P.G. County: A Novel

Briscoe has a gift for introducing characters in snippets and leaving the reader wanting more. I admire the inclusion of Lee and the difference of her life from that of the other main characters. I give this three stars because the hubris of Jolene and the substance problems of Barbara make the story less fun to read than its sequel. (Although, to be fair, Jolene's hubris is a problem throughout the series.) The new friendship between Pearl and Patrick is very sweet, and comes across more innocent and less sanctimonious than in the second book. Barbara breaks my heart, and Candice is just bizarre.

Feminist rubric:

Positives
1. Strong parent-child relationships: Regardless of how villainous the main characters are, they all love their show more children and treat them well. Lee is the exception, but we never meet her mother.
2. Pearl and Patrick's relationship: Their intimacy serves as a foil to Jolene and Patrick, and their unwillingness to be adulterers contrasts with Bradford. Even despite the relationship's functionality, I find them to be sweet and charming, and one of the best parts of this book.
3. Dips a toe in heavier subject matter: The book addresses race with Candice and Pearl, and prostitution, homelessness, and sexual assault with Lee. I admire Briscoe's willingness to explore darker subjects, though I wish some of that carried through to the experiences of Lee in the second book. I still don't know what to make of Candice. I really appreciate Pearl's awareness of her racism.
4. Characters are racially and/or culturally diverse without being stereotypes and without that being their main characteristic.

Neutral
1. Self love not explicitly discussed. But it's worth waiting for in the next one!

Negatives
1. Virulent misogyny and slut shaming towards Bradford's mistresses and toward Jolene
2. Language about men deprives them of autonomy, e.g. "keeping them," or "stealing them.,"
3. Appearance generally tied to male approval or disapproval: This is frustrating, because Pearl is normally the voice of reason in P.G. County, and even she is obsessed with losing weight so she can be found attractive by men.
4. Womens' lives are focused around men or stereotypically feminine activities like shopping and manicures: Granted, this is a lifestyles of the rich and famous type of book, so this may be a neutral rather than a negative. show less

If you enjoyed Peyton Place (which is on my to-read list), you'll enjoy the trashy and entertaining P.G. County. It tells the tales of the upper-class Blacks of Prince George's County, Maryland and those who strive to be upper class. P.G. County is full of family secrets, back stabbing, love triangles, affairs, and crime. It's a guilty pleasure. (If you're curious about classism and colorism among African-Americans, you'll find this book even more fasicnating. If you like P.G. County but want better writing, I suggest Bestey Brown and The Wedding.