A Woman to Love: A Novel of literary fiction
A Woman to Love is character-driven, with clear spiritual undertones, and commentary on the social and relational dynamics of late-1990s professional urban life. The story explores a culture's definition of the treasured female while helping to define aspects of the relationships between the genders.
Literary Notes on A Woman to Love: A Novel
Daerian, the main character
Early-30s African American professional. Raised in a rural setting and became accustomed to a fast urban lifestyle during college. Daerian is also intent on finding a life partner. Daerian's name is derived from a word for "wanderer".
Ramona--romantic interest
Ramona is also an early-30s African American professional. Her focus is on success in her professional life as she raises and provides for her 7-year-old daughter. The name Ramona means "wise one" or "wisdom giver".
Monri--child lead
Monri, Ramona's daughter, is thoughtful and reserved.
Kevin--supporting character
Kevin is Daerian's best friend. Kevin is a specialist in the club scene, The two of them met in their workplace and then found that they shared a passion for the nightlife.
A Woman to Love is a work of literary fiction. What does that mean?
Unlike a romance novel, mystery, crime, or self-help book, a work of literary fiction does not easily fit into a literary genre. It can involve mystery or romantic themes, but literary fiction presents its story in a way that invites insight on the reader's part. The literary fiction writer will dive deeply into a character's experience while often providing an opinion about the social climate of the time. Sometimes the story develops without a time- or solution-centered plot. The power of literary fiction is its ability to provide a profound understanding of its characters and their world.
Here is a nice Wikipedia article on literary fiction.
From the back cover of A Woman to Love
"It's the late1990s, just before the expected devastation of Y2K, during the maturing years of the younger siblings of the soldiers who fought in the sexual revolution. Daerian is a young professional in pursuit of the better things in life. Those things include a wife, but he must learn to traverse the ravines of 90's big city nightlife.
"In the midst of a demanding daily routine, Daerian discovers Ramona, and he begins to suspect that she of all women holds more promise than any prior offering. But Ramona has other priorities. She also has a different definition of a good life.
"Ramona's seven-year-old daughter presents another challenge. Then they face the greatest of tragedies. Through grief, loss, and mindful discovery, Daerian learns one of life's greatest lessons: To love with the heart and to overcome the senses. More importantly, he learns to appreciate the core identities and truths of life's best-loved women."