In the Heart of Texas A Novel [Paperback]

Hailed as a Best Fiction Book by Women of Color at Bustle.com

Pitched as a poor mans Halle Berry, forty-one-year-old soap star Jo Randolph, has successfully avoided waiting tables since she left Midland, Texas at eighteen. But then, in the span of twenty-four hours, Jo manages to lose her job, burn her bridges in Hollywood, and accidentally burn down her lover/directors beach houseafter which she is shipped home to Texas by her agent to stay out of sight while she sorts out her situation.
The more Jo reluctantly reconnects with her Texas roots and the family and friends she left behind, the more she regains touch with herself as an artist and with what is meaningful in life beyond the limelight. The summer of 2007 is cathartic for Jo, whose career and lifestyle have allowed her to live like a child for forty years, but who now must transition to making grown-up decisions and taking on adult responsibilities.In the Heart of Texasis a wry, humorous commentary on the complexities of race, class, relationships, politics, popular culture, and celebrity in our current society. Fiction buyers in every category are predominantly female. Women read more books than men, especially fiction. Book groups consist almost entirely of women, and the recent proliferation of literary blogs are populated mainly by women. The most likely person to read a book in any format is a college-educated Black woman. In the Heart of Texasexplores the diverse experiences of educated African Americans and African American family and professional life and appeals to the large demographic of African American female readers and book clubs. In the Heart of Texasis a contemporary novel set primarily in Texas and appeals to readers within this region, particularly given the dearth of contemporary non-genre WlS*