Today we will be discussing our May 2009 Alternate BOM selection Orange Mint and Honey by Carleen Brice. Hopefully you’ve had an opportunity to read the book and will join us as we host the author, for our first Blog Book Chat.
Book Description:
Broke and burned-out from grad school, Shay Dixon does the unthinkable after receiving a “vision†from her de facto spiritual adviser, blues singer Nina Simone. She phones Nona, the mother she had all but written off, asking if she can come home for a while.
When Shay was growing up, Nona was either drunk, hungover, or out with her latest low-life guy. So Shay barely recognizes the new Nona, now sober and with a positive outlook on life, a love of gardening, and a toddler named Sunny. Though reconciliation seems a hard proposition for Shay, something unmistakable is taking root inside her, waiting to blossom like the morning glories opening up in Nona’s garden sanctuary.
Soon Shay finds herself facing exciting possibilities and even her first real romantic relationship. But when an unexpected crisis hits, even the wise words and soulful melodies of Nina Simone may not be enough for solace. Shay begins to realize that, like orange mint and honey, sometimes life tastes better when bitter is followed by sweet.
More about the Author
Carleen Brice’s debut novel, Orange Mint and Honey, was an Essence “Recommended Read” and a Target “Bookmarked Breakout Book.” For this book, she won the 2009 First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and the 2008 Break Out Author Award at the African American Literary Awards Show. Orange Mint and Honey was optioned by Lifetime.
Her second novel, Children of the Waters (One World/Ballantine), a book about race, love and family, will be released June 23. Carleen started the Buy a Book By Somebody Black and Give it to Somebody Not Black Month and runs the blog White Readers Meet Black Authors.
“I was exhausted and singing the blues the hour I began Carleen Brice’s new novel, Children of the Waters. Five hours later, I’d finished this fresh, free-rein novel about mothers’ secrets and children’s sorrows and was shouting ‘Hurray!’” – Jacquelyn Mitchard author, The Deep End of the Ocean
“In Children of the Waters, Carleen Brice manages to explore the difficult, messy and unpleasant details of life with both humor and wisdom. The parallel journeys of sisters, Trish and Billie, will resonate with everyone and anyone who has questioned their identity and place in this world. Once again, Carleen Brice has crafted a thoroughly enjoyable novel that gets at the heart of the human experience.” – Lori Tharps, author of Kinky Gazpacho
“In Children of the Waters, Carleen Brice highlights the effects of America’s complicated relationship with race and identity on three generations of two families in a clear and insightful depiction of what it means to be American at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Brice knows how far we have come and how far there is left to go, and in Children of the Waters she deftly lays it all out for the reader to see.” – Matthew Aaron Goodman, author of Hold Love Strong
“In Children of the Waters, Carleen Brice deftly explores issues of family, identity, and race with a wonderful abundance of humor, forgiveness, and grace. This moving story of two sisters separated by prejudice will open minds and touch hearts.” – Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters
Author’s Website:
Carleen, thanks so much for joining us today. I’m sure the discussion for Orange Mint & Honey will be a lively one! Please start off by telling us a little about why you decided to write the book. We’ll be here throughout today (and tomorrow). Also, how did you mold the various characters?
-Tee
I really enjoyed this book though I usually dont like reading about mother daughter issues because of my own issues growing up. I look forward to the discussion and reading your next book.
Linda, of the two, who could you relate more with? Me? Well, I understood Shay’s position, I just kinda got tired of her whole “woe is me” toward the end. LOL. I wanted her to sit down somewhere and hush up. Nona, I liked, but really wanted her to “get” what Shay was saying earlier on in the story. (Mainly so Shay would hush).
-Tee
I loved, LOVED, loved orange mint and honey. It didn’t want the story to end. I wanted to continue to follow the characters and watch them grow. Kudos to Carleen.
So, Iris, what was your favorite part of the story? And, if you could write the first chapter to the sequel, where would the main characters be? Why?
-Tee
i loved that the characters were imperfect and the real emotions that comes along with that. shay agitated me with the way she kept living in the past, but i admired the way her mother stayed true to who she was and what she believed. she didn’t try to push or pressure shay into a relationship with her. she simply prayed for her.
i would definitely want to know what kind of mother shay would be to her own child and the surrounding relationships with all!
i tell you, i didn’t want the story to end!
LOL, I see Iris, I see! I must agree with you too. A lot of what you said mirrors my own feelings with the book. I’m not a sequel kinda girl, but if Shay had her own story…I’d definitely check it out.
Tee,
That’s a great question. I’m going to have to remember that one.
I have a million questions, but want to give everyone else the opportunity to jump in. While we wait, I want folks to chime in about their favorite parts of the books, which characters they liked, disliked, etc. Also…when did you “get” the title of the book? What about Nina Simone? Why do you think Shay chose her as her voice of reason? Did you like how the book ended? Oh wait, what about the church scene? LOL…come on now, I know y’all liked that??
Anyone else have questions about the book or for Carleen?
I’ll be posting some of the discussion questions from the guide too.
-Tee
Thanks everybody! I’m happy to join you! It’s kind of hard to answer questions about how I decided to write the book. I kind of forget all the parts and pieces of how the idea came to me, but I wanted to write a mother-daughter story after my mom passed away from breast cancer. But I needed to grow some and get some space before I could attempt it. Some readers say Shay got on their nerves. I can only imagine how obnoxious she would have been if I had tried to write the book when I was younger!
Shay is a little based on–like her, I was a big old nerd growing up, always had/have my head in a book. But my OCD traits are different than hers, so she’s a mixture of me, friends, and really herself. Once I started to work with the character, she became her own person.
Nona has a lot of me in her too, especially the gardening. My knowledge of the 12 step-AA stuff comes from when I was friends with someone who was in AA.
Oooh…I didn’t mention the gardening stuff, but just from your descriptions, I wanted to run out and plant flowers. Was it hard for you to have to write about the fire?
And what an interesting take on Shay’s character. It would be so cool if you HAD written the book back then, just to compare the differences. There are often books we read as adults that we read while we were younger which we feel totally different about. I also really appreciated the mother-daughter aspect of the book. Oh and I really loved Nona’s best friend… I really enjoyed her take on things, as well as Nina Simone’s “character.” Why Nina Simone?
Are you feeling any better?
Not really sis, but wanted to peek in. Did you have any questions for us??
Oh Tee…the church scene! LOL! That usually gets more discussion time than anything else. We’ll see what y’all have to say.
Ummm hmmm. That was some drama! Was that an original scene of the book? It had my mouth open, big time. LOL.
That scene was always in the book, but it became more dramatic after a critique group I was in read some of the pages. The women who didn’t have children were siding with Shay and the women who were mothers were siding with Nona. I thought it would be interesting to show that in the book.
I think I was with one halfway through and then converted. LOL. As a mother and a daughter, I could see both sides. I STILL wanted Shay to get over it though. LOL.
i wanted to share a comment from another group that i am a member of:
I just finished reading ORANGE MINT AND HONEY by Carleen Brice. Iris Celeste recommended the book to me and I must say that I was very pleased with it. Thanks Iris!
another satisfied reader!!!!
Iris, Thanks for sharing that! I needed a little pick-me-up today (PMS) and y’all are really helping!
Woo hoo…another satisfied reader. Carleen, I don’t think you have too much to worry about. A lot of us are waiting on the new book to come out. I’ll save my questions on that to give folks time to peek in.
I have not read the book but just reading all of the comments on the book I will have to go out and buy this book again very soon.
Patrice, you must check it out and then let us know what you think.
Tee, I plan to check it out and I will definitely let you know my thoughts.
Hope you like it!
I read that book and thought it was great!! I love the relationship between Shay and Nina simone.
Torrie, why do you think she chose Nina Simone? Have you ever used someone as your muse like this? What about the rest of y’all? Imaginary friends count. Ahahaha.
Tee & Torrie, I have a picture of Zora Neale Hurston over my desk. While I was writing Orange Mint I told all my friends she was watching over me. Without my knowledge the agent I ended up signing with represents the Hurston estate! Coincidence?
Wow…fascinating! Dunno if I’d call this a coincidence though.
Hey Tee, I have to say that I liked both. I have to admit that I liked how Nona turned things around but kept hoping Shay would hush..like most of the comments here. That church scene was off the hook LOL
Hey Linda, Glad you liked the church scene!
Excuse me for not remembering character’s names, but how did you all feel about the girl who was jealous of Shay? The one who started the fire?
Ivy was her name. And someone at a book club a couple months ago had the most interesting take on Ivy, which had never crossed my mind: she thought Ivy was gay and was in love with Nona. I never saw it that way. Did any of y’all?
I could see that, Carleen, definitely. Her behavior was a bit odd for just friends. Either way, she had major issues.
I saw Ivy as having mother issues with Nona, rather than seeing her as a friend, seeing her as kind of a mother figure. But soon as that was pointed out to me, I could see why someone else might think that.
Hi Carleen, Just stopping through to say I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read so far. I look forward to the discussion and finishing the book.
Hi Wana, Thanks for popping in!
Good morning, Rawsistaz! Hope everybody has a good Wednesday!
Carleen, thanks so much for sharing with us! I had a wonderful time discussing the book and look forward to your upcoming release. Before we close things up, please give us your personal take on Children of the Waters.
-Tee
Thanks Tee and thanks to everyone who stopped in! Children of the Waters is loosely based on a true story that one of my sisters-in-law told me. She’s biracial and her white grandparents gave her up for adoption at least partially because of that (they kept her older sister who was white). When she was grown her birth-sister found her. In real life she was adopted by a white family, so when her white birth sister found her, race wasn’t an issue. In my book, I wonder what would happen if that person was adopted by a black family and her identity was being a black family? And in my book the dead grandmother may play a role in bringing the two sisters together.
I can’t wait to read it, Carleen!
Just wanted to close out our first Blog Chat and thank everyone who participated (and those who only peeked in.) Hope to see you all for the next one.
Carleen, it was a pleasure!
-Tee