If It Ain't One Thing

Book excerpt: A serious relationship isn’t the main thing on Porter Washington’s mind. At least not after he leaves his girlfriend when he learns her baby isn’t his. Who needs it? He’s a fine Detroit firefighter, and women practically throw themselves at him. But something’s missing in his life. Something that will take a near-fatal beating for Porter to find. The mother of two children by different men, Winona Fairchild has made more than her share of mistakes in life—a fact her father never lets her forget. But now she’s coming home from Texas to try to get things right. She’s got a great new job, her own house, a fledging Tiger Woods in her son—and a devastating secret that could destroy it all. It’s a small world—even in a city as big as Detroit. Can their pain and regret fade into the past and their futures look as bright as day? “A gifted writer, one of the best among contemporary African-American novelists on the scene today.”—Book Remarks