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FORTUNATE SON
by Walter Mosley
Little, Brown, April 2006
320 pages
$23.95
ISBN: 0316114715


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

African American flower shop worker Branwyn Beerman lived a very hard life. When she became pregnant, her boyfriend left her, and then her son Tommy was born with a hole in his lung. Not expecting Tommy to live, Branwyn spent each night after work in the hospital sitting with her small infant. Here she met Minas Nolan, a doctor who recently lost his wife while she was giving birth to their son, Eric.

Minas would drive Branwyn home each night, sometimes stopping at a restaurant to eat. The doctor suggested that Branwyn remove her son from the hospital since they were doing nothing to help him. Branwyn and Tommy moved in with Minas, who took care of Tommy medically, while Branwyn took care of the doctor's son, who needed a mother.

These four people, along with a Vietnamese nanny Ahn, lived together as a family. Eric and Tommy were brought up as brothers and loved each other. Minas wanted to marry Branwyn but she always refused.

When Tommy and Eric were six years old, Branwyn suddenly died and Tommy's biological father removed him from the doctor's home. Tommy's life changed dramatically. He ended up living on the street and selling drugs. Eric on the other hand, led a privileged life. He excelled in sports and everyone adored him.

While everything went badly for Tommy he never complained, he understood that it was fate that gave him the life he had and that there was little that he could do about it but to go on. On the other hand, outwardly fortunate Eric was fearful of his good luck and believed that he would eventually bring death to the people he loved the most.

It's so difficult to explain exactly what FORTUNATE SON is about. It's a superbly woven tale filled with subtle turns and emotions, insights, and truths. It is the two brothers' beliefs that propel the story forward but I guess it's mostly about the love between the two brothers and how that love helps them through their lives.

In the background is the nanny, Ahn. It is Ahn who introduced the concept of fate to Tommy when he was a child. And it was Ahn who made Eric believe that his good fortune will harm others around him.

Author Walter Mosley shows his sensitivity and style. At times, the story is nothing short of astounding. This novel has to be read slowly and savored so as not to miss a word, or an idea, or a feeling. FORTUNATE SON is a book that must be read. It's a masterpiece.

Reviewed by Sharon Katz, April 2006

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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