Getting to Happy by Terry McMillanMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Reading Terry McMillan’s Getting to Happy was like having a conversation with old friends that haven’t been heard from in a while. Robin, Savannah, Gloria and Bernadine have matured, but remain the lovable women that America fell in love with in 1992’s Waiting to Exhale.
McMillan continues to create well-rounded characters that are not easily defined or confined to one category. The reader is allowed learn what the ladies have been doing since the early 90s. The happily ever after ending that we expected to find, is not there, but instead there are four very distinct stories about women in middle of their lives and the struggles that they are currently fighting. Drug abuse, parenting, lost love, financial woes and death are all being handled by this remarkable group of women.
While this is not McMillan’s greatest accomplish, it is worthy of the praises that will bestowed on it. She manages to bring the reader up to speed without overstating or dwelling on past events. The characters lives continue to unfold throughout Getting to Happy and allow the reader to take part in the development of these women.
Getting to Happy is a must read for fans of Waiting to Exhale and Baby-boomers everywhere. It is rare that we see an African American novel that focuses on this oft-forgotten segment of the population. Vivacious, energetic, mature women, teach us that 50 does not signal the end, but can be used as a new beginning to something new and exciting.
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