 |
Prewitt, an award-winning novelist, real estate consultant, pool shark, athlete, and Vietnam veteran, entertains and educates in this dynamic autobiography set against a backdrop of US history. The great-grandchild of slaves, Prewitt rose above this unfortunate ancestral circumstance to become part of a lineage comprising high achievers and community pillars in Cleveland, Ohio. This sense of self-assurance pervades Prewitt's reminisces, even as he casually recalls tougher, less-than-stellar moments in the schoolyard, pool halls, and on jungle patrols in Vietnam. While an upright citizen, Prewitt is no prude either, and so his authentic thoughts and personality shine through his narrative. The author's prose is down-to-earth and comes across as if one is sitting down for a chat over drinks with a trusted friend.
The book leans more toward autobiography than memoir due to its extended timeline, which spans from Prewitt's roots to the present. The broad thematic sweep sets the stage for understanding his upbringing and the fine-tuned sense of dignity and community that his grandparents and parents fostered in their offspring. A natural sense of mischief underlies many scenes from the author's boyhood—an all-American kid experience within the Black community marked by the burden of defending oneself from White privilege and discrimination. The narrative begins with the solidity of a historical foundation but devolves somewhat at the conclusion into a flutter of short memories. Those interested in a Black coming-of-age experience in mid-twentieth-century Cleveland, and in a Vietnam War experience from the perspective of a Black US Army officer, will find much to savor in this volume.