West of Rehoboth

I couldn't wait to read Alexs' West of Rehoboth, since I am a native of Rehoboth, a mystery lover and know many of his family members. During the era he writes about, everyone in this small African American community knew everyone!I could not put the book down! I especially wanted to think about who each character was based on (did I know them?)and of course who "dun it".Only having read Amistad, I didn't know what style to expect from the author in this novel. It was very simplistic and easy to read. I have read it at least three times and have given about six copies as gifts. The author depicts a Rehoboth that was all he stated and more. He weaves from imaginary to reality. I strongly recommend this novel as a mystery favorite and especially for Rehoboth readers.

Alex Pate is back and once again gracing us with his lyrical, eloquent and poignant writing style. West of Rehoboth is set in the `60s and is about one summer in the life of 12 year old Edward Massey. Every summer the Masseys traveled to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to escape the heat, gangs and mean streets of Philly. Edward's parents believe that Rehoboth with its idyllic beach resorts and slower pace is a safer environment for a young AA male child in the early `60s. But is it really? While Rehoboth Beach definitely seems to move at a snail's pace, its still below the Mason-Dixon line where Blacks are still relegated to subservient roles. The environment is one of a slow furnace that simmers, cooks slowly and is ever ready to explode because of the extremely depressing racial climate. It's home of Aunt Edna a respected business woman and Uncle Rufus who Aunt Edna makes sleep in the shed out back. Young Edward, who's an avid Agatha Christie fan, has decided this is the summer, that he puts his sleuth skills to work, and finds out who is the real Uncle Rufus. In the process, Edward unknowingly will place his own life in danger as he discovers that Rufus is just one of many AA males who've been beaten down by the system and the times...who's encountered a life of violence, hate, frustration and much disappointment. But in spite of it all, Rufus has a story to tell and one that hopefully can teach Edward a few things about life and growing up as an AA male in this land of the free and the brave called America.West of Rehoboth is a wonderful read with strong character development. Young Edward and elderly Rufus jump off the pages and into your heart as you read this poignant and engaging story. This is a book that's told with emotional honesty and as such sometimes it made it difficult for me to read in one sitting but the suspense kept me quickly turning the pages. I will admit I was a little disappointed in the ending because I was expecting something different, and as such the ending would make me rate the book a 4.5 but because I thoroughly enjoyed other aspects of the book I rounded up to a 5.0. There are some books that touch you in such a way that its hard to describe with words; West of Rehoboth is one such book for me. This is a book that got under my skin and became a part of my spirit. Maybe its because I could relate to the time-frame and mindset of the early 60s since I was also coming of age then. Pate is an author with immense skills and talents and I look forward to reading future releases by him. For those who've never checked out Pate before also read his other books to include Finding Makeba(which I've read and highly recommend) and Losing Absalom and the Multicultiboho SideShow(two books that I plan to read soon). APOOO Bookclub

It is an early 1960s summer and precocious twelve-year-old Edward Massey is in west Rehoboth, a genteel beach resort town in Delaware. Each summer he and his family come here to stay with his Aunt Edna and escape the volatile streets of Philadelphia. An avid Agatha Christie reader intrigued with the mysteryof his gruff and haggard Uncle Rufus C. Brown - who oddly lives in a frail shack behind his Aunt Edna's house - Edward is determined to discover Rufus's past,find out what everyone seems to either disregard or fear in him. What he unleashes in the process is the broken identity of a man who has always had hard luck on his heels. With a set of truths as naked as we eachare when we enter the world, Alexs D. Pate renders a stunning chronology of misery's evolution into a man. Pate shrewdly plunges us so deep into despair that we know it by its other name: Rufus. A colorful haunt!...

At first, I dismissed this book even though I have been to Rehoboth myself due to living in Delaware for a couple of years.I found it entertaining with a hint of mystery,and I kept turning the pages for more even after the first couple of pages. For those of you who haven't been to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, please go. It is probably one of the best kept secrets of the East Coast. Anyway, you have Edward, a 12 year old, who comes from Philly to Rehoboth each summer with his mom and sister, as a respite from the grittiness of the inner city as well as for the mother to earn some cash during the summer time. Here you meet Edna, who you may not like, but you do admire for having her own business during segregated times.And feel sorry for Rufus, who has a story of his own to tell.It may seem like the type of novel to dismiss, but once you get into it, you will enjoy.

It is an old-fashioned story-telling novel that is such a pleasure to read. Entertaining and enlightening. If you have visited Rehoboth Beach, Delaware you will recognize places and people in a way you have not given much thought to. It captures a time and town that have changed only superficially, for better or worse