Major reunites some of the cast from his popular debut, Good Peoples
(2000), in another engaging if predictable tale that explores the erosion of trust and commitment among the members of an African-American family. Jasmine, a 17-year-old teenager blossoming into womanhood, is adjusting to living with her Aunt Peg and Uncle Leonard Moore in Camden, N.J. Jasmine views her successful cousins, Amir and Myles, and their beautiful wives, Marisa and Kenya, as role models and yearns to find a soul mate of her own. But first she's got to test the rules. Abandoned by her parents, Jasmine is troubled by adults and their refusal to understand her feelings about trust. She's determined to be her own person, in spite of the strict rules set by Aunt Peg, and she's also reluctant to recognize the benefits of a good education. Major is especially adept at highlighting the conflicts between the older and younger generations. Conscious of the poor choices made by Jasmine's mother, especially involving men, Peg will do whatever is necessary to ensure that her niece avoids a similar fate. Things get complicated when Jasmine meets Darius, a young man with a troubled past, and Peg and Leonard's relationship seems to be heading south. Older teenagers interested in romance, the target audience for this novel, will be drawn by the inviting jacket art, depicting an attractive African-American couple. (Jan. 2)
