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A review by dawnshaee
Mr. Jimmy from Around the Way by Jeffrey Blount
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
It’s a story that places you as the reader in the throes of poverty, specifically in America’s Deep South from the vantage point of a billionaire — a Black billionaire. The main character, James/Mr. Jimmy, is accustomed to his wealth and stature, not in an obnoxiously arrogant and entitled manner but as more of a humanitarian worldly view “I have more money than I could ever need”.
He’s left to confront his position of power after fleeing from his problems in DC when he “loses it all (not the money of course)”, landing in a dilapidated Black community in a small town in Mississippi. A community that has nothing, not even proper plumbing or government assistance. It is a challenge to sit with and dissect stories that depict very real Black American struggles, but I thought the very bold tie in to Mr. Jimmy’s path of redemption is a tale of possibility when community is at the forefront.
Although James/Mr. Jimmy is our main character, the character arc of the people “around the way” was the most commendable, especially Fountain and the children. I think once someone becomes a billionaire, trying to shake their financially ego driven behaviors (communication/self-righteousness/compromises) is hard to overlook and by his age are second nature.
There are some aspects of the story that I wish we received more closure on or details about, which resulted in a 4.5 star rating rounded-up. To avoid spoilers, I’ll keep it brief — Rebecca’s health/lack of open communication & that flashback to the conversation James had with her mother, Jabu’s mother Patrice & the use of those photos, and the overt community racism.
Thank you to Beaufort Books for an advanced reader copy!
I’ll continue to think of this book, the themes, the characters, and what it means to tell the story of what is possible when we connect with our neighbors to use the resources we have to build.
He’s left to confront his position of power after fleeing from his problems in DC when he “loses it all (not the money of course)”, landing in a dilapidated Black community in a small town in Mississippi. A community that has nothing, not even proper plumbing or government assistance. It is a challenge to sit with and dissect stories that depict very real Black American struggles, but I thought the very bold tie in to Mr. Jimmy’s path of redemption is a tale of possibility when community is at the forefront.
Although James/Mr. Jimmy is our main character, the character arc of the people “around the way” was the most commendable, especially Fountain and the children. I think once someone becomes a billionaire, trying to shake their financially ego driven behaviors (communication/self-righteousness/compromises) is hard to overlook and by his age are second nature.
There are some aspects of the story that I wish we received more closure on or details about, which resulted in a 4.5 star rating rounded-up. To avoid spoilers, I’ll keep it brief — Rebecca’s health/lack of open communication & that flashback to the conversation James had with her mother, Jabu’s mother Patrice & the use of those photos, and the overt community racism.
Thank you to Beaufort Books for an advanced reader copy!
I’ll continue to think of this book, the themes, the characters, and what it means to tell the story of what is possible when we connect with our neighbors to use the resources we have to build.