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A Day Late and a Dollar

Published
2001
Language
English

Synopsis

"Las Vegas, 1994. The Prices are introduced by Viola, the family's outspoken matriarch: Her husband, Cecil, has shut the door behind him for the last time; and their four adult kids, scattered across the country, seem determined to send her to her grave, or at least to the hospital with worrying. Paris is divorced, mother to a nearly seventeen-year-old son and the one who always comes to everybody's rescue - although she doesn't have a clue as to how to save herself. Lewis is the scapegoat, and his troubles keep landing him in jail, which only seems to confirm what his family thinks he is. Out in Chicago, Charlotte knows she's gotten the short end of the stick for years, has "nothing in common except blood" with her parents and siblings and would just as soon divorce them all. Janelle, the baby of the family, is not only on the defensive about the course of her own life but she's facing a new crisis, a fast-brewing storm with her teenage daughter that threatens more than she's willing to admit. And don't even ask Viola about Cecil: "He's a bad habit I've had for thirty-eight years which would make him my husband." But Cecil has some ideas for taking his hard-working life into his own hands, regardless of what his wife and kids think about it."--BOOK JACKET

Characters

ViolaProtagonist
Mrs. ParisSupporting
Sergeant LewisSupporting
JanelleSupporting
Lord CecilSupporting
All characters in A Day Late and a Dollar

Frequently asked questions

  • Is A Day Late and a Dollar a standalone novel?

    This novel is a standalone work, focusing on the Price family's individual and collective journeys without requiring prior knowledge of other books by Terry McMillan.

  • How does A Day Late and a Dollar compare to Terry McMillan's other books?

    A Day Late and a Dollar continues Terry McMillan's signature style of exploring the lives of contemporary Black women and their families, often with humor and frankness, similar to her earlier works like Waiting to Exhale, but with a distinct focus on a matriarchal figure navigating family dynamics in Las Vegas.