What Looks Like Crazy On an Ordinary Day (Oprah's Book Club)

Acclaimed Playwright essayist and columnist Pearl Cleage breaks new ground in African American womens literature--with a debut novel that sings and crackles with life-affirming energy as it moves the reader to laughter and tears. As a girl growing up in Idlewild Michigan Ava Johnson had always heard that if you were young black and had any sense at all Atlanta was the place to be. So as soon as she was old enough and able enough that was where she went--parlaying her smarts and her ambition into one of the hottest hair salons in town. In no time she was moving with the brothers and sisters who had beautiful clothes big cars bigger dreams and money in the bank. Now after more than a decade of elegant pleasures and luxe living Ava has come home her fabulous career and power plans smashed to bits on one dark truth. Ava Johnson has tested positive for HIV. And shes back in little Idlewild to spend a quiet summer with her widowed sister Joyce before moving on to finish her life in San Francisco the most HIV-friendly place she can imagine. But what she thinks is the end is only the beginning because theres too much going down in her hometown for Ava to ignore. Theres the Sewing Circus--sister Joyces determined effort to educate Idlewilds young black women about sex drugs pregnancy whatever. . .despite the interference of the good Reverend Anderson and his most virtuous "Just say no" wife. Plus Joyce needs a helping hand to make a loving home for Imani an abandoned crack baby whom shes taken into her heart. And then theres Wild Eddie whose legendary background in violence combined with his Eastern gentility has stirred Avas interest. . .and something more. In the ten-plus years since Ava left all the problems of the big city--drugs crime disease have come home to roost in the sleepy North Michigan community whose ordinariness once drove her away. Now she cannot turn her back on friends and family who sorely need her in the face of impending trouble and tragedy. Things are getting very interesting in Idlewild these days. Besides which the unthinkable thing has started happening: Ava Johnson is failing in love. A remarkable novel sizzling with sensuality rollicking with wild humor and humming with gritty truth in What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day. . .Pearl Cleage has created a world rich in character human drama and deep compassionate understanding. As a girl growing up in Idlewild Michigan Ava Johnson had always heard that if you were young black and had any sense at all Atlanta was the place to be. So as soon as she was old enough and able enough that was where she went--parlaying her smarts and her ambition into one of the hottest hair salons in town. In no time she was moving with the brothers and sisters who had beautiful clothes big cars bigger dreams and money in the bank. Now after more than a decade of elegant pleasures and luxe living Ava has come home her fabulous career and power plans smashed to bits on one dark truth. Ava Johnson has tested positive for HIV. And shes back in little Idlewild to spend a quiet summer with her widowed sister Joyce before moving on to finish her life in San Francisco the most HIV-friendly place she can imagine. And then theres Wild Eddie whose legendary back ground in violence combined with his Eastern gentility has stirred Avas interest...and something more. In the ten-plus years since Ava left all the problems of the big city--drugs crime disease--have come home to roost in the sleepy North Michigan community whose ordinariness once drove her away. Now she cannot turn her back on friends and family who sorely need her in the face of impending trouble and tragedy. Things are getting very interesting in Idlewild these days. Besides which the unthinkable thing has started happening: Ava Johnson is falling in love.