NEW BLACK NOVEL: 'SURVIVING BROKEN PROMISES' BY CORNELIA GIBSON

The story of a single mom, battered wife, and betrayed lover... You can't hurt a woman, especially a black woman with an attitude, and expect to get away with it.

Reviewed by Jim Anderson
Reviewer, Scribendi

Fairfield, CA - You can't hurt a woman, especially a black woman with an attitude, and expect to get away with it.
Cassandra didn't always have an attitude. Five jerks, as she wryly refers to the men of her life, took her from high school achiever through everything she didn't imagine when planning a career as a lawyer: single mom, battered wife, betrayed lover and tough survivor. She loses heart and hope in the sixteen years 'Surviving Broken Promises' covers, but never completely and not forever, for it is heart and hope that makes this novel. At thirty-three, Cassandra is very proud of who I am and what I have accomplished. What she accomplishes, considering those broken promises, is monumental.

Author Cornelia Gibson's straight-forward style brings her main character and those jerks to life. Marcus pressures a very young Cassandra for sex, Robert is an abusive and lying husband, George fails to mention that he is married, Chris falls for the babysitter, and Aaron has commitment (and mental) problems.

The honesty in the telling is refreshing; Cassandra is not perfect and the men are not wholly bad. Gibson is a student of psychology and she uses her resultant insight on the most basic level, our level, to let her characters story unfold naturally. We cheer Cassandras triumphs and understand her despair.

Back to the heart and hope. 'Surviving Broken Promises' delivers both, and an added touching trust in goodness. In Cassandra's case it both betrays her and makes her strong. The reader is left strong as well: empowered by the story of an ordinary woman struggling through ordinary (unfortunately quite ordinary for many) circumstances. And Cassandra's strength is not tinged with bitterness. Her's is a sweet sort of strength, and womanly strength. Even her revenge is designed not to hurt too badly.

Read 'Surviving Broken Promises' for its humanity, honesty, heart and hope. It won't disappoint you. That's a promise.

'Surviving Broken Promises' is available at www.greatUnpublished.com, at www.amazon.com, or by e-mailing the author directly at cagibso@aol.com