Guest Author - Khara Aisha
Gotham Diaries, a novel by Tonya Lewis Lee and Crystal McCrary Anthony
To start with, who in Gotham kept a diary?
Nevermind.
I’m sure you’ve heard about it by now, right? The novel is called Gotham Diaries, and it’s so hot that I had to put my name on a waiting list at my local public library in order to find a copy. It supposed to the like a black Danielle Steel or Jackie Collins, or a literary, African-American Sex in the City. It’s supposed to be an addictive peek into the world of the black elite.
(I mostly thought it was just a lot of drama.)
The plot: Gotham Diaries is the story of several hot, beautiful black people in Manhattan. First, we have Manny Marks, a gorgeous, gay 36-year-old real estate broker from Alabama who plays his sometimes-fading accent and good looks for all they can possibly achieve (which is, apparently, quite a bit). He’s a successful real estate broker, servicing the black millionaires when they seek to buy property in Manhattan. But being a relatively affluent real estate broker isn’t enough for Manny. In his eyes, and in the eyes of the more powerful people that he works for, he’s still just a glorified salesman with no real influence or power. Everyone knows that a mere real estate broker will never be a major player in the New York social scene. Manny wants to change his status, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get there.
Next up we have Lauren and Ed Thomas. Lauren is only thirty-five years old, but she has been married to Ed – handsome, rich, and fifty-five years old – for four years. (The authors make sure to tell us that Lauren is a size four with naturally curly hair. As if I would have imagined her any other way!) Ed Thomas owns Thomas Industries, which is some kind of beverage company. A self-made millionaire, Ed is considered quite the catch, and many people think that Lauren is quite the lucky girl to be married to a man as rich and powerful as Ed. Ed and Lauren met while Lauren was a marketing executive at his company. After they married, Lauren quit working at Thomas Industries and sought a more creative career as a documentary filmmaker. But Lauren isn’t feeling so “lucky” about her marriage anymore. Although Ed was initially caring and attentive, he has become distant. (I wonder why . . . Could he be cheating? With someone younger? And prettier?) Even worse, sweet, good-natured Lauren doesn’t enjoy the “high life” and the social pressures of the Manhattan moneyed elite. Lauren, with her well-stamped passport and two million dollar trust fund, craves a simpler lifestyle. (Feel free to roll your eyes at that statement.)
Finally, we have Tandy Brooks, a fifty-one year old “living legend in New York society.” She’s a lawyer with a degree from Boston University, and has always been rich, powerful, and admired. And she’s always been the epitome of beauty and grace – five-foot six inches tall, always weighs in at 122 pounds, with “high chiseled cheekbones, deep-set almond-shaped brown eyes, caramel skin, jet-black shoulder length hair softly layered, framing her heart shaped face.” (I’m still rolling my eyes.) Still beautiful, if a little worn, at fifty-one, Tandy has always relied on her appearance to give her an extra edge, but she is afraid she may be losing her “place” to younger beauties like Lauren. She’s polite to Lauren’s face, but ridicules Lauren behind her back.
What’s more, Tandy is single again, and she hopes to steal Ed away from Lauren. When Tandy was younger, she married Phil Brooks, a man with a JD and an MBA from Harvard. But Phil’s dead now, and after years of trying his best to spend enough money to keep Tandy happy (you know, the usual – $200,000 charitable donations and lots of couture clothing) he ran the couple deeply into debt. Without Phil’s income, Tandy is suddenly faced with the possible shame/humiliation of not being able to afford to be her rich and important self. (Don’t feel sorry for her though, because she is still nowhere near broke!) Tandy, like Manny, knows that she is no one if she isn’t super rich and influential. So, naturally, she and Manny concoct a scheme to make themselves a quick couple million, and betray an unawares Lauren along the way.
The verdict: The book is certainly well-written. It’s entertaining, fast-paced, and maybe even addictive, in a soap opera/reality TV kind of way. But, like I said earlier, mostly superficial people and a lot of drama. Tandy and Manny are villains, so they get what they deserve. Lauren is betrayed and hurt, but she emerges still the “It Girl” of black New York. So if you generally enjoy stories about the rich, beautiful, and morally deficient (and most people do), then I predict that you will enjoy Gotham Diaries.
