June - August 2005
 Reborn
by Nea Anna Simone
In her sophomore novel and sequel to Reaching Back, NeaAnna Simone captures sibling rivalry, family angst as well as the true meaning of family. Along with this, Ms. Simone has fashioned an interesting storyline filled will suspense, deception, love, hate and familial order to create a tale that reads like a true family saga. It commands attention from page one as we are introduced to Pastor and Mrs. Daniels on the eve of an event that will change their lives forever. Having never read Ms. Simone’s freshman novel, I was so taken with her style of writing that a vow was made to retrace my footsteps to her first body of work, Reaching Back. Reborn is a novel filled with family pain and prejudice beginning during Hitler’s occupation reiterating the prejudices bestowed upon people of mixed heritage and the injustices imposed upon them. This book is written in a vernacular that also catches each time period that it covers from the 1930’s to present time capturing each voice of all of her colorful characters.
The sequence of events on that fateful evening will shape the lives of all descendants to come full circle in the years to come. Mignon, daughter of the infamous ”Blackgal”, has stumbled upon her family’s journal more than five years prior, and only now does she have the courage to read and find out over five generations of her family’s history. Due to a sequence of life changing events in her life, Mignon believes that in order for her to truly succeed she must understand from whence she came. Despite a nasty divorce, Mignon embarks on her new life trying her hand at running an innovative coffee shop in her hometown of Los Angeles. With the help of her stepfather and one of his longtime business associates, she embarks on this dream shop called “Cinnamon’s. Basking in the successful grand opening of her establishment, Mignon and her mother are hit with a devastating blow - the sudden death of her step-father and soul mate to her mother Ana. Thus the story unfolds as we are introduced to the connective family members “Fast” Eddie, Sophia, Ana, Cam, matriarch Carrie and their offspring.
The mold has been broken placing Ms. Simone in a class of itself. Her ability to make the reader feel the true essence of her characters dreams, hopes woes and such is a talent that few authors are able to do so early on in their careers. Nea has a strait forward writing style that pulls one in hungering for just another taste - anticipating the next crisis or triumph in her character’s lives. She touches upon a myriad of issues - abject racism, the issue of “passing” and self-identity, the hustler’s mentality, and family love and allegiance - sustaining a steady flow of words, creating a cohesive, believable tale.
Much kudos to Ms. Simone on this second novel. This novel had me reaching for it at all times, just to find out what would happen next. I was able to feel each characters pain as well as triumph - something that is the ultimate goal of any writer. The cadence reads with ease, flowing freely across the pages. Ms. NeaAna Simone is here to stay and an author to be reckoned with placing her in the company of few mainstream authors. I give this novel a 5 and highly recommend!
Reviewed by Michelle Henley for the Romer Review
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