A Gathering Of Old Men

I recently discovered Ernest Gaines and now I could be easily categorized as a groupie. I didn't know what to expect from a male author and from the southern setting. Yet from beginning to the end, he draws the reader in with subtleties. Long before the bad guys show up, he creates the tension that is held through the end. What I found remarkable was his ability to pull the reader in and have them experience the share cropping lifestyle. It wasn't until Gaines mentioned contact lens in the story that I realized the book was set in the 70s.

I don't re-read my books. But there is always an exception to the rule. And Ernest Gaines deserves his lofty position in the literary world.

Michelle Monkou
Gamble On Love
Kimani Romance; Oct. 2008