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fair!: A Cautionary Tale
by Jerry Pat Bolton
Societal changes forty years in the future.
If you are looking for something new and different, Jerry Pat Bolton’s new novel “fairy!: A Cautionary Tale” fits the bill. Defying traditional definitions, Bolton combines fable with romance, science fiction with political and social commentary – Romeo and Juliet with The Manchurian Candidate to create a fast paced and eclectic read.
The story is set in the future some forty years after “The War”. America is now Afro-America. Blacks are the ruling class and whites are the repressed minority. Margaret is a beautiful and sensitive young black woman who feels alienated from her own class and drawn to the plight of the fairy – “faired-skinned and immoral rapscallion yokels” – under-culture. Alienated from her mother, Margaret loves and respects her father who warns her about the social repercussions of associating with fairies. Her boy friend has joined the “Guard” – a military association supporting the current government.
Curious and socially concerned, Margaret rebels and visits Fairytown with a space car full of good intentions. This choice changes her life and puts her in position to witness the dangerous business of cultural change.
Author Jerry Pat Bolton takes many chances in this novel. He creates a marvelously sleazy world by blending racial myths with a touch of karma and a pinch of “what if”. He tells the story from the perspective of a black woman – and pulls it off. Margaret is strong yet womanly, intelligent yet jealous, sexually brash yet appealing. His male characters are flawed – as they would be seen through Margaret’s eyes. His approach to a world turned upside down yet technologically advanced is subtle. He wisely leaves the details blurry while focusing on the very human emotions of his characters.
Bolton’s book has it all – illicit love, sex, familial conflict, violence, political intrigue and religious allegory. It’s a page turner that will keep you up way past your bedtime.
Title: fair!: A Cautionary Tale
Author: Jerry Pat Bolton
Publisher: LuLu Press
ISBN: 1411635523
Review written by: Joyce Faulkner
Reviewer's Rating:8
Reader's Rating: 0
Reader's Votes: 0
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