KEW Reviews
Anonymous~ Chicago, IL
Never Let Go of My Hand is a modern day African American classic. Kerry E. Wagner s unique writing style reminds me of the African American writers of our past. Claude Brown, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Jean Toomer... These writers wrote from the gut, from the pain, and the struggle. Kerry E. Wagner writes in the same fashion. He writes about responsibility, integrity, and redemption. Kerry E. Wagner is a disciplined writer in that he remains true to his art of telling a story; his way. As an avid reader, I recall a moment in time when my father first introduced me to Alice Walker s The Color Purple . I had a very difficult time getting passed the jargon used. Being a native New Yorker, I couldn't comprehend the southern flavor and felt that the book was poorly written. I was fourteen years old at the time. My father insisted that I continue reading the book, because he knew once I finished reading it, I would appreciate writing as an art form . Never Let Go of My Hand is to be appreciated as a piece of art. I would like to end my comment in the words of Henry Louis Gates, Jr., one of the most important African American literary scholars, My desire has been to allow the black tradition to speak for itself about its nature and various functions, rather than to read it, or analyze it, in terms of literary theories borrowed whole from other traditions, appropriated from without. --
Valarie N. Fields~ Pennsylvania
Never Let Go of My Hand by Kerry E.
Wagner is an amazing journey through the years that make a young boy a man.
This book is written in first person and you can see and hear Eric's (the
main character) growth from an arrogant and immature 6 year old to a young
adult coming into 'manhood' in his own right.
In a time when society is quick to write off 'at-risk' children in the inner
city, Kerry E. Wagner, not only humanizes them again, but helps each of us
to understand the truth of these children's existence. It is said that there
is no bond like the one between a mother and a son and that is what this
book is about. Mothers love you when no one else can... whether they are
near or far... and that love is the one thing that can turn lives around
when everything else seems to be lost. Mr. Wagner has captured the essence
of this bond and shared it in an exhilarating ride that takes you from
laughter to flash backs of the secret pleasures of youth to the tears of
lessons learned the hard way. Every step of the way, you will be laughing,
crying, cheering and encouraging Eric through his journey as though you were
there with him, because you feel like you are.
If you only read one book in the next five years, "Never Let
Go of My Hand" is THE ONE to read. I finished it in a day because once I
picked it up, I couldn't put it down, until I had read the last word and I
finished knowing that I would be the FIRST person in line for a sequel!! It
was AMAZING!!
~The 1Essence~Virginia
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"Never Let Go of My Hand" is a powerful story about one young mans
struggles with love, life, and inner peace while metamorphosing from
a small child to a grown man. Yet, as I read this book, I imagined
Mr. Wagner's life, could possibly be the story of many of our young
men today. On completion "Never Let Go of My Hand", I realized that
is exactly the thought the author wanted to provoke in his readers.
"Never Let Go of My Hand", draws you into the inner turmoil, mental struggles, triumphs, and loves both lost and found with a vividly honest and sometimes amusing recant of the author's life. I often found my self struggling then emerging with the author from a dark situation and beaming with pride in his accomplishments. An author whose words allow you to live "in" their story has truly created a work of art worth sharing. More important than the bookish enjoyment I received from reading "Never Let Go of My Hand" are the author's two simple but poignant messages that "I" derived from it. "A woman can't teach a boy to be a man" & "no amount of money or gifts can replace loving and nurturing your children". I want to add from a personal level; that I would like to say to Kerry E. Wagner; thank-you. I am sooo deeply grateful for your book "Never Let Go of My Hand". I bought the book simply as a suggested "good read", but it has truly deepened the relationship between me and my own son. As much as I thought I was paying close attention to him, "Never Let Go of My Hand" opened my eyes to the fact that there may be so much about him I didn't know. So I shared this book with my son. During conversation with him about the book, I found my son was paying just as much attention to my "actions" as I was to his. Now, we talk on an entirely different level. I hear things that would have made me cringe and call his dad in a panic before reading this book. But, now I truly listen to him, AND watch the way I react to him. In turn, I have noticed he has been taking less for granted (he's still a teen) and makes an intensified effort to DO more and ASK for less. I knew my son was a good kid before, but now I admire him as much as I have out found that he has admired me; Thank-you Mr. Wagner. |
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