If you are looking for another relationship story where boy meets girl and falls in love then this is not the book for you. However, if you are looking for a rich literary tale that is multifaceted and has great character development The Mitt Man is the perfect story for you. The story takes place in the late 1920's and highlights the lives of African Americans during that time. The book is set in both New Orleans and Harlem and so you are able to see how life was different in those places. Taylor exposes us to a number of paradoxes throughout the story, you read of racism and racial harmony, economic depression and financial excess, true love and meaningless sexual encounters, justice and hustles.

The main character in the story is King Fish, who starts out as a small time hustler. After trying to pick the wrong White man's pocket, King Fish's life is changed forever. As his friendship grew and his mistrust faded, King Fish develops a unique relationship with the man he had been trying to rob and found himself giving up his con games and becoming the Pastor of a growing African American Church. But is he sincere about his changed life or is this just another con?

King Fish falls in love, marries, and settles into the life of a Pastor. But then a series of tragic events land him in jail with a life sentence. While in jail, he meets Jimmie Lamar, a hustler from New York that pulled a successful con on the wrong men. Although much younger than King Fish, Jimmie Lamar has had a difficult life, never knowing his father and trying to care for his alcoholic mother. At 18, he has dropped out of college and moved to Harlem where he quickly learned how easy it is to make money if you know the right game.

The two men form a special bond that changes both of their lives forever. The greatest struggles the men face are the search for identity, love, acceptance, God and what it means to be a man. Each of them searches for a sense of inner peace and meaning and the book guides you through this journey. First time novelist Mel Taylor has put together an exquisite and enjoyable literary work. His rich language and detailed characterization will have you feeling for the characters while drawing you into the era in which the book takes place. At times I felt the story was dragging and had unnecessary details, however, as I continued to read I would understand why the details were important. This is an excellent effort and I look forward to Taylor's future works. And if you don't know what a Mitt Man is, then check out the book to find out!

Reviewed by Stacey Seay

I really enjoyed this book.It was "on the money".I was really surprised that Mr. Taylor is a first time writer.The characters were both depressing and delightful.I was impressed with the writing style and the way the characters were bound together.I am looking forward to the next book by this author.

With THE MITT MAN, Mel Taylor has authored a first novel as rich and resonant as the early Baldwin and the contemporary works of Wideman. In large part, it is two interdependent stories linked by commonalities in the personalities of the protagonists, James 'Kingfish' Cook, a small time Louisiana hustler, and Jimmie Lamar, a younger northern image of the former.

The stories commence with Kingfish during the 1920s as he runs through women, liquor and card games while he pursues the next mark, who turns out to be Reverend Malcolm Cage, but not the easy pickings his drunken demeanor seemed to indicate. Saved only by his wits and a proclivity for quotation of biblical verse, Kingfish inadvertently touches a soft spot in the cagy old reverend. He soon becomes the reverend's negro protege, receiving instruction in the greatest con of them all, religion. Kingfish learns well and quickly; he establishes his own burgeoning congregation but the South being the South in the 20's and 30s, not even a man of the presumptive cloth is safe from the ravages of racism, subjugation and perfidy, when the white man does not recognize the negroes' right to honor, pride and self-respect.

Kingfish is destined to spend life on the prison farm, where he meets Jimmie Lamar, the urbane northern hustler who plied his trade in the wrong backwater southern town - which would have been anywhere since his marks where white - and found himself serving a stretch on the chain gang. Kingfish sees much of himself in the younger Jimmie, he decides to ensure his legacy by teaching Jimmie all he knows of the religious con, a new angle the absorbant young man can manipulate on the streets of Harlem, as the adductive Father Lamar.

The ultimate con game takes unexpected turns, resulting in unforeseen outcomes for Jimmie, and the reader.

THE MITT MAN with its moving stories and delicately crafted prose belies Mr. Taylor's first novel status. This a book demanding more attention from a much larger audience.

this book is inspiring for people who are going through a divorce

Hi - This book is an incredibly dead-on helpful resource for anyone comtemplating, going thru or having already been through a divorce. These guys know their stuff. They give excellent advice and counseling and cover things you didn't even realize you actually needed counseling on. I didn't find this book until 5 years after my divorce from a very short term marriage. I didn't think I had any problem or needed counseling, the marriage was a mistake, we corrected that without much ado, signed the papers, paid the fee and it was done. I didn't even have a problem getting an annulment from the Catholic church. Life goes on and I thought I was ok. I'm not sure what made me decide to pick up this book and read it, but I can tell you it helped me deal with the guilt and hurt and fears and feelings of failure, etc. Feelings I really didn't realize I had until they hit on them and it hit me that this information applied to me. And the book gave me good advice and insight for future relationships. 6 years ago I had a HS friend going thru marriage hell. She was dealing with all the emotional stuff I mentioned above, plus outside pressures from friends and family and the community (since they were active in city counsel etc.) - and this looser was a real weasil who'd been divorced before and knew all the tricks to make sure she wouldn't get much, if anything, from him and he would walk away with all sorts of things that her very hard earned money had bought. I remembered this book had gone through preparing a person for all that too, as well as getting good legal counsel etc. and I loaned my book to her. It was a Godsend for her. She not only came out well in the settlement, but was able to keep her sanity and self-confidence and gained some real peace. She walked away from that marriage with very little "baggage" because this book helped her so much. Three short years later she found a wonderful guy, a healthy relationship and finally has the married life and family everyone wishes for. That wasn't just "luck". Just a few months ago, another HS friend was divorced and confided in me he was having a difficult time coping with it all, even though he was ready to find someone new. I recommended this book to him. He recently wrote me that this book helped him with all kinds of things - he was surprised and grateful that I recommended it and that he had the good sense to trust me on that and follow through. He just wished he'd known about it sooner! I bought this book over 15 yrs ago for about $15, and it was good advice then and it's good advice now. It's VERY easy to read, well-written with a good flow to it. It's not laborous reading like a textbook or manual. And at the price it's offered for now - its a HECK of a good deal, and you'll be so glad you did. It might just save you a whole lot of money in divorce expenses/mistakes, and counseling. And it will certainly save you a lot of grief in future relationships because you'll be more of a "well" person going into them instead of a train wreck with baggage and issues. If you're still married and not "yet" going through separation or divorce but seeing that "writing on the wall" PLEASE read this book! [Just don't make things worse by letting your partner know you're reading it. Do it at the office or over at a friend's where your spouse won't be upset you're spending time.] Good luck and good reading.

This book puts the divorce process into clear and concise language. You can understand and deal with the emotional, cognitive, legal, custodial, and other issues that you will confront as you move forward. The book also presents a good framework for evaluating your situation and deciding whether or not you are a future divorcee.

This is a "must read" for all people, but especially people who are confronting a separation from their mates.