Up at the College

Publishers Weekly

Yvonne Fountain Copeland, the heroine of Bowen's lamentable faithy novel, finds strength in the Lord when her husband leaves her. Back in hometown Durham, N.C., she lands a teaching job and meets Curtis Parker, who is everything she could want in a man-except he isn't saved. Curtis has his own problems, many of which are linked to his job as a college basketball coach, but with Yvonne by his side, they learn nothing's insurmountable if they have Jesus on their side. Unfortunately, the intense faith theme overwhelms every other aspect of the narrative. The characters are poorly drawn, their troubles lack urgency, and there's never a doubt about how things will turn out. (Apr.)

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Library Journal

After her husband of 15 years leaves in search of more excitement, Yvonne Fountain Copeland returns home to Durham, NC, to find peace of mind and renew her closeness with God. There, she meets basketball coach Curtis Parker, on his own spiritual journey. Featuring some characters from Holy Ghost Corner, Bowen's fourth novel is a feel-good story full of humor and hope, and readers will relate to the characters' determination to move on with their lives after facing difficulties. Recommended for public libraries, especially those with a demand for titles that feature African American characters. It may also appeal to fans of ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Let the Church Say Amen) or Sheilah Vance (Land Mines). [See Prepub Alert, LJ3/15/08.]

—Tamara Butler

Kirkus Reviews

More pop-religious pap from Bowen (Holy Ghost Corner, 2006, etc.). When her pretentious husband of 16 years kicked Yvonne Fountain Copeland and her two daughters out of their Richmond, Va., home, she became determined to make a better life for herself. Now, after moving to North Carolina, she has a faculty job in the Department of Design at Evangeline T. Marshall University, "or Eva T., as the school was called by most black folk in Durham County." Yvonne soon crosses paths with Curtis, the insanely handsome and popular head basketball coach. Instantly attracted, she hesitates because he has yet to be saved by the Lord. For his part, as the basketball season goes downhill and his job is threatened, Curtis struggles over whether or not to give himself to God and wonders if it's worth quitting his playboy ways for Yvonne. Scheming members of the Eva T. administration and a rival college's coaching staff propel what little story line there is, with Curtis and Yvonne's burgeoning love adding some slight forward movement, but plot is mostly supplanted by religious fervor. Yvonne carries anointing oil in her purse; an entire chapter is devoted to watching "Apostle Grady Grey's Half an Hour of Holy Ghost Power" on DVD; and emotions run borderline hysterical as various people decide to turn their lives over to Jesus. Mind you, plenty of characters go astray as well. The narrative reads like a sermon, complete with jeremiads against strip joints and licentious preachers. Indeed, the preachy prose has a spicy subtext; sexual undertones, flirtation and women's figures-particularly their backsides-get plenty of time on the page. Bowen commits the mortal literary sin of making any interestingcharacters or plot take a backseat to the obvious star of the show, GodThe Final Judgment: overly proselytizing. Author tour to Chicago, Atlanta, Memphis