Franklin is uneducated, but possesses an innate intelligence as well as street smartness. Zora is college-educated, but is often naive in life and love. It is evident the two love each other even at times when they are unable to express it outside the confines of the bedroom. In addition to the strong characterizations of Zora and Franklin, the strength of the novel is in its alternating chapter, he said, she said style. The characters make their case directly to the reader.
Secondary characters offer shading and are wisely pushed to the perimeter of the story.
This is Franklin and Zora s story and McMillan lets them tell it. It is not always a pretty story. The novel is rated R, primarily for its language more than for its sexual content. The literary hype will soon begin for the 2001 Terry McMillan novel, A Day Late and a Dollar Short . I have read it and, in my opinion, the title is a fitting review.