Week 39: Getting To Happy - Terry McMillan (375 pages)

Though I knew this book was the sequel to best-selling novel "Waiting To Exhale", I believe I still would have picked up this book. The title "Getting To Happy" is so compelling. I know I am trying to get there and a lot of my friends are in similar situations. So what better way to spend a week, than with four familiar characters all trying to figure out how to breathe 15 years after exhaling?


I was nervous when starting this book, I had a hard time getting into it and I was concerned that it was going to be a disappointment - but I persevered. I am glad I did - once I got pass page 100, it was hard to put the book down.


We meet up with Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine and Robin 15 years after Waiting to Exhale ended. They are in their early 50s and they are dealing with various issues (death, divorce, children, and jobs). Sometimes I found it difficult to remember which character was which because their "voices" were all so similar. I found myself re-reading paragraphs to make sure that I was connecting the story to the correct character. Once the pattern was established and the characters were a little more developed, it was easier to follow along and in turn it was easier to care about each of these women.


Though I don't know that this sequel was wholly necessary, it was fun to look into the lives of some of the most beloved characters in African-American literature to see what happened to them. They are a loving group of friends that we would all be pleased to have. They have each other's backs in good times and in bad and they each help one another to find the "happy" that can be so elusive for some of us. If you don't read this book - at least reach out to your friends! Schedule lunch, see a movie, or just giggle - this will be a big step for you to get to happy.