Publisher's Weekly Review
This gentle sweetheart story begins in 1963, when Hazel Johnson first sees Mari McCray at their church's bingo hall in Paterson, N.J. The two black teens go to high school together and quickly become best friends. Hazel falls in love with Mari, but hides her feelings for years. But nearing graduation, when Mari gets into a fight with her grandmother, and Hazel comforts her, they kiss for the first time. Their brief happiness is ended, as their families separate them after discovering their romance. Thinking they will never see each other again, both marry young. Hazel goes on to raise three children with James Downing, an Air Force pilot, and becomes a grandmother before she sees Mari again. Their serendipitous reunion takes place in another bingo hall, in an uplifting second-chance turn to the tale (complicated, still, by family). Mari and Hazel's period-appropriate outfits and hairstyles are lovingly rendered by St-Onge, and their tender moments are accompanied by flights of doves and showers of rose petals. With the buzz around this release (Franklin was awarded the Prism Queer Press Grant in 2017) and the hunger for inclusive, positive love stories, this should find a large, welcoming audience. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
When Hazel and Mari met at a church bingo game and fell in love as young women, they were torn apart by their families because it was the wrong kind of love. Decades later, both have traditional families and separate lives, but when they reunite, what would be a more perfect spot for it than another church bingo? It's a different time, and their love for each other hasn't diminished one bit, so they decide to take the plunge. This book has it all: body positivity, African American heroes, LGBT romance, and, best of all, grannies as sexual beings who have needs and desires beyond filling up your plate. It's gorgeously presented in full color to maximize the effect of what's happening on the page. Happy moments are splashed with bright, cheery colors, and Hazel, lover of all things fashion and feminine, really shines with all her beautiful outfits and her graying hair. Despite the story being over too soon, the pacing and characterization are pitch-perfect. Readers who loved the San Junipero episode of Black Mirror will adore this, too.--Pino, Kristina Copyright 2018 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Long before legalized gay marriage, 13-year-old Hazel helps new kid Mari get acquainted at school, and the girls become best friends. Later, the bond develops into love, but their horrified families force a separation. As grandmothers 50 years later, they meet by chance over Bingo and everything changes. Drawn with curvy charm, this romantic tale stands out for its cross-gen characters. Teens and adults. (LJ 2/1/18) © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
