Edge of the Wind

by James E. Cherry, Charles Dodd White (Foreward)

The protagonist of James Cherry's Edge of the Wind is rooted in history, in a lineage of African-American men, real and those that take life in literature, for generations; and yet remains a voice for today and even tomorrow. An iconic individual as much influenced by Wright and Ellison and Wideman as The Staples Singers and James Brown, Alex van der Pool is a remarkable creation. In this novel, James Cherry writes with an assured voice and a deep compassion, a blazing intellect and a heart fueled by hope.

Genres: Fiction

150 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2016

About the author

James E Cherry is a poet, fiction writer, professor, literary activist and impresario. He is the author of four books of poetry, two novels, and a collection of short fiction. He has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award, a Lillian Smith Book Award, and a Next Generation Indie Book Award. His writing has been published in journals and anthologies, both in the U.S. and internationally. Cherry has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Texas at El Paso and resides in Tennessee with his wife, Tammy.

Reviews

[Maridith Geuder · Rating 2 out of 5]

It lost me when T.S. Eliot was spelled Elliott.

[kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex van der Pool is a young Black writer with a mission. A schizophrenic living with his sister, he is off his meds and ready to unveil his poetry to the world. He listens to the voice in his head, Tobi, as he takes a poetry class at a local college hostage. As his family and the local sheriff watch helplessly, he shares his innermost thoughts with the reader and the terrified hostages.

I will avoid giving the intimate details of the book away. However, I will say that this is a tense, beautiful read that immediately grabs you and doesn't let up until the very end. I definitely recommend this novel, as James Cherry is a gifted writer with a knack for getting inside the heads of his characters. Definitely a must read!

Review also posted on my website, 29chapters.com: https://29chapters.com/2016/10/25/rev...

[TJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three words - proofread, proofread, proofread. So unprofessionally produced. Detracts terribly from what could be a good story.

[John Baxter]

Excellent depiction of the Mid-South and the inherent racism that pervades society there. In the first few pages the reader is fully vested and by the end enthralled by Cherry's prose.