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The Edge of Heaven Hardcover – December 29, 1997

by Marita Golden (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
See all formats and editions
The death of a young child can devastate a family. When a parent is responsible for the death, there is very little hope the remaining unit will survive. As The Edge of Heaven begins, Teresa, twenty, is waiting with dread for the return of her mother who has just been released from jail. Twelve years earlier, her little sister fell down a flight of stairs and died--the result of an angry, but wholly unintentional push by her mother.



Teresa is on the cusp of adulthood. Her unresolved feelings toward her mother, her life with her grandmother who is now her guardian in the wake of her father's inability to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and assume responsibility, her concerns about her boyfriend, and her worries about her future conspire to push Teresa toward a new and frightening place.



With a deceptively simple style, Marita Golden once again uses her considerable talents--"her supple prose, convincing dialogue and brisk pacing" (Cleveland Plain Dealer)--to grab your heart and put you in the middle of this almost insupportable scenario. As Teresa comes to terms with the realities of the complexities of life, her inner strength and rapidly growing maturity assure us that her future will be a full one.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Doubleday
  4. Publication date
    December 29, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1 x 9.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0385415079
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0385415071
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Readers will be thoroughly pleased with Golden's new novel, which compassionately peels away the layers of a family's grief to reveal one woman's passage from repentance to renewal. Three generations of women struggle with the devastation of loss and the journey back to love as they head for a precarious reunion in contemporary Washington, D.C. There is Lena, the grieving mother and perpetrator of an unspeakable crime coming home to an uncertain future. And then there are Teresa and Adele, granddaughter and grandmother, carefully trying to move forward without expecting too much. These vividly rendered characters come to life, leaving the reader to cheer their strength and humanity. Highly recommended for all collections, especially those focusing on African American fiction.?Shannon Haddock, Bellsouth Corporate Lib. & Business Research Ctr., Birmingham, Ala.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

An acclaimed chronicler of black women's lives (And Do Remember Me, 1992, etc.) shows what happens when a good marriage goes bad. Set in the sophisticated milieu of black professionals living in Washington, the story is told by Teresa and her parents, Lena and Ryland. It begins on the day that Lena is to be released on parole from a women's prison in West Virginia after having served a four-year sentence for manslaughter. Teresa, who's been living with grandmother Adele ever since her younger sister Kenya died, hasn't told her chums or her boyfriend Simon the truth about her mother. Now in college and working as a summer intern in a Washington law firm, she viscerally dreads her mother's return. As the story moves back and forth in time, Teresa reveals how she's long felt torn between hating her mother for what she did and pitying her for what she had to endure. Before everything went wrong, her mother had been someone to admire: a successful accountant in a top firm and a loving mother and wife. Her husband Ryland, an artist who worked at home and took care of the two girls, had been especially close to Kenya, who shared his love for art. But as Lena's career flourished, Ryland's languished, causing friction that proved difficult to mend. The couple's quarrels turned increasingly violent, until Ryland finally moved out. His departure unhinged Lena, who started drinking and, in anger, accidentally pushed Kenya down the stairs. Even so, as Golden persuades us, these women can be strong on their own terms. Emotions run high--the plights of black (and white) women let down by men and the world are sharply etched--but telling insights soften the rage and give it balance. For Lena and Teresa alike, life will go on. Golden, in her fourth novel, is writing in top form. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Doubleday; First Edition (December 29, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0385415079
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0385415071
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

About the author

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Marita Golden

Marita Golden

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Marita Golden is an award-winning author of over 20 works of fiction and nonfiction, a master teacher of writing, coach, mentor, and a literary and creative writing consultant. As a literary activist, she co-founded the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation.

Marita works with writers to help them skillfully and powerfully tell their story. In her workshops, her coaching, and manuscript evaluation she enables writers to write in their most authentic, creative, and personal literary voice. She has worked with many published writers. Among the acclaimed writers she has worked with are novelists Nicole Dennis Benn, Tope Folarin, Sadeqa Johnson as well as memoirist Karen Gray Houston.

MARITA HAS BEEN FEATURED ON:

• The Oprah Winfrey Show

• C-SPAN

• Tuesday's with Maria Shriver

• Roland Martin Unfiltered

• Jeopardy! [Question: Novelist Marita Golden Paid Homage To This Woman In An Essay Called Zora & Me]

Her books include ...

MEMOIRS:

• Migrations of the Heart

• Saving Our Sons Raising Black Children in a Turbulent World

• Don't Play in the Sun One Woman's Journey Through the Color Complex

NONFICTION:

• The Strong Black Woman How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women

NOVELS:

• After

• Long Distance Life

• The Wide Circumference of Love

• The Edge of Heaven

I HAVE TAUGHT CREATIVE WRITING AT:

• Johns Hopkins University

• The University of the District of Columbia

• George Mason University

• Virginia Commonwealth University

• The University of Tel Aviv

I have lectured at many schools including:

• Norfolk State University

• University of Nevada at Las Vegas

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Yale University

WRITING AND LITERARY ACTIVISM AWARDS:

• NAACP Image Award nominations for AFTER and The Wide Circumference of Love

• Distinguished Service Award (Authors Guild)

• Distinguished Service Award (African American Writers Guild)

• Washington Dateline Award for Local Journalism

• Barnes and Noble Writers for Writers Award (Poets and Writers)

• International Literary Hall of Fame of Writers of African Descent Inductee (Gwendolyn Brooks Center at Chicago State University)

• Maryland Author Award (Association of Maryland Librarians)

• Award for Fiction (Black Caucus of the American Library Association)

• Excellence in Leadership “Strong Woman” Award (Dominion Power)

• Distinguished Alumni Award (American University)

• Woman of the Year Award (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority)

• Honorary Doctor of Arts and Letters (University of Richmond)

• “Virginia Hero” Award

• Sarton/Gilda Award for Nonfiction

• Distinguished Black Women Award (Black Women in Sisterhood for Action, Inc.)

• Faculty of the Year (Phi Delta Kappa University of the District of Columbia)

• Included in Columbia Heights Heritage Trail in Washington, D.C.

Are you ready to write? Visit my website at maritagolden.com to register for my creative writing workshops!

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
8 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Beryl Kalisa
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2000
I really enjoyed reading The Edge of Heaven.It is a wonderfully told story basically in the first person as Theresa expresses her emotions once her mother has been released rom prision.Its a good read about how an incident can destroy a family and yet how the same incident can bring them back together. Theresa has to lea learn some hard lessons but the story ends in a beautiful and realistic manner. The author's description of even the prision is reala dn provides dignity to the characters.It was good reading a book about financially succesful African Americans. The book is also integenerational and a salute to African American females. I have read the authors Migrations of the Heart and A Woman's Place-both of which i enjoyed and look forward to reading Long Distance Life.Marita Golden is a gifted writer.
2 people found this helpful
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Lisa Cobb
5.0 out of 5 stars So Realistic!
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2000
This book was recommended to me and I had never heard of Marita Golden. I thought the book was really good and really real. She didn't glorify the tale of every character and I respect her as an author for NOT doing that. I think the only thing that could have been emphasized a little more for me was the grief of Lena for the loss of her child. It was evident that Ryland grieved for the loss of Kenya and realized that he is just as much responsible, but I didn't really see the grief process of Lena or Ma Adele. Is this to say that women hide their emotions better than me or that we deal with it better? I don't think so, but that may be the case with these characters. Hats off to Marita Golden, and Ms. Golden if you read this we would love to have you come discuss your novel at our book club in Alexandria, VA! Thanks.
One person found this helpful
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lady locks
4.0 out of 5 stars Good & Thoughtful Read
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2003
At first I could not finish this book, it probably took me six months to read it. Initially it was slow, but by the mid way point, it became increasingly interesting. The characters were real, flawed, and likeable.
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S. Brooks
3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant, enjoyable reading
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 1998
I have been a follower of Marita Golden's work. While this novel does not hold the reader on the edge as her previous works, it is enjoyable. I truly enjoyed how she held my attention surrounding the child's death. Many times the reader will believe they have figured out all of the details to only find their conclusion was false. However, it depends on what character is describing the events. I read this book in three days and enjoyed every moment; especially the conclusion. It was realistic. In fact, the tone of the entire novel is "believable" . One can readily identify the characters.
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Jenny Dietrich
1.0 out of 5 stars Jennifer Dietrich's review of The Edge of Heaven
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2000
The Edge of Heaven by Marita Golden was boring, slow, uninteresting, unexciting, and is for people who like to read about family problems. This book had no plot, and no attention grabber. It was very hard to get into. Other readers may enjoy the book. "Come on Teresa. Are you sick?" "No, I'm fine." BORING! "Do you want me to fix you a plate, Teresa?" Not very exciting! "I'll be glad to meet him. Or would that be too much to ask?" Prime example of family problems. This author, surley was not directing this kind of book to teenagers. It would be more for adults ages ranging from 25 and older. Being a teenager, it was not a very interesting book to read. Good Luck to anyone else who reads this book. But just as it was said before,this book was boring, slow, uninteresting, unexciting, and is for people who like reading about family problems.It had no plot or attention grabber. Marita, try writing something for a younger crowd!
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