Hold You Down
Books | Fiction / African American & Black / Women
4.3
Tracy Brown
Hold You Down is an edgy novel from rising star Tracy Brown about the perils of love and the ties that bind...New York City. Late 1980s to early 1990s.Mercy and Lenox Howard have always only had each other. Growing up on the mean streets of Harlem with an absentee mother meant that they had to have each other's backs. Now young, smart mothers they are determined to survive in New York City while raising their two sons, who have bright futures ahead of them.Mercy is the quiet, straight laced hospital administrator, struggling to make ends meet. At night and on weekends, she pours her heart into her cooking and her dream of owning her own restaurant. Lenox is the diva, the wild child, looking for excitement and her big come up in life and love. Their boys, Deon and Judah, have been raised more like brothers than cousins, forging a bond that is unbreakable.When Lenox heads down a path that she believes will bring success and power, it changes the entire course of her life and her family’s life forever. As a result of their mother’s choices, cousins Deon and Judah soon find themselves in uncharted territory.
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Author
Tracy Brown
Pages
336
Publisher
St. Martin's Griffin
Published Date
2022-11-01
ISBN
1250834945 9781250834942
Community ReviewsSee all
"Emotional journey through 20 years backdropped by the crack epidemic. Had me in tears."
Dee Hunter
"Mercy and Lenox are sisters and best friends. Their young sons Judah and Deon are more like brothers than cousins. When we first meet the foursome they are at the funeral of Mercy and Lenox's mostly absent mother. From there we follow the sisters back to their life on Staten Island.<br/><br/>Mercy is the older sister. She is a nurturer and worrier by nature. She loves to cook and dreams of one day owning her own restaurant so she can share her gifts with the world. To make ends meet and provide some stability for her son, Judah, she is working at a local hospital.<br/><br/>Lenox on the other hand is a fly by the seat of her pants younger sibling. She dreams of having the finer things in life. Her only dream is to get money and lots of it to provide a better life for her son Deon as well as her big sister and nephew. <br/><br/>On the night of their mother's funeral Lenox goes to hang out with an old admirer from the neighborhood and he introduces her to the life she always believed she deserved. Dazzled by the money, Lenox easily falls into this new lifestyle. The fast money is intoxicating and she can't get enough.<br/><br/>Mercy notices the changes in her sister right away and is instantly concerned. She fears this new life and fast money is going to bring more trouble than her impulsive little sister can handle. As the story unfolds we watch the sisters and their sons deal with the consequences of their mothers' actions and inaction. <br/><br/>The storytelling was face-paced and attention grabbing, but it was extremely heavy. This family endures trauma after trauma. The weight of their decisions chart a path that none of them ever expected. <br/><br/>**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review."
Brandi C