Audio Book Review: John Woman by Walter Mosley

John Woman by Walter Mosley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Published: September 2018

Cornelius Jones was born to a white Italian mother and an uneducated black man from Mississippi. His mother was an excellent cook and his father was the most intelligent person he knew. When his mother abandoned him and his father fell ill, Cornelius took it upon himself to take care of the family. When he loses his father, there is no one left, so he must take care of himself. He reinvents himself as John Woman and becomes an admired University professor. Though his life comes with trials and tribulations, he finds a way to make it through.

I have read several Walter Mosley books and none have ever been like this one. You never knew what was going to happen next and what surprises Professor John Woman had up his sleeves. From prostitutes to circumstantial evidence his life is definitely not boring, but is it fulfilling?

Professor John Woman is not your typical professor. He likes for his students to think outside of the box and question everything. And while his students adore him, his colleagues are ready to get rid of him, and the board of directors is ready to extend his contract. But maybe it's time to move on, maybe his past is catching up with him.

John Woman is a character you have to get to know and make your own assumptions about.


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Review-Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore by Walter Mosley

Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore by Walter Mosley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore is the story of a platinum blonde, African American porn star.  She is someone you would recognize everywhere.  When tragedy strikes, Debbie decides that she is no longer going to live this life and try for the straight and narrow.  The road to get there though is long and has quite a few bumps along the way.

This was a very explicit novel by Walter Mosley.  Every word imaginable to describe the male and female genitalia was used.  This did not bother me at all, but I wanted to let others who may be offended by that type of language.  This was a very real look into the porn industry for me.  Sure I have seen some porn in my life, not an avid watcher at all, but it's interesting to know a back story.  Debbie grew up as Sandra Peal in California.   She met Theon Pinckney, her husband, when she was just a girl, and he changed her world forever.  When Deb comes home from a most unusual movie shoot, she finds police and paramedics at her home.  Her husband had been found dead in their bathtub, with another woman, or girl is more appropriate.  This doesn't upset Debbie as you would think, she was used to this kind of behavior from her husband, especially being in the industry that they were in.  The death of her husband also, to Debbie, meant the death of her career.  She changed her whole look so that she was no longer recognizable on the streets or even to some of her "friends".  She went back to using her real name instead of the stage name of Debbie Dare.

This book was quite entertaining.  I found myself looking over my shoulder whenever the explicit words were announced to see if anyone around me was listening out.  This book gives you a different look at porn stars and the life they lead.  I recommend this book for anyone who is not easily upset by pornographic language.


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