WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT is a poignant tale about a young woman who rises above modest beginnings yet remains tethered to the less than desirable environment she's left behind.

As with many young women, Bari Jordan's big heart with its oversized capacity for love and compassion blinds her to the behaviors, secrets, and petty jealousies that swirl about and eventually threaten her very existence.

At a high school party, Bari meets Earl Jordan. She graduates, goes on to college, and marries Earl. Bari secures a great job, has good friends, and enjoys a supportive family. But when problems begin to arise in her marriage, Bari isn't sure what to do. She digs in her heels and tries her best to make a go of the relationship, even turning to a spiritualist for assistance. Except Bari doesn't get the help she needs and she hides her feelings and eventual torment from those who care the most and can help her best.

There are some aspects about the story that I could easily describe as clichéd like the college-educated African- American woman whose income outstrips that of her uneducated husband or the uneducated man whose life spirals out of control due to the pull of illegal drugs and alcohol. But the writing is fresh and touching. It makes the reader want to like Earl even as his behavior and mental state deteriorate, placing Bari's life in jeopardy.

The ending felt like the story stopped abruptly, and on a melancholy note at that, rather than reaching a conclusion. Bari recognizes her need to examine her choices but readers don't get to see the benefit of that examination. A sequel is in the works, perhaps?

Overall, WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT was an enjoyable read and an impressive debut from author Teri Denine.