We Hope for Better Things for the lively cast of characters in this book and for a happier outcome for the current people of the city of Detroit. The plot stays strong, wonderfully readable, and compelling with only a few too many predictable coincidences.
The main character, Elizabeth, does not fare as well. For too much of the book, she remains a deceitful and unapologetic journalist, then snoops and trespasses on the personal property of her welcoming aunt where she has no rights or reason, and generally is shallow and unappealing where others are honest, strong, and open.
The Christian overlay and her eventual redemptions feel contrived while the book's pervasive racism is treated with a straightforward, authentic, and unswerving approach.
The main character, Elizabeth, does not fare as well. For too much of the book, she remains a deceitful and unapologetic journalist, then snoops and trespasses on the personal property of her welcoming aunt where she has no rights or reason, and generally is shallow and unappealing where others are honest, strong, and open.
The Christian overlay and her eventual redemptions feel contrived while the book's pervasive racism is treated with a straightforward, authentic, and unswerving approach.