Critical Praise

"Fiercely intelligent, brimming with ethical questions, never overtly political, the novels of Marita Golden have an old-fashioned earnestness about them. . . . This is a powerful story, which Golden tells with great sensitivity and respect for her characters. . . . In a departure from her previous novels, Lena's troubles can be traced not to oppression by the white world but to her eager participation in that world. In enjoying the fruits of inclusion in white corporate America, she also paid a grievous price in the destruction of her marriage and her daughter's death. . . . Golden seems to be suggesting that the Singletarys' tragedy is colorblind and could just as easily have befallen other families, black and white. "

———Washington Post Book World

"An acclaimed chronicler of black women's lives (And Do Remember Me, 1992, etc.) shows what happens when a good marriage goes bad. Set in the sophisticated milieu of black professionals living in Washington, the story is told by Teresa and her parents, Lena and Ryland. . . . Before everything went wrong, her mother had been someone to admire: a successful accountant in a top firm and a loving mother and wife. . . . [As] Golden persuades us, these women can be strong on their own terms. Emotions run high--the plights of black (and white) women let down by men and the world are sharply etched--but telling insights often soften the rage and give it balance. For Lena and Teresa alike, life will go on. Golden, in her fourth novel, is writing in top form. "

———Kirkus Reviews

"Golden has a rare gift for the poetry of language. As in her previous novels, in particular And Do Remember Me, the unexpected metaphors and marvelous images of The Edge of Heaven powerfully evoke the pull her characters fell between commitment to family and self. . . . Golden's touching story of three fierce, passionate people stumbling toward understanding, forgiveness and resolution is a triumphant journey from grief to renewed hope. "

———San Francisco Tribune

"The Edge of Heaven is a fresh, original book. Golden depicts relationships and emotions with a keen eye. Her characters speak and act realistically--a welcome change in this genre. . . . When readers finally arrive at the inevitable depiction of the tragedy at the heart of Lena's story, they can be assured that they are in the hands of a writer who understands the intense feelings on display here. Golden goes for the emotional jugular with such skill and intelligence that it's likely even the most jaded reader will be won over. "

———Time Out New York

"In novels like And Do Remember Me . . . Golden has vividly captured aspects of the experience of race in the U.S. in the late twentieth century. Three generations of women occupy the center of The Edge of Heaven, which opens as Lena, Ma Edele's daughter and Teresa's mother, comes home from prison. . . . Golden skillfully displays the contradictory emotions they experience as they are reunited and slowly grant the reader glimpses of the past that explains those emotions. "

———Booklist

"Readers will be thoroughly thrilled with Golden's new novel, which compassionately peels away the layers of a family's grief to reveal one woman's passage from repentance to renewal. Three generations of women struggle with the devastation of loss and the journey back to love as they head for a precarious reunion in contemporary Washington, D.C. . . . These vividly rendered characters come to life, leaving the reader to cheer their strength and humanity. Highly recommended. "

———Library Journal

"Marita Golden begins The Edge of Heaven after the tragedy, giving us hints of how it occurred through the unfolding of the story. And though we realize what happened before she lets us know the details, we remain enthralled in the telling. Perhaps that's because even those of us in the most imperfect of families worry we could lose what holds us together through a single event. But The Edge of Heaven offers redemption, showing that tragedy doesn't have to ruin us forever. After the worst thing in your life happens, there is always time left to find peace. "

———Detroit Free Press

"In the sensitive hands of Golden, this is more than just a story about disappointment and loss. The Edge of Heaven chronicles the passion of a young couple, the powerful relationship of two sisters, and the bliss of simple moments shared by a loving family. Yet such moments of calm and perfection are fleeting in any family's existence, and it is the love that remains that is the true redemptive force of this breathtakingly beautiful novel. An emotional tour de force . . . an awe-inspiring tribute to the power of the American family. "

———Dallas Texas Weekly