BellaOnline Forums Books and Music African American Literature Help! What novel was this?

Many years ago (late 1990's) I was reading a friend's novel on a beach. I only read the first few pages before we left, and I never saw the book again. I'm hoping someone out there can help me identify the novel from a brief description of the start of the story:

It was set in the south of the US. It opened with an African American woman sitting in a house by herself, bemoaning the fact that her house was haunted - by what she wasn't sure. A man came to visit, walked into the house and, without any preliminaries, asked the woman how she could live in this house that was so obviously haunted by some tortured soul.

I remember it struck me that the presence of a haunted soul was just accepted - it wasn't a matter of 'can you feel it too?', it was just there.

Not much to go on, I know, but I'd be very grateful if anyone recognises this.

Peter

I can't recall the title of the book. I'll think about it the next few days. I believe it is an Oprah book club selection.

Taisha
Southeast Asia Editor

I believe the book you are talking about could be A Chance on Lovin' You by Ebony Snoe. If not, I apologize, it's been a while since I read this book, but what you describe sounds familiar.

It wasn't Bag of Bones by Stephen King was it?

It sounds like Beloved by Toni Morrison. Good book.

I was just wondering, did you ever find the book you were looking for?

I am not sure what book you are thinking of, but I am going to look into it. (I like challenging research projects.) I may take me a week (or two) but I'll post something when I have a lead! Let us all know if you figure it out! I can't imagine how annoying that must be, to have forgotten the title!