Rating: 
Summary: A Succulent and Juicy story!
Review: Pearl Cleage is a very gifted writer and I would love to have her write my life story! Ms Cleage made me sit up and take notice of my own life and what role I have in young sisters lives. Ms Cleage awakens your (at least mine) cognitive abilities with her words and thoughts in this book.I have seen both her plays (Flyin West and Blues for an Alabama Sky) in production and waiting to see more! This book is a must read!
Rating: 
Summary: De LaUnaBella
Review: SNOOZER! This book was an excellent cure for bouts with insomnia. It was BORING.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fast read!
Review: I began reading this book as if it were a sequal to Cleage's first book, "What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day" as the main character of this book Joyce was also one of the prominant character of 'Ordinary Day'. This book totally stands alone. It does make reference to a few characters from 'Ordinary Day' but you do not have to have read 'Ordinary Day' to totally enjoy this book. Joyce Mitchelle has been a widow for five years and has totally
thrown herself into her work with teens and young girls in a group called the "The Sewing Circus". Since Joyce's husband, Mitch, died she has not dared to embark on an intimate relationship feeling as this would be a betrayal to her beloved Mitch. She has even simplified her life to the point she only wears black clothes so she doesn't have to think about color coordinating. Nate Anderson takes the position as the new vice principle of the one and only high school in the town of Idlewild, Wisconsin. He is divorced, very tall, very bald, and very handsome. Nate meets Joyce through mutual acquaintances, and they become fast friends and a formidable yet needed force in Joyces life. Nate even makes Joyce dream of wearing a daring red dress. Cleage has spun a cast of characters that are so true to life that they make you want to meander into the pages and just slap a few, and hug a few of them.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful surprise!
Review: I picked up this book in the library, not familiar with the
author, and wow! Pearl Cleage can write! She not only tells
a good story, but she honors her craft. I loved lines like this:
"She was watching Nik get into her car and drive off toward the
danger just like they always do in the horror movies; gripping the wheel, gritting her teeth and swearing she doesn't believe in ghosts." Cleage is a WRITER.
Cleage's heroine, a teacher-turned-social worker, combines sex with sensibility. The book is less about plot than about character; the heroine can get a little preachy about feminism but that's who she is, and it's not the same old story.
The use of film as a learning tool is very real -- made me
want to rent some of those videos myself.
Reminded me of May Sarton, with a lot more bite, deeper characterization and much, much better writing.
"Red dress" reaches way beyond an African-American audience
and deserves to become another best-seller for the author.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoy That Red Dress!
Review: I really loved this book. It was inspirational and good to read. I love the courage that Joyce showed for those girls that just needed love and guidance. The best character was Tomika, because of her spunk and street smarts, she was going to be the "next" Joyce Mitchell. Another appropriate title would have been 'What Kind of Tea Shall we Have?' This book was funny, serious, courageous, and had on the edge suspense. I have always like Ms. Cleage's work and hope there is more to come!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Discussion Book!
Review: Though I didn't enjoy RED DRESS as much as WHAT LOOKS LIKE CRAZY, this book addresses many important gender issues in a way that I have never seen before. I appreciated that. I love the way that Cleage included women of different generations and how they each learned from the other. I do wish that some of the discussions had been more lengthy though.
Joyce was so smart in her dealings with the people in her life. I'm glad to see a woman in fiction standing her ground, not chucking everything important to her just to satisfy a five year itch. This is an important book for us as woman and for the men in our lives especially.
C.M. MILLER, Author---Accrual Way To Die, An Audrey Wilson Mystery
Rating: 
Summary: I Wish Too
Review: This book is for the mature at heart. Cleage made me realize that maybe I was not a "free woman". I had to go back and reexamine some areas in my life. I had the "Nate" in my life but I let him get away. I wished "The Circus" could have been around for me. Cleage is definitely a romantic. A good teacher is one that can still be taught. Cleage was able to receive a lesson from her all girl group.
Rating:
Summary: I Wish I had A Red Dress
Review: Great Book. I enjoyed the book because there were so many instances where I thought about myself and how I compared. Example, was I able to do all the items listed to be an independent women. Joyce showed me another way of thinking about young women who have made bad choices in life. I saw Joyce as being a very together women. She was secure in herself. Confident, yet open for love and a good relationship. It was refreshing to me to know that there are women out there who have only been with one man in their life.
After Terry McMillan's first, I began thinking I was a bit strange.
There were so many lessons to be learned from this novel about life and relationships. I particularly enjoyed the way Joyce taught the young ladies to think critically and make their own decisions. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to women of all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Ms. Cleage has done it again!
Review: Just a wonderful book, great story and I always learn something from her about life and living it to the fullest! The women in this story all have checks of reality to deal with and you can feel with each one a sense of discovery of self and maturity! Keep coming with them, Ms. Cleage!
Rating:
Summary: Great Story
Review: Pearl Cleage has once again brought us a great story from the town of Idlewood, Michigan. This story focuses more on Joyce (or Miz J) and the members of The Sewing Circus. This story is a gripping one about the lives of several generations of women in this small town. We see Joyce still mourning the loss of her beloved husband Mitch. Five years have past since his death and he is still the one who tugs at her heart. It isn't until she meets Nate, the school's new Asst. Principal, that the womanly desires in here are awaken. She has spent all of her time and energy working with teen mothers at the Circus. Her mission is to help this girls develop into free women---free to reach goals, have thier own thoughts, and take care of themselves. We meet Tomika (Tee) who is Joyce's assistant at the Circus. She's a young tough no-holds barred single mother. Tee has learned a lot from Miz J. and is a young woman who has taken life lessons to heart. It is Tee who organizes several functions at the Circus for it's members. Although very outspoken, Tee is a compassionate young woman who cares deeply for her "sisters" at the circus. Tee has taken the "What Would Jesus Do" philosophy and applied it to men and changed it to "What Would Denzel Do"-(Denzel is the ideal man in Tee's eyes). We meet the 75 year old Smitherman twins who have experienced so many things throughout their lives. They become involved in a film project at the Circus and develop a relationship with Tee and the other members because of their links to several high profile African Americans, such as Dorothy. Once again Sister, the church minister, is spreading her knowledge and wisdom to Joyce and the other members of the community. Lastly, we meet two men from Idlewood, Bill (Sister's devoted husband) and Nate. They are two of the "good men" who are out to prove to Joyce that there are good guys left. After much debate and a near tragedy involving Tee, Joyce lets down her defenses some and realizes that there are some good guys still out there.
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