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Abide With Me: Summary and book reviews of Abide With Me by E Lynn Harris, plus links to an excerpt from Abide With Me and a biography of E Lynn Harris.

Abide With Me

Abide With Me
by E Lynn Harris
Hardcover: Mar 1999,
350 pages.
Paperback: May 2000,
368 pages.

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BOOK SUMMARY

Since the publication of E. Lynn Harris's stunning debut novel, Invisible Life, millions of readers have laughed, cried, and anguished along with his unforgettable cast of characters. Now, his growing legions of fans will finally find out what happens in this delicious conclusion to the "Invisible Life" trilogy.

In Abide with Me, Harris returns with the utmost finesse to his signature themes of love, friendship, and family, and craftily guides his irresistible characters through new challenges and heartbreaks, and ultimately to redemption through love.

At the end of Just As I Am, Raymond Tyler, Jr., was beginning a relationship with Trent, a fraternity brother from his college days, while Nicole had found love with Jared, Raymond's buddy from Atlanta. As Abide with Me opens, Raymond and Trent are settled in Seattle, where Trent's career as an architect has blossomed and Raymond's law practice is booming. All seems well. Then, late one night, Raymond gets a call from a United States Senator that threatens everything he's built.

Raymond, facing a crisis of faith, travels to New York hoping for the support of his best friend, Jared, who's moved North after five years in Atlanta. His wife, Nicole, is performing in a revival of Dreamgirls, her lifelong fantasy at last coming true. Nicole is thrilled to return to the stage, but when things start to go wrong, her young and beautiful understudy, Yancey Harrington Braxton, steps into the spotlight a little too smoothly. And Nicole, far from achieving her dream, is suddenly forced to reevaluate her life and her marriage.

Back, too, are the other beloved inhabitants of Harris's world: Raymond's family; the sexy and dangerous gray-eyed sportscaster and ex-football player, John Basil Henderson; and Peaches, the spirited owner of the Harlem shop Cuts 'n' Cobblers and the mother of Raymond's late friend Kyle.

In Abide with Me, Harris once again encourages his readers to live, love, and dream. His masterful storytelling, wit, and sensitivity permeate this enormously satisfying novel, which is both a tribute to his loyal following and an invitation to a new audience to enter his irresistible world. His "unique spin on the ever-fascinating topics of identity, class, intimacy, sexuality, and friendship" (Vibe) will once more put E. Lynn Harris at the top of the bestseller lists.

Media Reviews

  Washington Post Book World
E. Lynn Harris has created another juicy tale.

  Dallas Morning News
A captivating story.

  Vibe
What's got audiences hooked? Harris's unique spin on the ever-fascinating topics of identity, class, intimacy, sexuality, and friendship.

  San Francisco Chronicle
There is a universality about his characters--so human, so earnest, so genuine, that crossover readers are embracing the books as well. Their stories are told with warmth and humor from a perspective that is as refreshing as it is straightforward.

  Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Harris's talent as a writer has increased with each of his books. His stories have become the toast of bookstores, reading groups, men, women, and gay and straight people.

  Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Harris's talent as a writer has increased with each of his books. His stories have become the toast of bookstores, reading groups, men, women, and gay and straight people.

  Detroit News
Thoughtful, entertaining, loving and welcome.

  San Francisco Chronicle
There is a universality about his characters--so human, so earnest, so genuine, that crossover readers are embracing the books as well. Their stories are told with warmth and humor from a perspective that is as refreshing as it is straightforward.

  Dallas Morning News
A captivating story.

  Detroit News
Thoughtful, entertaining, loving and welcome.

  Vibe
What's got audiences hooked? Harris's unique spin on the ever-fascinating topics of identity, class, intimacy, sexuality, and friendship.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Nini
I Say A Little Prayer
Your. Wonderful and Welcome Back !!!!!!!!! I hope all is well with you and yours and everyone close to your heart. You have a talent for expressing and impressing in the same sentence. Without skipping a beat. Your books, make people stop...   Read More

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Jessica Williams
This book was absolutely awesome. I've read all of Harris' books and I love his work.

Review (not rated) by Anonymous
J. Nelson
I just finished this book and just like all of his book it was a masterpiece. I have all of E. Lynn Harris books and I am going to stay in this weekend and finished the collection. His story seem so real and you are able to...   Read More

Review (not rated) by Anonymous
Jo Ann Patterson
I went to work and read Abide with me all day long! I didn't talk or eat lunch until I finish that book. Mr. Harris is the best! I didn't do any work but I got pay for reading the best book this year.

Review (not rated) by Anonymous
Levar Braxton
As with all of his books, Mr. Harris did a wonderful job capturing the lives of ordinary people with extraordinary spirits. Admittedly, when I picked up the first book in his series, I thought I would be overwhelmed by the...   Read More

Review (not rated) by Anonymous
Lita Ward
I am currently in the middle of this book and cannot put it down! Mr. Harris has done it again; captivating human experiences, emotions, sexuality and relationships! Great work!

...1 More Reader Reviews

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