The Ties That Bind
By Electa Rome Parks
Xlibris Corporation - April 25, 2001
ISBN: 0738854522 - Paperback
General Fiction / African American

Reviewed by: Sharon Hudson for Myshelf.Com
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One look at the title immediately made me start humming the familiar doxology that bears the same name sending my imagination on a far-reaching journey. All I can say is oops, wrong tune. A doxology is a short prayer or hymn of praise that extols the glory and majesty of God and I soon found that some of these ties were haunting past experiences. The back cover, in juxtaposition with the title, can in no way prepare you for the emotional and steamy journey this book takes you on. Immediately you are pulled into the lives of Christian, Brice and Mia. So much so that you find yourself thoroughly controlled by literary prose. You'll soon find that your only reaction is to feel the heat of your emotions. Electra Rome Parks has hit the nail on the head with her matriculation onto the publishing scene.

The precipice of any relationship can bring us so dangerously close to destruction that you have to depend on the ties that bind. This novel can be a bit raw in language and content and certainly isn't for the faint of heart, but is a story that has to be told. This book is so hot, that you turn pages quickly to minimize the burn. The love scenes are passionate, the characterization of Mia is especially endearing and each character's reflection is poignant. Couched under the guise of fiction, unfortunately it didn't take me long to put a person I knew into each of the roles of the main characters. I could do this, without too much thought, which looking back, is scary. This odd triangle is sadly all too familiar, but nonetheless, they kept me on the edge of my seat to the end. I found myself almost praying for swift resolution without belabored pain. Love can and will take you on the most poignant expedition you'll ever experience. The choices one makes in the name of love can destroy you but is a risk that you must be willing to take as each character found out in their own way.

The stereotypical domineering male, the childlike innocence of one with rose-colored glasses on, and the stoic resolve of a contemporary "playa" intertwine to make this "modern day love story, with a twist," as Ms. Parks put it, really ring true. Certainly this should not be Ms. Parks' last novel, she has a future in front of her. She is well on her way to mastering the art of storytelling. You'll find a moral in this story. Maybe delicately placed to seem almost unintentional, but I found it! Read it, relate to it, check the ties that bind you!

 

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