Portia Tewogbade

Good Decent People Portia Tewogbade

An endearing young hospital worker snared by unrequited love, an American woman held captive in Nigeria by her lover, a teenaged girl deserted by her mother, and other characters in this collection of twelve short stories set in the African Diaspora are unforgettable. The characters live and breathe as the author's imaginative pen describes their dreams, sorrows, foibles, and joys. Readers will root for their successes or tear up when obstacles block their paths. The book's title, "Good Decent People," comes from a thoughtful tale about a woman's haughty disdain for Katrina Hurricane victims who move into her stodgy Atlanta subdivision. These stories of alienation-whether from family, lovers, or country-will draw readers in and invite them to reflect on how they react when others, who are different, seek their acceptance. A superb storyteller and author of two other works of fiction, Portia Tewogbade has written stories that will remain with you long after you've turned the last page of Good Decent People. haracters navigate hidden aspects of themselves in this short story collection. In "The Village," a woman named Anne cares for two children while her husband, Ken, a lawyer, is at work; he routinely arrives home late. Tewogbade, the author of Red Was the Midnight (2018), focuses on the pathos of Anne's daily life and makes it the fulcrum on which the story turns. When Anne meets with other women in her community, she views the gatherings as just "part of her sluggish routine." Ultimately, the author shows readers how Anne's keen awareness of her situation forces her to confront her husband as well as herself. "Nose Trouble" deals with racism and ageism in the workplace; Camille, a veteran human resources manager, passed over for a promotion in favor of a "perky blonde" fresh out of college, befriends Selena, a new employee and the only other Black person in their department. Initially, the women commiserate at lunch over the unspoken dress code policy that Black people face on the job; however, after Selena receives a promotion, Tewogbade effectively reveals the effects of self-hatred. "A Loving Squeeze" foregrounds domestic abuse within the African diaspora. In it, American Olivia begins an affair with Alhaji, a married Nigerian government official whom her mother derides as a "slick African"; she soon finds herself locked in an apartment and physically assaulted. The title story focuses on the Duplantiers from Louisiana, new arrivals in a gated community who carry the stigma of being unwanted "Katrina people"-refugees from the 2005 hurricane disaster. By meeting with them, the narrator confronts her own bigotry and fears about her place in the community. Tewogbade deftly handles this delicate topic; for example, at one point, the narrator says that she would be "dealt with" if she took "so much as a biscuit" from her new neighbors, who run a restaurant out of their home. Once again, the author skillfully captures the paradoxes surrounding "the question of belonging [that] begs for an answer."A unique and engaging set of tales. -- Kirkus Reviews