Phenomenal Women of Color
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January Book of the Month
Title: Nina's Got A Secret
Author: Brian W. Smith
Website: www.hollygrovepublishing.com
Price: $9.99
Reviewed: January 31, 2009
PWOC Rating: 4.5 Nefertitis
Members Present: Nickie, Shondra,
Charlotte, Rhonda
Overview
After spending years struggling financially while raising her daughter alone, Nina Arcenaux meets her knight in shinning armor - Larry. Larry's a great father to his own daughter (Chrissy), smart, wealthy, and treats Nina's daughter (Precious) like a little princess. When he proposes, she quickly abandons her old occupation as a stripper and eagerly dives head first into her new stay-at-home mom role. Impressed by her new suburban lifestyle, Nina ignores Larry's caring nature and generosity, and focuses primarily on the financial security he can provide for her and her child. Everything seemed perfect until a horrible accident happens. Nina wishes no one had witnessed the event, but someone did.
Review
The members of PWOC found Brian W. Smith's writing style to be very intriguing, descriptive and captivating. The plot keeps you engulfed. There are points throughout the story where the reader believes they can predict what happens next only to be surprised by the next move of each character.
In the story, Nina is faced with the choice of trying to save her daughter or her autistic stepdaughter from drowning when they are involved in an accident. Nina chooses to save her daughter leaving her stepdaughter to drown helplessly.
Brian W. Smith portrays Nina as this selfish diva. From the begin of the story Nina comes off as someone to dislike. Members felt that Nina never loved her husband or his child and only wanted the good life Larry could provide her.
Brian posed the question to the members as to which child should Nina have attempted to save first. The response was divided. Half of the members believed Nina should have attempted to save Crissy first because her own daughter Precious had been trained to swim and more importantly, Crissy was autistic. The other half believed that although Nina should have attempted to save both children, it was understandable that in a crisis such as that, she would instinctively go for her own daughter.
Although the members of PWOC were split on Nina's morals, we all agree that Nina's Got a Secret is an excellent book.
This book has been:
