Synopses & Reviews
In her long-awaited fifth novel, acclaimed writer Marita Golden takes another unflinching look into the face of family, race, love and identity.For twelve years Carson Blake inhabited a world of his own creation. Scorned by the father who was incapable of showing him affection and nearly consumed by the mean streets of Prince Georges County, Maryland, Carson did what no one else could: he saved himself.
After joining the police force and building a family with his wife, Bunny, Carson is finally in control of his life in the enclave where African American wealth and privilege shares the same zip code with black American crime and tragedy. Both Carson and his wife have great careers and three beautiful children: Roslyn, Roseanne, and Juwan. Carson is a devoted father, determined not to be the father that Jimmy Blake was to him. But while Juwans astounding artistic talent is his fathers pride, the boys close relationship with classmate Will conjures up emotions and questions in Carson that threaten to spill over and poison the entire Blake family.
And then, one night in March, nearing the end of a routine shift, Carson stops a young black man for speeding. He orders Paul Houston to exit the car and drop to his knees. But when Houston retrieves something from his waistband and turns to face Carson, three shots are fired, one man loses his life and two families are wrenched from everything that came before and hurled into the haunting future of everything that will come after. When it is revealed that Paul, a son of educators and a teacher in Southeast D.C., was only holding a cell phone, Carsons carefully woven world begins to unravel.
After is a penetrating work of discovery for a man whose life careens more than once off the edge of disaster. Goldens astounding prose will stay with you long after youve turned the last page.
Synopsis
When a police officer pulls over a young man for driving without his headlights on, he mistakes the man's cellphone for a gun and fatally shoots him. The officer descends through a maze of self-recrimination and shame; his wife and children leave him; and he struggles to put his life back together after the life-altering mistake.
About the Author
MARITA GOLDEN is the author of works of both fiction and nonfiction. Her books include Migrations of the Heart, Saving Our Sons, and most recently, Dont Play in the Sun. She is the founder of the Hurston/Wright Foundation, an organization that supports African American writers. She lives in Mitchellville, Maryland.
Reading Group Guide
In her long-awaited fifth novel, acclaimed writer Marita Golden takes another unflinching look into the face of family, race, love and identity.For twelve years Carson Blake inhabited a world of his own creation. Scorned by the father who was incapable of showing him affection and nearly consumed by the mean streets of Prince George’s County, Maryland, Carson did what no one else could: he saved himself.
After joining the police force and building a family with his wife, Bunny, Carson is finally in control of his life in the enclave where African American wealth and privilege shares the same zip code with black American crime and tragedy. Both Carson and his wife have great careers and three beautiful children: Roslyn, Roseanne, and Juwan. Carson is a devoted father, determined not to be the father that Jimmy Blake was to him. But while Juwan’s astounding artistic talent is his father’s pride, the boy’s close relationship with classmate Will conjures up emotions and questions in Carson that threaten to spill over and poison the entire Blake family.
And then, one night in March, nearing the end of a routine shift, Carson stops a young black man for speeding. He orders Paul Houston to exit the car and drop to his knees. But when Houston retrieves something from his waistband and turns to face Carson, three shots are fired, one man loses his life and two families are wrenched from everything that came before and hurled into the haunting future of everything that will come after. When it is revealed that Paul, a son of educators and a teacher in Southeast D.C., was only holding a cell phone, Carson’s carefully woven world begins to unravel.
After is a penetrating work of discovery for a man whose life careens more than once off the edge of disaster. Golden’s astounding prose will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
1. In what ways does the unfolding plot of After defy readers’ typical expectations?
2. What stereotypes about the work and life of police officers does the book shatter?
3. How is Carson Blake repeating the cycle of abuse he suggered as a child, in his relationship with his son?
4. What role does Bunny play as a catalyst for Carson’s transformation?
5. Does Carson ever “get over” the shooting?
6. How does the author handle and dramatize the book's larger themes of guilt, redemption, and forgiveness?
7. Why did the author leave the conclusion open ended?
8. Why was Paul Houston portrayed as a young man who had his own past transgressions?
9. What is the moment in the novel that makes it possible for Carson to imagine changing his life?
10. What is Carson seeking from Natalie Houston?
1. In what ways does the unfolding plot of
After defy readers typical expectations?
2. What stereotypes about the work and life of police officers does the book shatter?
3. How is Carson Blake repeating the cycle of abuse he suggered as a child, in his relationship with his son?
4. What role does Bunny play as a catalyst for Carsons transformation?
5. Does Carson ever “get over” the shooting?
6. How does the author handle and dramatize the book's larger themes of guilt, redemption, and forgiveness?
7. Why did the author leave the conclusion open ended?
8. Why was Paul Houston portrayed as a young man who had his own past transgressions?
9. What is the moment in the novel that makes it possible for Carson to imagine changing his life?
10. What is Carson seeking from Natalie Houston?