Title: The Woman and Her Demons

Author: Tequea Fisher

Subject: Fiction

Release Date: Available Soon

Reviewer: Maria Josey

Tequea Fisher’s manuscript, The Woman and Her Demons: Overcoming by the Word & My Testimony, tells the heart-wrenching story of a woman who overcomes incredible odds of hardship, abuse, poverty and crime to become a blessed, saved woman of God. This is an inspirational autobiography offering a true-life underdog that has come from a deep, dark place to find a life of peace, purpose and blessing. The author clearly put an incredible amount of time into this manuscript. There are thousands of people who set out to write a book and never finish and even more who never even start. The author deserves significant recognition for accomplishing this herculean task. Even more impressive is the fact that the author has an incredible command of grammar and spelling for one who didn’t have structured, supportive schooling in her early years. In fact, the author describes how she only got a half credit for one entire year of high school. Yet she overcame the odds, and focused on the importance of school despite all of the circumstances and difficulties she encountered.

Unfortunately, her command of writing techniques does not give this the aura of a polished novel. It feels more like a transcribed oral history. The book starts off with a large amount of family history that doesn’t offer the reader any clue as to whether the narrator is even male or female, and doesn’t provide a compelling “grab” to get the reader interested in the story. It wasn’t even until about ¾ of the way through the book that the reader sees there is a purpose and point to the autobiography. The writing style is extremely informal – addressing the reader directly and using phrases like “LOL” or “you know”. The paragraphs run on for pages on end, and there is very little flow and fluidity to the prose as it rambles from one thought to the next. The conversational, stream of consciousness style leaves the book feeling choppy and disjointed. It is not always easy for the reader to follow along, and the identities of many of the characters are unclear. Some of the text is downright befuddling. (For instance, were there twins born, or weren’t there?)

But at the heart of this, there is a very amazing story. It is a true, compelling saga of a phoenix rising from the ashes to overcome extreme and oppressive obstacles, and there is definitely a market for those kinds of stories. Urban fiction is very hot right now, and urban biographies even more so. There really isn’t a good, gritty, raw urban Christian book on the scene, and I believe this story has bestseller potential. In its current form, however, this is impossible. The publishing industry has a standard quality of grammar, sentence structure, layout, progression and flow. An editor, or even a ghostwriter, would be able to help mold this into a more accessible version. If the author can keep focused on the next phase of this book’s refinement process, then more readers will be exposed to this book. Just like a Christian walk that grows in stages and requires polishing, refining, shaping and cleansing, a Christian book must also undergo the same process. Hopefully, the author will recognize the hope that her story can give to others who are living in tough situations, and will continue forward with the editing/ghost writing process. If that happens, then hundreds of inner city churches will be recommending her book to its parishioners and congregations in the near-future.