Another great read by Eric Jerome Dickey. We did not know that this would be he last work of art. My favorite quote of the book was “ love makes every a little mad , and blind. Love distorts. You see what you want to see, see it how you want to see it and justify. They lie to you and you lie to yourself on their behalf”

I resonated with this quote a lot. This book discussed a lot of relevant societal issues, so much to discuss. This one would be perfect for bookclub.

I’m a longtime fan of the author and this was a departure from his books but I still liked it. The man could really write and his passing deeply saddens me, what a talented man

It was bittersweet to read the final release from an author who's been a part of my library since I was a teen. Dickey's style and content have evolved since his first release, and admittedly, I've not kept to his releases as closely. But with this release on the heels of his passing, it felt like closure to return to his catalog.

I knew The Son of Mr. Suleman wouldn't be a light read. But this? Wow.

With the backdrop of a Trump-led administration and the normal racial tension of Memphis, the book follows Pi Suleman. He's a professor all too aware of his blackness within his institution; he's hypersexualized by students and faculty alike. He's all too aware of his blackness as he exists in the city of his birth; the police won't let him forget it. And he's also keenly aware of his life in the shadow of his writer father, whose death casts a pall over the book. Along the way, he meets a black Brit, Gemma Buckingham, who is both candid and clandestine, and their connection adds further complexity to his life, for better or worse.

The Son of Mr.. Suleman is not a subtle book. It's full of uncomfortable tension between family, friends, and colleagues. Dickey is very direct in his critique of institutional and social racism, sexual coersion, colorism, and so much more. And as always, Dickey has a way with words. His descriptors and metaphors are some of the most potent I've read from him; at times it's almost too much and yet exactly right for this story.

At times it felt like too much to read, but that's the point. I was almost immediately (and frequently) sucker-punched with empathy for Pi's experiences, largely because they mirrored my own or those I know, albeit it in a a far more exaggerated and dramatic way. Pi's experiences are likely relatable to folks across the spectrums of black life and should serve as points of reflection for those who aren't black.

I do recommend this book, without reservation. It is a substantial read, a book that will make you think, critique, question, and reconsider your own experiences, biases, and ways of existing in a world you only think you know the secrets of.

This was bittersweet, as it would be the last novel from Eric Jerome Dickey. As usual, it is packed with nuances and enlightening moments, and an ending that was both satisfying (for me) and thought provoking.

Whew. Where do I begin? This book touched on so many different subject matters...racism, classism, colorism, sexual assault, pedophilia, sexual harassment, just to name a few. It's been years since I've read an EJD book, and I have to say I was not disappointed and I can't remember why I stopped reading. It brought to light a lot of things I feel that maybe aren't addressed as often within the Black community and I felt like I was given some insight into the prejudices they experience. As I wanted to diversify my reading more this year, I am very happy I picked up this EJD and was approved. Would recommend.

EJD will be missed. His writing made you smile with understanding and pride at how he represented our community in his writing. His last work is no different it is full of emotion, deep characters, and vivid descriptions. EJD was one of the best to ever to do it and we all of his fans are better for having read his intense words and works. Rest now EJD.

It is with a heavy heart that I give this review. Airdrome Dickie had a way with words. His hand was absolutely brilliant. The way he wrote dialogue and character development and the way he wolves plot lines around current events and the way he talked on your heartstrings with a retail is enough to make him my favorite author and I will miss his words immensely.

EJD really poured his heart into this book. It includes everything that a reader would want, drama, cultural references, slang, and realistic attributes. The book took me longer than I anticipated to finish but around the 40% mark I was hooked. I loved Pi’s character and the storyline surrounding his life. He endured some of the many things that we see in America: a successful African American man trying to make a way. While he was successful, there were so many hardships thrown his way. Very good book, a little longer than I would have liked but I enjoyed it.

Admittedly, I had not read Eric Jerome Dickey in years and while I enjoyed his early works, I found them to be repetitive in style, theme, and delivery. My literary interests changed and veered toward other genres and writers and sadly his work never found its way back onto my collections. With his recent passing and raves for his last novel, I requested The Son of Mr. Suleman for review.

Fans of EJD will not be disappointed, it’s filled with witty banter between beautifully eccentric characters with equally intriguing backgrounds - a mainstay in his novels. In this latest and final tome, we have a protagonist in pursuit of a relationship but is saddled with family issues amid racism, classism, power dynamics, and identity and integrity crisis -- all timely and socially relevant topics.

However, I struggled through this novel -- it was a very slow start for me, and would have abandoned it, but it is a NetGalley review book and I was committed to provide a review. That’s not to say it’s a “bad” book -- again, there is a lot to unpack within the heavy (and lengthy) dialogue sequences and the detailed character development passages. There was a lot of place setting, so those with patience will appreciate the EJD signature “romance” scenes, trademark humor, and the slow build to the climax -- in fact, a lot of readers may have no issues with the pacing and absolutely LOVE it. Unfortunately, I found it to have the same formulaic vibe from other EJD novels which reminded me of why I stopped reading him.

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the opportunity to provide an honest review.

nodded again, returned to one knee in resistance, then smirked, looked evil in the eyes, nodded three times, and got back up on both feet with dignity. Be the abused a Black man, colored woman, or Negro child, we always got back up on both feet.

I don’t even have any words!!! Ok maybe I have a few words!!! Oh goodness I remember reading Eric Jerome books back when I was a teen, and where I’m from in the US, I will find these books being sold by venders in the street, and I loved them all! It was nostalgic.

*SWOON* oh Pi and Gemma *insert lovestruck emojis*

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book...

PHENOMENAL. OUTSTANDING. A MASTERPIECE. TIMELY. RIVETING.
The Son of Mr. Suleman is the very epitome of Eric Jerome Dickey's great writing. He will be missed.

The Son of Mr. Suleman is Eric Jerome Dickey's final work. Professor Pi Suleman is a black man who experiences a summer like no other. A white colleague accuses him of assault. He is fighting a war he believes he has no chance of winning. Then he meets Gemma Buckingham who ignites a passion within him. Then Pi learns his father died and he returns to LA to get his inheritance.
Erick Jerome Dickey has a way of writing that is unmatched. I hate to use the cliche but I simply must - he has a way with words. When you are as talented as he is, you aim to challenge yourself and I believe that is what he did in this work. Race, culture, family - so much to unpack. It took awhile for me to get into this groove but the talent and raw storytelling that is uniquely his kept me going.
He will be missed.
Thank you #Negalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Love makes everybody a little mad. And blind. Love distorts. You see what you want to see, see it how you want to see it. You justify. They lie to you and you lie to yourself on their behalf.

The Son of Mr. Suleman is the last book the late Eric Jerome Dickey published before his untimely passing. I had already pre-ordered this book long before I received an ARC copy of this book to read because I wanted to support and give him his flowers while he was still here. I had no idea that before the release date, we would lose Mr. Dickey. Thankfully, he created an extensive body of work that will live forever. Milk in my Coffee was my first read by Mr. Dickey when I was back in college, so that book will always be my favorite by him simply because it was my introduction to his work.

This book is set in Memphis, TN where the protagonist of the story, Pi Suleman, was born and raised. (like Mr. Dickey himself). Pi is an adjunct professor by day at UAN and while at an event for UAN, he has a chance encounter with a beautiful mixed race woman named Gemma Buckingham from London. That encounter turns into a passionate whirlwind situationship as their worlds collide. Pi is dealing with a secret that no one knows about that threatens to rock his entire world. He's also dealing with living in the South, being a man of color teaching at a PWI and dealing with the racism and microaggressions that come with his career. On top of that, his absentee Father, a world renowned author dies and Pi is forced to reckon with his Father's past sins, as well as his inner conflicts about this strange but famous man that didn't acknowledge him but who apparently left him an inheritance he must meet with his estate to discuss.

Until I got to the halfway mark of this book, I felt disconnected from the storyline. I felt like I was reading words on the pages but I just didn't feel immersed in this story. At the halfway mark, I became more invested and the story became much more enjoyable. After finishing the book I loved a lot of things about it. I loved how vocal Mr. Dickey was about some of the current events that have transpired, I love a lot of the issues he addressed in this novel, and I loved the romance factor woven into this storyline. I think what made this book not as enjoyable for me was I feel like there was a checklist written down and the storyline was written around checklists. I feel like the book could have been much shorter as some of the dialogue left much to be desired, he used the world bellicose too many times to count, and overall, I can say if this wasn't an EJD book, this is one I probably would have DNF before the halfway mark when it got interesting

If you enjoy romance, and want to support his last work give this book a shot. This book makes us think about the legacy we will leave...and what chapters we want people to remember from our stories we write during our lifetime..

Professor Pi Suleman is a BMFM (Black man from Memphis). Adjunct by day, struggling comic book writer by night. Pi is forced to bite his tongue among colleagues' micro aggressions while being blackmailed by a powerful white professor. His bright spot is meeting Gemma Buckingham, an entrepreneur from London escaping heartbreak. But the romance is interrupted when Pi's absentee father passes away. He was a celebrated writer with a complicated legacy.

The Son of Mr. Suleman is not Dickey's best. Perhaps because my mind was focused on losing one of my favorite authors and this is the last new material I will read of his. But the dialogue was too choppy making the story not as interesting. Which is unfortunate since many themes are explored: colorism, cultural differences, self-love and code-switching. However, I can do without the Suleman character. This final novel is not one of EJD's finer novels.

Regardless, he is already missed. I can only hope that he felt appreciated while traveling the coordinates of Earth. Happy (Last) Early Pub Day to the late great Eric Jerome Dickey! The Son of Mr. Suleman will be available Tuesday, April 20.

~LiteraryMarie

The Son of Mr. Suleman was the latest book by Eric Jerome Dickey and it touched on a lot of social issues faced in today’s society by black America. While one of the themes dealt with sexual harassment, Pi Suleman finds himself on the unfavorable receiving end of the harassment. While he battles this predicament, he meets the intriguing Gemma Buckingham and attempts to pursue a relationship. However, events occur with Pi dealing with the death of his father, in addition to his budding romance, add in the aggressive co-worker, Pi must come to terms with who he, and what he could become.

While I had not read an EDJ book in years, it took a while to get into this book and it was a struggle to finish. I see where Mr. Dickey’s writing has evolved and this book is proof of that evolution, and he should be applauded for it. However, as I stated this book dealt with a LOT of heavy topics that are still problematic in today’s society.

Mr. Dickey was a master of weaving social topics into his stories and he will be greatly missed.

Note: I received an advance copy from Netgalley

I have been a fan Eric Jerome Dickey since he wrote “Sister, Sister” in 1997. I was saddened when I heard he had passed away. I even had the opportunity to meet him in person and he was such a nice guy, awesome personality and fun to talk to.

This book to me is different from Eric Jerome Dickey’s previous writings but over the years his style has always changed several times making his books that much more enjoyable.

Pi Maurice Suleman is adjunct black professor and meets a mixed race beautiful as can be British woman man Gemma Buckingham whom he forges a relationship with. Maurice’s boss Dr. Helen Stone-Calhoun words just cannot describe her. She is blackmailing him.

There is great word building, awesome characters, romance, sadness, envy, family drama, etc.
This is Eric’s final book and I enjoyed it.

I received this ARC from NetGalley.

The Son of Mr. Suleman focuses on the life of a Black professor living in Memphis, TN. Professor Pi Maurice Suleman meets a mysterious woman from London and they immediately fall for each other. As their romance unfolds, Pi is struggling to deal with being blackmailed by his boss. To pile on to his misery, he has to deal with the death of his estranged father, Mr. Suleman.

As Pi’s story unfolds, we meet a colorful supporting cast. We learn about his siblings and neighbors. We also meet his mother who refers to herself in third person throughout the book. I found that to be cringeworthy. Although there are a lot of characters, they all seem necessary to tell the story of this man trying to survive in Trump’s America.

I struggled to connect with this book in the beginning. At times, it just felt like he was rambling. He seemed to be trying too hard to be witty. It came off as nonsensical. I noticed that he repeated certain words and phrases a lot. For example, he used the word bellicose nineteen times. I was determined to finish the book simply because it’s the work of EJD. I didn’t get pulled into the story until I was at the 40% mark. All of a sudden I was so invested in how the story would unfold. It was a wild, winding road, but the final destination made it worth it for me.

I would advise potential readers to be patient enough to let the whole story develop. I would also caution them that he tackles heavy subjects like rape, colorism, racism, police brutality, and pedophilia. This is not a cozy, lighthearted book. It’s blunt and in your face.

Despite the slow start, I can confidently say that this a 4 star read. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Books, and the late, great Mr. Eric Jerome Dickey for the opportunity to review this book.

The story follows Pi Maurice Suleman, a black adjunct professor and published author in Memphis, Tennessee. While attending a gala for the University he teaches at, Pi meets a mysterious and stunningly beautiful, mixed race British woman named Gemma Buckingham and endures a tense encounter with his boss, Dr. Helen Stone-Calhoun.

We quickly learn that Dr. Stone-Calhoun has Professor Suleman on a very short leash. Pi endures sexual assault and harrassment when his career is threatened if he does not comply. Dr. Stone-Calhoun abuses her power and brandishes her "Karen-ness" in an all to common he said she said that the Black man hardly ever wins.

In an attempt to ease the stress, Pi begins a fun and steamy relationship with Gemma Buckingham. The successful and guarded Gemma is looking to heal her broken heart but is often triggered by Pi's southern way of life, American racism and has secrets of her own that prove to be a heavy load.
While she and Professor Suleman fall deeper in love, the untimely death of his father occurs. The illegitimate son of famed author Archimedes Maurice Suleman is now tasked with honoring the last will and testament of a father he does not know and a man resents. Pi learns about the man he never knew, the eerie similarities they share and finds strength in being a Suleman.

EJD touches on many issues here: harrassment, sexual assault, Jim Crow, racism, colorism, transphobia, codeswitching and passing, black lives matter, abandonment, etc. The role reversal of a black male sexual assault victim was intriguing and very well done. Pi not only endures the typical victim blaming and shame but has the added trauma of the Strong Black Man syndrome forcing him to carry this load alone until it lightens or breaks him entirely.

I could've done without the character of Komorebi Jackson and her pointless antics with ancillary characters that also could have been cut. The issues addressed were already explored and in better detail with the main players of the story. It just seemed redundant and she annoyed me.

All in all, another enjoyable page turner for me from the late Eric Jerome Dickey.

“Love makes everybody a little mad. And blind. Love distorts. You see what you want to see, see it how you want to see it. And justify. They lie to you and you lie to yourself on their behalf.”

So much to say. So much to unpack. So many topics that are now, relevant, and need to be discussed. This isn’t Milk in My Coffee. This isn’t Finding Gideon. This is growth. This is evolution. This is Mr. Dickey’s final gift to us and it’s worth being celebrated!