When I Get Where I'm Going by Cheryl Robinson

When I Get Where I'm Going
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Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade (September 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451229479
ISBN-13: 978-0451229472
Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches

Reviewed by Idrissa Uqdah

Nothing Like A Sister

I have to admit that I get excited when Cheryl Robinson releases a new book. This author always comes with her very best and gives her readers a great read. Her latest release; When I Get Where I'm Going follows that tradition.

Sisters, Heaven and Hope are traumatized at an early age, when their father murders their mother after a really bad fight. With their mother dead and their father in prison, the little girls only have each other to hold on to. Raised by their Nana in the inner city of Detroit; the girls manage to survive with Hope always the protector of her younger sister Heaven. Life isn't easy for either sister but Hope manges to make better choices for her life than Heaven does. Despite her frustrations with her sister's lifestyle; Hope continues to be there for Heaven until Heaven crosses the line and does something that forces Hope to disassociate herself from Heaven.

Hope is a young widow struggling to raise her daughter from a previous relationship in the midst of her grief. Her husband had died in a tragic boating mishap that left many questions unanswered. Her losses have left Hope, angry and broken. As much as she tries, even mothering her daughter is a challenge for her. She hasn't spoken to her sister in a long time and neither sister communicates with their father even though he continues to write them letters from prison, letters full of remorse and regret.

Finally Heaven reads one of her father's many unopened letters and is surprised at his revelation that he had fathered a daughter when he was very young. Heaven and Hope have an older sister that they never knew existed. Their father wants them to meet one another.

This is a tender story of three sisters, all very different in personalities, living their lives in very different ways. After thirteen years of living in California trying to make her dreams come true, Alicia Day is no closer to becoming a movie star than she was when she first arrived in Hollywood. Heaven's phone call to Alicia from her hometown of Detroit finds her in a vulnerable place in her life. She has been bruised and torn apart by the business and wonders if it is time to cut her losses and go back home.

I just loved this storyline and I loved the three sisters even more. Robinson is known for creating characters full of emotion with determination and drive. These women will remind you of your own sisters, daughters and girlfriends. They don't give up very easily.

Heaven continues to telephone Alicia who at first was reluctant to bond with her, but Heaven doesn't give up just like she doesn't give up on seeking forgiveness from Hope. After finding that she has a medical condition that requires surgery; Alicia returns home to Detroit to her family; her mother, stepfather and younger brother. Once she gets settled, she meets up with Heaven. Then the drama begins.

The author does a good job of creating a setting showcasing the new developments in the City of Detroit. A native of the "Motor City; Robinson's details will make you want to take a trip and visit some of the top attractions in the City.

The story flowed effortlessly as the author proved once again, her ability to get inside the hearts of her characters. You feel Heaven's pain as she struggles to turn her life around while in the throes of an abusive relationship. Heaven just wants to be loved. All grown up, she still carries the pain of the little girl who lost the love of her mother. Hope is strong but weak in accepting her losses. Professionally, she succeeds in life but personally she is a mess. She fears the pain of allowing her heart to love again and isn't really interested in bonding with Alicia or reconnecting with Heaven.

Alicia is the glue that pulls the trio of sisters together. As she grows in faith and strength; she shows her sisters that together they can heal from life's storms and move on to a better future. They learn how important unconditional love is among family.

Not only did I love the three main characters but the secondary characters were people that I came to care about also. This is a novel that you don't want to stop reading. Like her previous best seller, Sweet Georgia Brown, this book is very inspirational giving African American women a great image, a testimony to our resiliency and our love of family.

Cheryl Robinson brings readers still another winning novel about the things that makes us who we are, the things that gives us hope and joy in being sisters. I believe you really will love this novel too.