The Wedding

by Dorothy West

Another book discussion book.

Shelby Coles is getting married. No big deal, right? Wrong. She is a black woman marrying a white man. But she is quite fair, fair enough to pass. So what's all the fuss about? Everyone in her family has mixed feelings about the wedding. Everyone in her family will reflect on his/her own wedding and their ancestor's marriages, which include a whole lot of race mixing.

This novel had the potential to be great: it takes place in an exclusive black enclave on Martha's Vineyard in the 1950s. Racial tensions galore! In terms of plot, this novel fails miserably. Most of story is about other people's stories--Shelby and Meade's pending nuptials are just a vehicle for flashing back and looking at all of the race blending that has gone on before them. It's almost a series of short stories, rather than a novel.

Not recommended.

11/6/06