Lone Star Multi-book Book Blitz: Three Books by Joanne Easley (blitz, giveaway, and review of I’ll Be Seeing You)

My review is for the latest release, I’ll Be Seeing You.

“All right then. Guess I’ll be seeing you.”

I’ll Be Seeing You by Joanne Kukanza Easley is a hearty punch of literary drama, with Ruby Lauren Eaton’s story spanning decades, from the 1930s to the 1980s. When 16-year-old Ruby leaves home to become a Powers Girl in New York City, she drops Ruby from her name and goes by Lauren, a naïve model living with her Bohemian Aunt Imogene in the Big Apple. And so begins Lauren’s quick upward swing toward societal notoriety and equally quick downward swing into bad choices, abundant self-pity and self-loathing, a pile of regrets, and flowing rivers of booze. From the family ranch in Mineral Wells, Texas, to New York City to Dallas and finally to Austin, Texas, Lauren cannot seem to stop running away from herself and definitely cannot seem to stay out of her own way. After years of sabotaging her health, her relationships, and her dreams, Lauren finally hits that drunken rock bottom. Can she rekindle that long-extinguished spark from her youth to guide her upward and forward, finally becoming the successful, independent woman she was always meant to be?

Lauren is not necessarily a likeable main character at all times, with her constant woe-is-me attitude, promiscuity, breakneck slide into alcoholism, and the tendency to run from problems rather than confronting them head on, but she is realistically flawed and thus no doubt relatable, or at least understandable. Nobody truly escapes making poor choices, especially during those impressionable years of youth, but Lauren plunges into debauchery at lightning speed, leaving nothing but tears and heartache in her wake and in her heart.

Joanne Kukanza Easley smoothly sinks the proverbial eight ball with this dramatic saga, presenting a story that is certainly plaintive but also inspiring, especially during Lauren’s later years in Austin when she finally comes into some long-awaited maturity and lands a few second chances. Cheering for her comes easily as she claws her way toward sobriety and business success because we already know what she has endured over the years. The author’s writing is primarily literary, with characters that are fully developed and alluring; however, the overall plot and intricate descriptions of locations and Lauren’s adventures and misadventures provide a powerful dose of entertainment as well. With such excellent characterization and an intriguing plot, I’ll Be Seeing You by Joanne Kukanza Easley crosses the reading finish line with panache and with a heavy lasting impression.

Family, friends, and lovers play strong leading roles in this story, with Lauren trampling on all of them in her reckless dash through life. Earning respect and gaining self-respect are other ongoing challenges for the main character, providing readers with a grand cautionary tale and a glimpse into a life lived fast and hard, mainly by choice but sometimes by chance.

While this heartbreaking story has some old-fashioned cultural and racial references and segregation, heavy drinking, and indiscriminate sex, explicit scenes and strong language are basically non-existent, relying instead on provocative dialog, descriptive narration, emotional responses, empiricism, and character synergy.

I’ll Be Seeing You is the perfect book for any reader looking for a dramatic main female character who remains a vulnerable young girl on the inside while her life comes apart at the seams across the years, finally settling into an existence that is patched together with threads of wisdom born of pain, sorrow, and love.