And This Too Shall Pass (E. Lynn Harris) TP-Good

A stellar quarterback, an ambitious sportscaster. What happens when rising stars collide?

In And This Too Shall Pass, Harris takes us into the locker rooms and newsrooms of Chicago, where four lives are about to intersect in romance and scandal. At the heart of the novel is the celibate Zurich, a rookie quarterback for the Chicago Cougars whose trajectory for superstardom is interrupted by a sexual assault charge by Mia, a sportscaster with her own sights on fame. With his career in jeopardy, Zurich hires Tamela, a high-powered attorney, to defend him, while Sean, a gay sportswriter, covers the story and uncovers his heart.

All of these characters face the challenge of keeping the faith—in themselves and in God—while Harris”s heartfelt storytelling reveals how the love of family can help one to face the terrible legacy of long-held secrets. Throughout these characters” search for self-knowledge, Harris weaves the stories of MamaCee, Zurich”s grandmother, whose lessons of faith teach one and all that “this too shall pass.”

Breaking new ground in contemporary fiction, And This Too Shall Pass entertains and affirms with its stirring message about the healing power of family and faith.

Publishers Weekly

In Harris”s entertaining new work, the issues of sexual orientation that dominated his first two novels (Invisible Life and its sequel, Just How I Am) take a back seat to universal questions of justice, love and career. The melodrama here centers around three African Americans. Zurich Robinson, the starting quarterback for Chicago”s new NFL team, shields his personal dilemmas behind an aloof manner that puzzles those who know him. Elsewhere in Chicago, Tamela Coleman, a frustrated corporate attorney considering opening her own office, has sworn off relationships with men-until she meets police officer Caliph Taylor. And in Manhattan, loneliness drives freelance journalist Sean Elliott to a series of unfulfilling sexual liaisons with other men. When Sean, a fan of Zurich”s, is assigned to profile the quarterback, the two become friends. While accepting Sean”s companionship, however, Zurich rejects another admirer, alcoholic TV sports anchor Mia Miller. But after Mia is raped and beaten, she points a finger at Zurich, who then hires Tamela to clear his name. Sean, meanwhile, aware of his growing attraction to Zurich, considers sharing his feelings, even as Tamela must decide about her future with Caliph. Harris”s characters face problems including domestic abuse, alcoholism and sexual confusion, but the redemptive powers of family, faith and love-embodied in Zurich”s grandmother MamaCee-help guide them to understanding. Despite some stilted dialogue, this novel should broaden the author”s readership and reinforce his growing reputation as an accessible, younger voice in African American literature. (Mar.)