bad economic crunch and is constantly harassed by bill collectors. Finally she lands a job at Derma-Teq, but by then her financial damage is already done. Through these experiences, she becomes stronger and the reader can see her transformation. It took going thru hell to make her into the person she is today. Each event helped shape her into a more focused and driven person, even starting her own business. I liked this book so much that I want to get the authors upcoming book as well.

[Michele Minor · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the beginning of the book Tee wakes up in the bed of the best man, Ron of her daughter's wedding that she had spent a lot of money on and she had lost her long time job the week before through reorganization. Her spending habits catch up with her when the bill collectors call her at all hours of the day. She hides the truth about her financial situation from her family and friends since she feels that it is none of their business. During this time of trial and tribulation she finds out who her true friends are.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Tee's story was very relevant especially with the times we are living in now; however I found myself annoyed with Tee for most of the book. I understand her situation was difficult to deal with but her total avoidance through most of the novel really irked me. At what point do we put pride aside and at least attempt to do something about the difficulties at hand??? I guess that is a reality for some people though the bottom has to fall out before they stand up and take notice.

[Malcaj · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me awhile to get into this book. It started off slow, picked up the pace in the middle but by the end I was just ready to get to the end and finish the book. I could relate to the main character's economic struggle but that that was all. I also didn't like how she handled the situation with G and that she didn't seem to care. There were some good parts and humor sprinkled in here and there but overall I really couldn't relate to any of the characters.

[Carolyn Alleyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. These authors are excellent at showing characters at their worse but also giving them the ability to overcome. I identify with Tee always wanting the best and being the best, but not always realizing what you think is best really isn't. Also, as I look around at so many of us who have done what we're supposed to do then we wake up one morning and say, wait, hold up, what am I doing??? This isn't what I want to do with my life.

[Efundunke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! The only authors to date whose books I procrastinate to finish because it's so sad to part with the characters. I see a lot of Tee in me. Definitely glad she started working for herself and got paid back in full to pay Didier back, lol. A motivating story. So human. I love how there are no happily ever after DeBerry & Grant novels. Just real and true to form.

[Martine]

Good book! It took me a while to read it, as i kept putting it down and forgetting to go back to it, but once i took it back up i realized it was a pretty quick read after all. Once I got to the part with the cruise and where she got the first new job, I couldn't stop reading. I enjoyed it.

[Anita Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story line of this book touches so many lives in the work force today. What do you do when you lose your job after many years and are forced to reinvent yourself. Great story line, great journey and great perspective.

[Gail Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book I wanted to know more about her and Ron. But it was a feel good book

[Linda Grayson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started kind of slow but got better towards the end.

[Nicole Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost gave up, but I trudged along. It started iffy for me. But it was worth it.

[L.A. Jefferson]

Loved it! It's a must read.

[M R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked What Doesn't Kill You and our first-person narrator, Tee. I thought this was a real look at the economic crisis and downturn that led to downsizing not only homes and cars, but dreams. Tee has lost her job, (although as she explains, she didn't misplace it - it was taken from her) the only job she's ever had, after the death of her employer. After years of living in the fast and fabulous lane Tee is in for a rude awakening. We are invited into her life and mind as she navigates unemployment, budgeting, downsizing, breakups, friendships and love. Tee reminded me of so many women, especially women of color, that try so hard to hold it all together, be strong and never let anyone in to help. That's such a dangerous mindset and place to be because we all need love and relationships to help us and I just wanted her to admit to her parents, daughter, friends and mostly herself that she needed help. Initially, reading that she was a mistress and that was her only relationship and that she was turning down a good man for someone she couldn't ever have totally reminded me of settling and accepting that less than we deserve just for comfort or consistency. Gerald was a bore and a terrible man who was willing to hold Tee down in that spot of other woman not only through his first marriage, but even after the divorce and he had a new fiancee. I'm glad Tee got out and gave him a piece of her mind, but not that she broke her foot. Tee was a good reminder that just because we try to hide from life by not opening that piece of mail that we think contains a bill or bad news doesn't mean that life won't keep rolling on and steamroll us if we're not careful. I've definitely been there, looking at mail or an email or message with one eye open and a little afraid, procrastinating because I'm not sure what will come next, but the very expensive lesson I've learned is that burying your head in the sand doesn't solve the problem and almost always makes it worse. I was glad that Tee started developing real and healthy relationships like the one with her former co-worker Julie who reminded her that, "you don't know what's around the next corner if you don't turn it." which is especially poignant advice when you're a little scared of the future. And although I don't think a woman "needs" to have a man, I certainly wasn't upset about Ron who seems like a great guy and after years of sneaking around with Gerald, I know that Tee saw what she really wanted, liked and needed. She'd gotten used to sneaking around and that was a familiar track, but I'm glad she saw the freedom in being able to date someone all the time and in full-view of the public without having to hide and repress feelings of being left out and never knowing what it's like to be able to do as you please. I was also glad to see Tee come into her own and figure out what she loves and put a plan into action to make her dream a reality. However, I do feel that the end of the book was a bit just desserts and fairy tale ending, but honestly, I can't even be mad at that, sometimes it's nice to read a happy ending.

[Ju'Donne O'Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a very slow start. I started reading it, put it down and read another book then came back to it. Reading should be fun and exciting, not drudgery. That’s how this book started out for me. I forced myself to finish it because I’m not a quitter and I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed Tee in the end. Life took its toll on her, but she survived the worst of the worst and came out on top. The authors gave real life insight to corporate takeovers, layoffs, unemployment, debt collectors, downsizing, being middle-aged and unemployable, relationships and the good, bad and ugly of it all. They also showed the resilience of Tee who no matter what bounced back and was standing tall when the curtain closed at the end of the book. Good book after all! 😉

[Shadoshard · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always good to read a book about a character that isn't stereotypical. And a middle aged woman navigating through life with good character development is a book you can curl up to on a rainy night with the feet kicked up.

[Carmen Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book & the writing style of both authors! Two thumbs up!

[TinaMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in first person, Tee has so many bad things happen in her life it's a wonder who she kept going. It was okay listen on audiobook

[Shelley Shockley]

In their latest novel /What Doesn't Kill You Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant have offered a new style and new voice - first person.
This timely novel is told from the experience of the novel's main character Tee Hodges who has found that she must reinvent herself just as she reaches her prime.
As usual, one of the most enjoyable elements of DeBerry/Grant novels is that their characters are mature women, not retired grandmothers but women in their forties and early fifties - a segment often overlooked in popular fiction.
While the first person writing was good, there were times as a reader I wanted to know what others thought of the many skirmishes Tee found herself in the midst of, and their perspective of her as a person.
On the opposite end of that, utilizing this voice the reader is definitely given the opportunity to form her own view of Ms. Hodges without the help of outside opinions.
The reader really gets to know Tee Hodges and as she takes her journey through life's many pitfalls and the first person dialogue gives one the feeling of sitting at the coffee table as your best friend laments about her life.
A quick and enjoyable read with a good dose of humor and tension to keep you turning the pages.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tee is an opinionated , straight talking and witty women . She is a fly fourty something divorced since her daughter Amber was young. She has been supporting herself and done all right . But than everything changes , First she loses her longtime job and doesn,t tell anyone. Than she gives her daughter the wedding of her dreams and after over indulging in champagne wakes up in bed with the younger best man .For the first time in twenty five years Tee doesn,t know who she is or what she is going to do everyday .After a seris of mishaps she finally faces reality. And realizes this is her chance to start over. What doesn,t kill you makes you stronger.

[Ebony Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appropriately Titled!

Although extremely wordy, I felt full on committed to the unraveling of Thomasina Hodges world and hanging on to the hopes of situations improving! The two authors did a great job painting a vivid portrayal of relatable characters, real life situations and unfortunate circumstances. Through Thomasina's journey of misfortune, mistakes, pride and self reflection...I found myself giving thanks for my blessings. By the end of the read, I was FULL ON CLAPPING AT THE GROWTH AND REWARD OF DETERMINATION!

Most definitely appropriately titled and I loved the seamless writing between the two authors.

EyeCU Approved!

[Shavonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're unemployed and about to lose everything-home, car, credit and bill collectors are calling you nonstop-"What Doesn't Kill You" will take your mind off your troubles, atleast temporarily. Additionally and hopefully, you'll remember that who you are is not your home, or car or credit; and you can make it through that trial,if you hang in there. "What Doesn't Kill You" was an easy read; and there is that balance I enjoy when reading a book-narrative and dialogue.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best first person novels, I've read in a long time. The main character was compelling, self-deprecating, and seriously funny. I laughed out loud in so many places. I like these authors, and have enjoyed other books of theirs in the past, but for some reason they are not on my auto-buy/borrow list. I'm going to have to see what else I've missed from them.

[Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the book entirely, only because I have to finish what I start. I found the way the book was written difficult to understand in the beginning but I caught on somehow. Also it was kind of boring to me. With those things being said I actually got inspired by the end of the book so I'm happy that I kept reading to get the message that the authors intended.