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Book Review of All the Trouble You Need : A Novel

All the Trouble You Need : A Novel
reviewed on + 1440 more book reviews


Jordan Davis, 28, lives in Santa Barbara, CA, while he teaches one to two courses a semester and works on his doctorate in literature. He is one of the few blacks who live in Santa Barbara (1%) but he likes it.

Early in the book, there are two women in his life. He has a sexual relationship with Mary, white, but his feelings for Trisha, a black university senior with well-to-do parents, are confusing. He knows marriage is Trisha's goal and his friends believe that she is a perfect choice.

Life changes for Jordan when his roommate, Ned, an artist, decides to move to Washington, D.C., and an exotic young woman, Daphne, comes to his Japanese literature class. It's hard to know her national baclgrpimd but she is fascinating and equally attracted to him. Wealthy but troubled and a world traveler who has returned to live with her parents, she has many unfinished issues that affect her life and her relationships with others. With her entry into his life, Jordan must decide what he needs in life. Which or the three women or none of them would be right for him? Perhaps he must first determine who he is and what he wants from life.

Parts of the book image portions of the author's life, including Jordan's early life and experiences. With the women telling the story, the author address race, identity, class, love and passion, and how they define one's place in life. An interesting read indeed.