Rating: 
Summary: Surprising!
Review: I recieved Zachary's Wings as a Christmas present and had no knowledge whatsoever of RR and had never heard of this book, so of course I was cautious. I figured since RR worked with Essence Magazine she had to be worth a try.From the first chapter I was hooked. You will love the Zach and Korie and sometimes tears will form in you eyes because of the pain in this piece of work (if you are emotional like me). While I was reading I got the impression that the author knows these people so well as if she were writing about herself. This book has been out a while but do yourself a favor and read it. Every person should have a Zach in their lives and if you have never had the "Zach Experience" this book will leave you begging for this kind of compassion in a mate.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't stop reading...excellent!
Review: I thought this book would last me my whole vacation, instead I found myself reading late into the night, I couldn't put it down. I am in love with Zachary. And Korie's okay, too. She stood loyally by her friend Simona. There was a strong bond between them. Korie lost her way there for a while, she had to learn you cannot run from life. Only when she faces her demons squarely can she begin to understand how unconditionally Zachary has always loved her. The writing is fluid and lyrical, the characterizations are very vivid, the story moves quickly, in fact it ends too soon. This is a very literate book. Ms. Robotham delves deep into the human psyche.
Rating:
Summary: A millennium image of the black male.
Review: I was very touched by Rosemarie Robotham's portrayal of Zachary. I ended the book with the thought...I want to meet you, Zachary. I think Ms. Robotham has broken ground with the creation of her Zach-man character. She has set the springboard for a non-traditional characterization of the black male. Surely others can step onto this springboard and give us warm, nurturing, sensitive men so sure of who they are that they are able to allow others to BE. Everyone grows up around Zach-man...his mother, sister, brother and most of all his love, Korie. Thank you Ms. Robotham for setting the pace, if not the standard, for the millennium image of the black male.
Rating:
Summary: This book makes you think.
Review: Ms. Robotham's doesn't shy away from tough issues. Drugs, bisexuality, infidelity--it's all here, handled with great sensitivity and caring. The characters go through much pain and suffering but (mostly) emerge into a state of grace. Ms. Robotham has many insights into the nature of human relationships and some passages are so beautifully written I had to stop and reread them. Zachary is very special, but I especially identified with Korie and what she had to go through. The end came a little too quickly for me, but it's a small thing compared to the fullness of what comes before. Definately worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: A book that will warm your spirit.
Review: Rosemarie Robotham's debut novel left me sorry when it ended and breathlessly waiting to hear more of Zachary. It is heartwarming to see such a positive portrayal of an African American man in a society where one hears so much negativity. It will give single women hope that there is a Zachary out there waiting for them. Rosemarie's lilting style makes this book a pleasure to read, it moves quickly, and leaves the reader with an emotional attachment to the characters that will have them waiting for a sequel. Congratulations go to Rosemarie Robotham for a wonderful read!
Rating: 
Summary: A satisfying novel with a lot of heart.
Review: Rosemarie Robotham's Zachary's Wings is just a beautiful book, provocative, sensual, painful, frank, romantic, and wonderously wise. The way Ms. Robotham writes, one can see the scenes unfold like a movie in the mind's eye. The story involves two lovers, Zachary and Korie, who are drawn together so powerfully, one senses it is their destiny to meet and fall in love. Zachary is a social worker from a poor family in Philadelphia and Korie, a writer, is from a life of privilege in Jamaica. Their beginnings are very different, yet they are emotionally synchronized. But as the old saying goes, the path of true love never did run smooth, and that is true for these two. The story authentically captures the mood of the early 1980s when AIDS was just becoming an issue and young people were caught up in a dangerous urban drug culture. I was so moved by the way Zachary consented to helping Korie take care of her ex-husband Sam as he was dying. But in the end, Zachary discovers that he cannot take care of everyone, that he cannot save Korie, Sam, his mother, his brothers and sister or anyone else from what they have to go through for themselves. By the end of the book, Korie has grown and grown up. Ms. Robotham has written a truly satisfying love story. I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Warm, tender and enlightening.
Review: This book is well written and thought-provoking, without being deep. It is a warm and enjoyable story of an African-American love triangle. Korie, from an aristocratic Jamaican family, is an educated and successful woman. In college, she is charmed by Sam, an intelligent but unambitious schoolmate. They marry, but eventually drift apart. When Korie meets Zachary, it's magic. But soon Sam becomes gravely ill and needs Korie's constant care. Zachary quickly recognizes Sam's illness as AIDS, but Korie is afraid to confront the implications of that diagnosis, and neither of the men wants to disillusion her. In any case, Zachary soon becomes Sam's primary caretaker. Meanwhile, the stress of handling relations with two lovers, and also trying to live up to her family's expectations, drives Korie deeper and deeper into drug addiction and despair. After Sam's death, Korie's despair and drug addiction grow worse, and Zachary returns to Philadelphia. But with her family's help, Korie eventually straightens herself and understands what a treasure she had in Zachary. In Zachary, Robotham has created a saintly character without making him too good to be true - and that's no easy task. I go back to the single criterion I use to decide how well I like a novel: Did I care about these characters? And the answer is a resounding YES. The fact is I loved all three of them for as long as they lived in my imagination while reading this book. In addition, the book did something for me which I'm not sure Robotham had in mind. It gave me a glimmer of insight into why African-Americans need the companionship of other African-Americans, and will never be completely comfortable as 12% of a White culture. She (Robotham) communicates this without screaming at the reader about the desperate conditions in the ghetto, or by any anti-White diatribes. It is just the cadences of the conversations, the assumptions and routines of daily life, which made me understand why there is nothing necessarily sinister or racist in the tendency of (for example) Black high school students to hang out together. To accomplish this in less than 300 pages, along with telling a splendid love story, is an impressive accomplishment. Well done, Ms. Robotham!
Rating:
Summary: Warm, tender and enlightening.
Review: This book is well written and thought-provoking, without being deep. It is a warm and enjoyable story of an African-American love triangle. Korie, from an aristocratic Jamaican family, is an educated and successful woman. In college, she is charmed by Sam, an intelligent but unambitious schoolmate. They marry, but eventually drift apart. When Korie meets Zachary, it's magic. But soon Sam becomes gravely ill and needs Korie's constant care. Zachary quickly recognizes Sam's illness as AIDS, but Korie is afraid to confront the implications of that diagnosis, and neither of the men wants to disillusion her. In any case, Zachary soon becomes Sam's primary caretaker. Meanwhile, the stress of handling relations with two lovers, and also trying to live up to her family's expectations, drives Korie deeper and deeper into drug addiction and despair. After Sam's death, Korie's despair and drug addiction grow worse, and Zachary returns to Philadelphia. But with her family's help, Korie eventually straightens herself and understands what a treasure she had in Zachary. In Zachary, Robotham has created a saintly character without making him too good to be true - and that's no easy task. I go back to the single criterion I use to decide how well I like a novel: Did I care about these characters? And the answer is a resounding YES. The fact is I loved all three of them for as long as they lived in my imagination while reading this book. In addition, the book did something for me which I'm not sure Robotham had in mind. It gave me a glimmer of insight into why African-Americans need the companionship of other African-Americans, and will never be completely comfortable as 12% of a White culture. She (Robotham) communicates this without screaming at the reader about the desperate conditions in the ghetto, or by any anti-White diatribes. It is just the cadences of the conversations, the assumptions and routines of daily life, which made me understand why there is nothing necessarily sinister or racist in the tendency of (for example) Black high school students to hang out together. To accomplish this in less than 300 pages, along with telling a splendid love story, is an impressive accomplishment. Well done, Ms. Robotham!
Rating:
Summary: A Slow Good Read
Review: This is an excellent book. It started a little slow, but when you get to the second part, you will not want to put it down. This book is so good that you can feel the pain, joy and sorrow of Zachary, Korie, Sam, and the rest of the family. Looking forward to the next book by Rosemarie Robotham.
Rating:
Summary: A Slow Good Read
Review: This is an excellent book. It started a little slow, but when you get to the second part, you will not want to put it down. This book is so good that you can feel the pain, joy and sorrow of Zachary, Korie, Sam, and the rest of the family. Looking forward to the next book by Rosemarie Robotham.
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