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A review by thesageshelf
Second House from the Corner: A Novel of Marriage, Secrets, and Lies by Sadeqa Johnson
4.0
This review will contain spoilers!!
Reading this book was like remembering pieces from my childhood that were tucked away with dust on them. It’s silly but I couldn’t help but to smile a little when I saw her grandmother mention the circular… So nostalgic.I haven’t read a book by a black author in a long time, especially one that could capture the nuances of growing up in a black household. I grew up with both of my parents but up until I was 9, during the day I was raised by my religious grandmother, much like the MC Felicia was. I could relate to Felicia in the fact that she felt the need to stuff all the “bad” things deep down. You don’t talk about the bad things, you just tuck them away, under lock and key. That caused her to have such a toxic inner voice if she wasn’t being “good wife, mother, woman.” Felicia, piling on to the stress. She had a hard childhood and had no one to turn to and I feel like Martin saw that. Martin the right hand man to her pastor, but let’s be real “Daddy Gracious One” was a cult leader, exploiting the people of his church. It wasn’t said out right but there is no doubt, Martin groomed her. A beacon in her church. Every single time he referred to her as ”Young Sister” I wanted to climb through the book and punch him! Felicia ends up pregnant and she is beaten and sent away for it. No one asking if she is okay or why a 30 year old man is sleeping with a 15 year old.
Fast forward to her life as a mother of 3 beautiful kids and wife to Preston. Martin finds a way to creep back into her life and Preston finds out he has been calling. I absolutely did not like Preston in this book. Sure he worked and blah blah but he didn’t sound like a good dad or husband to Felicia. I know it’s a thing to cater to your man or whatever, but the way he blew up at Felicia without even letting her explain simply because a man called the house is so out of line. No wonder she didn’t want to open to you, I wouldn’t either! He shows up at her show and then threatens to hit her at the house. It’s like okay be angry, but I feel like he did entirely too much. Then Rory goes missing and he follows her foot to foot instead of looking in other spots ?!?! That would’ve drove me crazy. I am not saying Felicia is right for what she did with Martin after Preston kicked her out, she should have known better but I truly think she didn’t. Her entire past was stuffed into the crevices of her being and suddenly was shoved into the light. She needed help and didn’t get it so I think her mind and body went to where she felt safe once.
I did feel like the ending could have been better. Not neatly tied up the way it was. Preston needs to learn empathy and I hope Felicia opens up to someone because her past will continue to weigh her down otherwise. I can’t wait to read more of Sadeqa Johnson’s work :)
Reading this book was like remembering pieces from my childhood that were tucked away with dust on them. It’s silly but I couldn’t help but to smile a little when I saw her grandmother mention the circular… So nostalgic.I haven’t read a book by a black author in a long time, especially one that could capture the nuances of growing up in a black household. I grew up with both of my parents but up until I was 9, during the day I was raised by my religious grandmother, much like the MC Felicia was. I could relate to Felicia in the fact that she felt the need to stuff all the “bad” things deep down. You don’t talk about the bad things, you just tuck them away, under lock and key. That caused her to have such a toxic inner voice if she wasn’t being “good wife, mother, woman.” Felicia, piling on to the stress. She had a hard childhood and had no one to turn to and I feel like Martin saw that. Martin the right hand man to her pastor, but let’s be real “Daddy Gracious One” was a cult leader, exploiting the people of his church. It wasn’t said out right but there is no doubt, Martin groomed her. A beacon in her church. Every single time he referred to her as ”Young Sister” I wanted to climb through the book and punch him! Felicia ends up pregnant and she is beaten and sent away for it. No one asking if she is okay or why a 30 year old man is sleeping with a 15 year old.
Fast forward to her life as a mother of 3 beautiful kids and wife to Preston. Martin finds a way to creep back into her life and Preston finds out he has been calling. I absolutely did not like Preston in this book. Sure he worked and blah blah but he didn’t sound like a good dad or husband to Felicia. I know it’s a thing to cater to your man or whatever, but the way he blew up at Felicia without even letting her explain simply because a man called the house is so out of line. No wonder she didn’t want to open to you, I wouldn’t either! He shows up at her show and then threatens to hit her at the house. It’s like okay be angry, but I feel like he did entirely too much. Then Rory goes missing and he follows her foot to foot instead of looking in other spots ?!?! That would’ve drove me crazy. I am not saying Felicia is right for what she did with Martin after Preston kicked her out, she should have known better but I truly think she didn’t. Her entire past was stuffed into the crevices of her being and suddenly was shoved into the light. She needed help and didn’t get it so I think her mind and body went to where she felt safe once.
I did feel like the ending could have been better. Not neatly tied up the way it was. Preston needs to learn empathy and I hope Felicia opens up to someone because her past will continue to weigh her down otherwise. I can’t wait to read more of Sadeqa Johnson’s work :)