A Day Late and a Dollar Short (edit title/settings)

A Day Late and A Dollar Short is written by Terry Mc Millan. It’s about Mother 55 year old Viola Price who is in the hospital, after having a asthma attack. She begins to think about her husband Cecil and four kids, Lewis, Paris, Janelle, and Charlotte. Each with their own set of problems.

Her husband Cecil of fifteen years, whom she has opened up several rib places, that are now closed and the house is about to be for-closed on because of unpaid taxes, has now moved out. He’s now shaking up with a homely women by the name of Brenda that lives in the projects and has three kids. Brenda may not be attractive but she makes Cecil feel like a “real” man and gives him the attention Viola doesn’t. He also discovers that he and Brenda are going to have a baby together. Therefore wanting to divorce Viola and marry Brenda.

Then there’s Lewis, who has smarts, but can’t seem to keep a job and stay outta jail. He also has a very serious alcohol problem. Not to mention his problems with his son’s mother Donetta, of whom he was once married, who is married to a white man, whom disciplines his son by beating him.

Next is Janelle, who marches to the beat of her own drum. She never seems to think she can make it in life without a man to lean on, which is way she marries this old geezer George, who turns out to be a child molestor. Not only to her own daughter but his previous daughters in other marriages.

Next Charlotte, who is just plain evil! Of all the characters I think I hated her the most, cause she was always hanging up in people faces and she was always the one wanting to start shit. She seemed to have this huge chip on her shoulder for no apparent reason at all. Maybe it had something to do with her husband who was once unfaithful and then years later she finds out that he has another child with the women he was unfaithful with. Or maybe it’s her son who turns out to be gay. I don’t know but Charlotte is the worst of the bunch. Because she feels like she needs attention that she hasn’t gotten as a child OH PLEEASE! Spare me!

Then the oldest is Paris. She seems to be the most successful one in the family. On the outside it looks like she has it all together. Perfect house. Job she loves. RICH! Can buy her and Viola anything. She even has her own catering business. But turns out she has a drug problem and addicted to prescription pills. Her son has gotten more than one girl pregnant.

So Viola has a lot on her plate. Just when things start to look up for her, with her birthday around the corner, Paris buys her a new car, gets her some new teeth, and a new condo things go down hill. While in her new house a long time the fumes get to her and one night she calls Shanice (Janelle’s daughter) in, whose been staying with her because her mother found out about George and she begged to stay. She has another asthma attack. You can see she isn’t fighting as hard this time and she dies.

Her neighbor goes around informing the others She also tells them that Viola each wrote them a letter that she all wants them to read each other on Thanksgiving. They each begin to deal with their skeletons. Paris realizes she has a problem and tries to cut the pills cold turkey. She also begins to see her landscaper. Janelle gets Georges other daughter to testify and goes into business with a lady that own a ecceletic shop. Lewis after almost bleeding too death and dying his self knows that’s not what his mother would have wanted and vows to clean hisself up. Even Brenda reforms herself from the drinking and accepts God and tries to get Cecil to do the same and stop living in sin and get married.

After the funeral Charlotte and Paris have a confrontation. It doesn’t look like she’s gonna show for Thanksgiving but she does. Cecil reads his letter and Viola tells him that she understands, and don’t feel guilty about the papers he sent her and to be a good husband and father to Brenda and the baby. Just don’t love her the way he loved her.
They read each others letters, which bring out a lotta emotions and they vow from now on to be a family and spend holidays together (taking turns). The first one will be at Lewis’s house.

I really liked this book Ten Stars. What I liked was the book was so real. It was easy to relate to. It could have been any family of any color. I think the character I could symphatize the most with was Paris. She was the oldest and every one looked at her to be so perfect all the time. They also expected her to just be their personal ATM a lot of times. It just goes to show that sometimes when we envy a person by looking at them on the outside, sometimes we have to take a closer look. The character I didn’t like that much was Charlotte who seemed like a spoiled bitch. If Paris wouldn’t have slapped her then I would have wanted too. How old was this women again? They were good to put up with her for as long as they did without cussing her butt out. Really I could not STAND Charlotte! I did admire Viola’s character and liked her tell it like it is attitude. It was just a shame that she had to die before her kids came to their senses. It was a shame that just when it looked like she was about to come into hers her life came to an end. But you never know. I would definitely recommend this book. It was a page turner and a favorite!