Rating: 
Summary: Standing at the Scratch line
Review: I couldn't put the book down. The ending left me wanting more. I read the booking thinking that it was the first written by Guy Johnson, only to discover that this book was written after echoes of a distant summer to better understand the King Tremain character. My bookclub actually changed the scheduled reading so that we could read echoes as our next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Voyage
Review: This work is an amazing tale of King Tremain. I was completely captivated by this book from the start. I spent several nights lying awake wondering what was going to happen next, so I turned the light back on and continued to read... As King moves from Louisiana to Germany to NYC to the Midwest to Frisco, his sense of self and family develop into fierce psychological imperatives. King gains quite a bit from his military training, enabling him to get almost everything he wants out of life. Except his firstborn son. His wife will have hell to pay for her involvement in keeping King from this son.My book club read this on the heels of Cider House Rules and we were AMAZED that the subject of an orphanage resurfaced in such a completely different genre of book. We were pleasantly surprised. At least I was. This was a well written novel about a fantastic hero. The book could stand to lose a few hundred "had"s. The book could also stand to come into the active voice on a number of accounts. Nevertheless, it is well written. Thank you Guy Johnson.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Facinating
Review: I too purchased "Standing at the Scratch Line" and didn't pick it up for a while (actually read several books in between) because the number of pages seemed daunting. I was also leery of not liking the book--the story, writing, etc., etc. Well I was pleasantly surprised. I became totally riveted in the story in the first few pages. In some of the reviews I read the central character, "King Tramain," was described as an "antihero." What a misnomer! If anything he is an archetypical, larger-than-life hero of the kind many of us have not been introduced to within the historical context of Jim Crow, Northern racism and inter-group self hate and prejudice. I cheered this man at each stage of this story and liked him more and more as his story unfolded. Was he violent? Yes. Was his approach to the world necessary? Absolutely! Could a black man at the dawn of the 20th century survive and hold on to his wealth without standing up for himself, using violence, when necessary? I agree with the premise the author eventually sets forth in one of his later chapters-absolutely not. This is a sweeping epic, powerfully told with panache by a good, solid writer. It is a great read, providing glimpses back into a world that had to be a living nightmare for our ancestors, and speaks anew about the survival of a race of people who had to endure extraordinarily vile, hostile and wanton violence at every turn. A must read. Kudos and congrats, Mr. Johnson. Very well done!
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, Jesus!
Review: Yes, and I am thanking Jesus for me being able to find an African American writer who can not only write but tell a story! For the past 10 years (since the success of Terry MacMillan's Waiting to Exhale book and movie) there has been a genre of no-talent lunatics masquerading as "authors" of comtemporary fiction or more accurately dogpile in print. Just when I was through (and I do mean FINISHED) with reading ANY new African American author, along comes Guy Johnson and this wonderful, well-written novel. This book is a sweeping saga. I felt like I was actually there in that time period. I actually cried, laughed and talked out loud while reading. Anyway, I won't tell too much. But this book is good. An intelligent African American author. Refreshing in these times of novels containing mispellings, misplaced sex scenes, no plot, materialism, etc. Keep up the good work Guy! Your mom must be so proud!
Rating:
Summary: A Slam Dunk for Guy Johnson
Review: I have never taken the time to write a book review, but after completing this book, it is clearly mandatory that I inform any prospective purchaser the delight which awaits you between these pages. The book was clearly a writer's challenge in that there are several venues set in different states (and a different country) with a few subplots. However, it is seamlessly woven into a page turning action thriller, which had me staying up until 3-4 am, and foregoing my required New York Times daily reading to finish the adventure. The 5 star rating is not at all an over estimation. The book combines some of the principalities of perceptions of manhood and integrity with methods anyone can use in their daily life to overcome racism and some of the different facets we face racial challenges in ever day life. The main character would be nearly impossible to decipher onto the silver screen, but clearly Guy Johnson now has one more fan right here. I urge any reader of this review to click that button right now to order this book, don't even hesitate for a minute, a reading experience awaits you that you will be remembering and comparing your subsequent purchases to. (IE-Is this book as good as "Standing at the Scratch Line"?)
Rating:
Summary: Still Standing
Review: From the first page to the last this book had me fixated to its primary character. King Tremain is destined to go down as one of the most memorable characters in black fiction. Proud, self-reliant and indominatable in spirit, King epitomizes all the qualities men admire in one another and women find desirable in men. Johnson surrounds King with fully fleshed out friends and foes. He brings to life the complexities of life in turn-of-the-century America and the Jim Crow south. I have nothing but the highest praise for him and anxiously await the release of 'Echoes of a Distant Summer' the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: A very good read
Review: I had this book a while and just afraid to pick it up. The number of pages and the small print sent this one to the bottom of the pile, but I am so glad I gave it a chance. Once I started reading the pages and small print did not seem to matter. I was intrigued with the antics of King Tremaine. This saga will take you on a journey through WWI, New York, Louisiana, Oklahoma and San Franciso. You will become involved with war, bootlegging, racial predjuices, voodoo, secrets. There is just so much action, adventure and storylines that you just have to take the time and sit and read this book. I also will be looking forward to the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: When Can We Expect Echoes of a Distant Summer?!
Review: This was an excellent story! It's filled with characters that are extremely real, ones that will conjure up strong emotions. The story line uses American history to weave a real page-turner and even explains the reason why not much has really changed with race relations in the U.S. today. Guy Johnson has written one of the few books that I'm anxious to read the sequel! W.
Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ
Review: "This is one of the best novels I've read in the past ten years. It was a constant page turner; and I could not wait to learn what was going to happen next. The characters were so vividly portrayed, they jumped off the pages of the book. The "Black Hero" in the form of King Tramaine, given the circumstances, was brilliant. Mr. Johnson is a wonderful story teller. He had me wanting more, more, more. I can't wait until the sequel comes out." I am definitely recommending 'Standing . . .' to my book club, 'Sisters Who Enjoy Reading'(SWER's) as a "must read."
Rating:
Summary: An Epic Hero
Review: After choosing this book as a gift believing it to be a "guy's" story, I was pleasantly suprised. It is a great saga. Usually these types of stories focus on a particular family or feature the women of many generations. Guy Johnson is to be commended for writing about a strong male character who cares for his race. I loved the variety of settings and the complexity of the characters. This novel should be made into a movie with Laurence Fishburne as King Tremain. Ms Angelou must definetly be proud of her son. I look forward to his next book.
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