Obviously, for some people *hint, hint*, my simple declarative statement is not enough. (Yeah, I wanted to see if I could get away with it. *smile*)

Give Me Life by Marie Vincent is a novel of a life and a family. I laughed, I raged, I cried, I relived memories of good times and bad. Through Ms. Vincent’s story, I saw stages of life in my family. Give Me Life is about life and all that goes with it.

Give Me Life is the story of Maggie Stokes. Maggie tells her story, along with her daughters Nina and Dana. Maggie is the mother of six children, with Nina and Dana being her only daughters. At 56 years of age, Maggie is diagnosed with cancer. The novel starts at this point. Dana and Nina soon take over the narration, discussing their mother and their own respective lives. But, this is Maggie’s story and it is her voice that dominates. Maggie tells of her childhood, her siblings, her home in Forest Hill, her marriage to Bobby Stokes, her children, her cancer, and her will to live. Give Me Life is a novel of a full life. It’s an illustration of the interconnection of people and the importance of how one life can many so much to so many.

Maggie is a wonderful story teller. She’s real. In my mind, Maggie became a mesh of my mother and my grandmother. Maggie is a strong woman of quiet strength. I laughed and cried. There are times that she ticked me off, especially, when it came to her marriage. Maggie knows her weaknesses. She doesn’t explain or seek sympathy. Maggie is Maggie. Her marriage reminded me of that line from a song, "It Ain’t No Fun" recorded by Shirley Brown, "Don’t never say what you won’t do...Because love can make you do a lot of things that you thought you wouldn’t do."

Maggie loves her children and Bobby. Through the adultery, physical violence, and even an accusation of sexual abuse from her daughter Dana, Maggie stayed with him. Maggie is a strong woman. Maggie has that "thing" that God gives to some people that attracts other for it’s peace, a calmness, a pillar. A pillar we selfishly reach out and cling to, knowing it is the only immovable object in a world that is spinning like a toy top in a carnival funhouse, I like to call life.

Maggie is what I would call a "good woman". From the tossing of words and images in my mind, I came away from Give Me Life with Maggie’s life as a blues song. Not the gut-wrenching blues that has the potential of making one more depressed than he was before, but the blues that you recognize the ups and the downs. Maggie was Ella Fitzgerald singing the blues. A voice crystal clear, pretty with the inflection of the joy and wonder of life - walking, skipping, running, crawling through a world of pain, love, disappointments and wishes - only to leave a cloud. A cloud that after buffing and polishing around the edges, shamelessly displays a sparkling silver lining, as a big forget-me-not that there is beauty.

The supporting cast is equally as real. Some stand out more than others, but all is essential in order to paint the full world of Maggie Stokes. There’s the friends, (Thea being my favorite), Maggie’s brothers and sisters. A multitude, a parade of people. I was happy to meet and greet just about everyone of them, except Wallace. Dana and Nina are the most important cast members for it is through them that some of the sub-plots are developed and foundations to some of Maggie’s memories are laid.

Vincent provides a full book about a full life. Vincent accomplished several feats. First, the novel is separated into 5 portions: The Diagnosis, Journey Of Three Lifetimes, and A New Beginning in which the narrators are Maggie, Dana and Nina; Forest Hill and Steeple Chase is narrated by Maggie alone. Vincent developed her characters so well that the book had no notifying title identifying which character was handling the narration at that particular time, even though within a couple of sentences it became apparent. I easily achieved an awareness in that I knew exactly who it was immediately. Very good.

The parade of characters is handled expertly. Maggie’s remembrances moves at a quick clip that gives the deceptive impression of speed while slowly unfolding. Maggie’s life, as with all of our lives, are filled with gossip, acquaintances, in-laws, friends of friends. Vincent made it easy to remember all of these people and the episodes that they were a part. Vincent developed them quickly, firmly. I was most impressed. Not once did I turn back pages saying, who in the hell is this and where did he come from.

I also loved the quiet, reflective moments that Vincent wisely included in the story. One that stands out in my mind is when Maggie is washing the dishes, she looks out of the kitchen window and gazes at the beauty of the land. Life is not composed of a constant string of earth shattering, life threatening events. These small preludes made Maggie’s life more complete, thus, believable. For, don’t we all notice the color purple?

Vincent also possesses a wonderful ear and an observant eye. The family dynamics and understanding of human nature is on the mark! The best example of this was Nina and Dana’s solidly being at Maggie’s side. Sure, men can do it as well as the women, but from where I sit, Vincent’s assessment couldn’t be more correct. I know it happened in my family. I bet I’m not the only one. Vincent did not stray from the focus of the novel. How else could Vincent had kept the many strands of Maggie’s life in it’s proper place? Nicely done.

Give Me Life is wonderful. Solidly constructed with a fluid narrative that was both informative, and moving. Give Me Life is a literary peach that can barely contain the juice within it. Can you tell that I loved the book? We are right back where we started. I LOVED IT!!! Give Me Life comes Highly Recommended.