DeBerry and Grant capture the mood and feel of that changing
Harlem, where longtime residents felt threatened by
newcomers who previously wouldn't have stepped foot in their
community, or if they did, wouldn't have stayed very long,
definitely not past dark and definitely not long enough to
take up residence. The redeveloping Harlem was a place
where mom & pop community-based stores were being bulldozed
by national chains looking to capitalize on the money that
seemed to be flowing every which way but into the pockets of
the folks who knew Harlem when and had been there ever
since. This is the Harlem of DeBerry and Grant's UPTOWN.
Avery Lyons returns to Harlem when her mother is critically
injured in a car accident. She hasn't been home in a long
time and has no plans to stay longer than necessary. When
her mother unexpectedly dies, Avery is thrust into this
battle of old vs. new, with the new faction being led by her
estranged cousin, Dwight Dixon. Old emotional wounds are
picked cleaned to bleed anew, forcing Avery to come to terms
with not only her old stomping grounds but also her
cousin...and herself.
UPTOWN is a classic DeBerry and Grant contemporary tale,
even if it, at first, it feels like a departure from some of
their more recent titles. It has it all—a plot snatched
from the headlines, suspense, drama, and a taste of romance.
Whenever the story seemed to hit a comfortable stride, a
new plot point slammed into view, like a NYC subway train
rattling full throttle through a crowded station. I had to
step back for a second to fully appreciate what had just
happened, and my reading was instantly reenergized.
To my surprise, I started feeling for the story's
antagonist, Dwight. He makes some personal choices, his
relationship with his daughter can be described best as
benign neglect, and he has been driven from an early age to
succeed at all costs if only to prove his father wrong, but
is he really all that bad? The ability to make readers
empathize with the story's antagonist when doing so makes no
sense intellectually is what ranks DeBerry and Grant with
the best of writers. UPTOWN is another highly-recommended read.
Uptown . . . where money
rules Uptown . . . where ambition trumps
tradition Uptown . . . where politics come before
everything Uptown . . . where a family’s secrets will
bring them together—or down
After twenty years away,
Avery Lyons returns to New York when her mother and uncle
suffer a serious car accident. The tragedy brings the family
together, but Avery is not happy about the impromptu
reunion. She no longer recognizes the Harlem of her
childhood, but the same old family dynamics and secrets are
all too familiar . . . Heir to a real estate empire,
Dwight is willing to do anything to realize his aging and
demanding father’s dream: Dixon Plaza, a luxury high-rise
development on Central Park North that will change the face
of Harlem forever. There’s only one thing in his way: his
cousin Avery has inherited a share of the property. She’s
more than willing to sell until a reporter uncovers the
truth behind the rumored shady dealings . . . In
Uptown a prominent Harlem family is strained to the
breaking point by the high-stakes world of the Manhattan
real estate industry, and one woman searches for her
identity and the will to forgive. Steamy, provocative, and
sexy, Uptown is a turbulent and triumphant read.
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