More Christian than African-American... and Other Ways Jesus Turned My Life Upside Down

After the release of this memoir’s first edition 10 years ago, Tate, an entertainment lawyer turned novelist, received negative reactions to its bold title. In this second edition, she justifies its retention and provides an update about her life. In some ways, the title sums up the book’s two distinct sections: the first part recounts events that led to Tate’s struggle with racial identity as she moves from a mostly black university to a mostly white Midwestern setting. The second part chronicles an emotion-filled faith transformation that leads her to embrace “this other defining adjective, Christian, ” an identity that she finds in conflict with black culture. The title seems to promise at least some sociological conclusions, but the author abandons that promise after the book’s introduction and instead relies on an overly simple understanding of a diverse black community. While this quick read delivers a touching reminder to Christians that their relationship with Jesus transcends color, some readers may be confused by a meandering time line that randomly refers to past events, and others may be put off by a title that’s too audacious for an isolated testimony. (Jan.)