Bedrock Faith
*Starred Review* Parkland is a close-knit, gossipy, middle-class neighborhood at the furthermost edge of “Chicago’s vast South Side.” Established in the 1870s by African American migrants from the Deep South, Parkland is proud of its heritage and easily riled by change or disruption. In early 1993, Stew Pot Reeves, the terror of 129th Street, returns to his mother’s house after serving less than half of his 30-year sentence. Mrs. Motley, a widow and retired school librarian, lives next door. Impeccably put-together and decorous, she is the moral compass of this sure-footed, microcosmic drama, the first novel by Columbia College Chicago associate professor May.  As Mrs. Motley and her neighbors, including devoted admirer Mr. McTeer, the lively Powell family, and sexy, enigmatic Erma Smedley, brace for Stew Pot’s renewed assaults, they discover that after finding the “Light” in prison, he has become a hectoring scold, merciless spy, and diabolical agent of misery. Stew Pot’s fanaticism ignites smoldering conflicts that force his neighbors to confront complex moral dilemmas and recognize their authentic selves. In this vivid, suspenseful, funny, and compassionate novel of epiphanies, tragedies, and transformations, May drills down to our bedrock assumptions about ourselves, our values, and our communities. As sturdy as a Chicago bungalow and bursting with life, May’s debut is perfect for book clubs. --Donna Seaman