Abide with Me (Invisible Life Series #3) by E. Lynn Harris

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
In his four previous novels, E. Lynn Harris has taken on the controversial issues of race and class, bisexuality, and AIDS within the African-American community, acquiring both an enthusiastic readership and critical acclaim for his efforts. Now, in the eagerly awaited conclusion to his Invisible Life trilogy, Harris returns to the unforgettable characters of Invisible Life and Just as I Am for a new round of professional challenges and personal heartbreaks.

Abide with Me finds Raymond Tyler and his lover, Trent, happily settled in Seattle, their respective legal and architectural careers in full swing. But when Ray is nominated for a federal judgeship, disturbing secrets from Trent's past resurface that threaten their relationship. Meanwhile, Nicole and Jared have moved from Atlanta to New York City, where Nicole is on the verge of fulfilling her lifelong fantasy of performing on Broadway. But she is forced to reevaluate her own career when an overzealous understudy jeopardizes her return to the stage. Here, too, is the sexy and unpredictable John Basil Henderson, whose successful job as an ESPN sports commentator cannot conceal his fundamental loneliness.

With depth and sensitivity, further revealing the intricate and intimate relationships of the beloved cast of this trio of novels, Abide with Me is sure to remain with the reader long after the series has come to a close.

From the Publisher

Dare to dream--

Since the publication of E. Lynn Harris's stunning debut novel, Invisible Life, millions of readers have laughed, cried, and anguished along with his unforgettable cast of characters.  Now, his growing legions of fans will finally find out what happens in this delicious conclusion to the "Invisible Life" trilogy.

In Abide with Me, Harris returns with the utmost finesse to his signature themes of love, friendship, and family, and craftily guides his irresistible characters through new challenges and heartbreaks, and ultimately to redemption through love.

At the end of Just As I Am, Raymond Tyler, Jr., was beginning a relationship with Trent, a fraternity brother from his college days, while Nicole had found love with Jared, Raymond's buddy from Atlanta.  As Abide with Me opens, Raymond and Trent are settled in Seattle, where Trent's career as an architect has blossomed and Raymond's law practice is booming.  All seems well.  Then, late one night, Raymond gets a call from a United States Senator that threatens everything he's built.

Raymond, facing a crisis of faith, travels to New York hoping for the support of his best friend, Jared, who's moved North after five years in Atlanta.  His wife, Nicole, is performing in a revival of Dreamgirls, her lifelong fantasy at last coming true.  Nicole is thrilled to return to the stage, but when things start to go wrong, her young and beautiful understudy, Yancey Harrington Braxton, steps into the spotlight a little too smoothly.  And Nicole, far from achieving her dream, is suddenly forcedto reevaluate her life and her marriage.

Back, too, are the other beloved inhabitants of Harris's world: Raymond's family; the sexy and dangerous gray-eyed sportscaster and ex-football player, John Basil Henderson; and Peaches, the spirited owner of the Harlem shop Cuts 'n' Cobblers and the mother of Raymond's late friend Kyle.

In Abide with Me, Harris once again encourages his readers to live, love, and dream.  His masterful storytelling, wit, and sensitivity permeate this enormously satisfying novel, which is both a tribute to his loyal following and an invitation to a new audience to enter his irresistible world.  His "unique spin on the ever-fascinating topics of identity, class, intimacy, sexuality, and friendship" (Vibe) will once more put E. Lynn Harris at the top of the bestseller lists.

Entertainment Weekly

...[B]reezy, bighearted entertainment.

Advocate

Harris has woven a truly complex and realistic fabric within which his characters come to self-actualization through forgiveness and the enduring human spirit.

Publishers Weekly

In the conclusion of his trilogy that began with the novels Invisible Life and Just As I Am, Harris continues to demonstrate his inarguable skills as a master storyteller. He recounts the triumphs and travails of Raymond Winston Tyler Jr., a bisexual African-American attorney, whose lovers, friends and family both enrich and ensnarl his life. Raymond, at 37, has just been nominated for a federal judgeship. His parents are elated. His boyfriend is proud. But the necessary background checks may raise some squeamish issues surrounding his sexuality. The events unfold like a serial soap opera, a series of artfully constructed vignettes that always convey a strong sense of setting and are driven by emotionally charged dialogue. It's these qualities that make Harris's work so nimble as spoken audio: his writing comes across as almost scripted. His characters, such as the sexually conflicted pro football star John "Basil" Henderson (who is portrayed through a series of sessions with his therapist), are also highly appealing. Harris clearly knows how to work the heartstrings of his audience. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday hardcover. (Mar.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Entertainment Weekly

...[B]reezy, bighearted entertainment.

The Advocate

Harris has woven a truly complex and realistic fabric within which his characters come to self-actualization through forgiveness and the enduring human spirit.

The Progressive - Kate Clinton

The book stands on its own, and I can't wait to read the first two.

USA Today - Henry

Harris is a great storyteller who knows how to tug on the heartstrings of with wit and sensitivity. He gives just as much insight into the psyche of women as he does men. When confronted with a mixture of both—as with a transvestite who apears in the book—he shows remarkable compassion. He has a unique perspective that avoids judgment. And, while he concludes his Invisible Life trilogy with this book, there's a hint that more may come.

Harris handles the story well until the end...the author seems unable to find a creative way to tie up loose ends and conclude the book.

Kirkus Reviews

The lives of five thirtyish African-Americans are updated in this final installment of a trilogy (Invisible Life, 1992; Just As I Am, 1994) that doesn't stray from the soap-opera conventions that also govern the first two. The cast will be familiar to readers of the series: Raymond, Trent, Nicole, Jared, and Basil are all educated, successful, fairly well-off professionals who eat sumptuous meals and spend time with expensive therapists—a deft by-the-numbers strategy that excuses Harris from having to develop their characters himself. Ray and his old frat brother Trent live happily in their gorgeous Seattle home; Nicole and Jared, still childless in New York, enjoy immaculate marital bliss; Basil, also a Big Apple denizen, is a handsome ESPN sports commentator. All the men have excellent pectorals and exquisite butts; all the women are shapely and beautiful. Not that they don't have problems.

When Ray is nominated for a federal judgeship, his love for Trent is challenged by an FBI background check that reveals Trent's criminal record. Nicole wins a part in the show Dreamgirls, but her success is threatened by a scheming understudy. Basil internally rages against his uncle while nonviolently abusing a variety of men and women. Still, in the end anyone who is driven by hatred is thwarted; anyone who embraces love and forgiveness prevails; and most reconciliations are sealed by hot tumbles in the bedroom. Only friendless loner Basil fails to right himself, though the close offers some hope—presumably for another installment. Harris is a writer with a passable talent for pacing and dialogue, but his characters fail to evolve and their changes of heart are wholly predictable. More of the same from an unadventurous conception.

Product Details

• Interviews & Essays
• Reading Group Guide
• Read an Excerpt

Interviews & Essays

E Lynn Harris: I am doing great.

E Lynn Harris: This novel does stand alone even though it is the end of a trilogy, but if you are to start out of sequence I would recommend IF THIS WORLD WERE MINE.

E Lynn Harris: The next novel.

E Lynn Harris: Well, in the first two books I depended on him a lot in terms of telling me what to do and telling me to use a lot of my own life. But with this novel I told it from a third-person point of view because I think Raymond, like E. Lynn, will tell readers what they want to know. By telling it from the third person I had some separation, therefore I told it from that point of view.

E Lynn Harris: Of course, we wish that people would purchase the books, not only out of selfish reasons but also because by owning books you enjoy one of the treasures in life. I have an extensive library of fiction and nonfiction. I love buying books, and even when things were tight it was still one of my joys. We are glad you are reading, but we also wish you had a personal library like a lot of the other fans.

E Lynn Harris: Good question. I am a little bit more secure in my writing now. I am more secure in my storytelling style. I really thought my first novel was a fluke, but my editors and writing experts told me to hold on to my unique voice, and even though I wanted each succeeding novel to be technically different, I was told to keep my voice. I don't really shadow any writer, but I guess my style is very similar to Terry McMillan's -- we tell stories as if we were telling the story one-on-one.

E Lynn Harris: INVISIBLE LIFE and JUST AS I AM are both in preproduction right now, and INVISIBLE LIFE will be an off-Broadway play.

E Lynn Harris: Most of my characters come from characters that I meet very briefly; then I imagine how they would be. I base these characters on one or two meetings -- then my imagination takes over.

E Lynn Harris: I was a Razorback cheerleader, and I just got back from the SEC tournament. I live and breathe the Hogs, and Nolan had a good year, but I would have liked to see us go farther in the tournament. And I am saying Kentucky and Duke in the finals.

E Lynn Harris: Stop calling yourself "aspiring" -- it is just "writer." I did have a nontraditional route in that I self-published my first novel, which a lot of people say is a kiss of death, but it turned out to be a godsend for me.

E Lynn Harris: I listen to the ear -- when I am writing I can actually hear the voices. As a writer you just start to hear the voices -- people walking down the street and conversations.

E Lynn Harris: THE HARRIS MEN by R. M. Johnson -- it is not out yet. WAITING IN VAIN by Colin Channer. STIGMATA by Phyllis Perry.

E Lynn Harris: Better Days Foundation is an organization to help emerging writers. I am going to do this by grant, and I also want to bring authors to cities like Mobile -- current African-American writers who don't get to visit nonreading cities. I want to bring readers and writers closer together for dialogue. The name came from the idea that when writers start out it is so hard for them, and I want people to know there are better days ahead. You can support Better Days by buying hardcover copies of INVISIBLE LIFE -- the proceeds go to the foundation.

E Lynn Harris: I think Atlanta definitely is, but I live in Chicago now, and I still have family in Atlanta -- it is a great place for young black professionals to start.

E Lynn Harris: Those are just people. Good point: They can be whoever you want them to be. I just want handsome men and women on the cover of my book.

E Lynn Harris: The E. will be revealed in a memoir, and yes, I will miss them; it is kind of sad letting them go but they are gone.

E Lynn Harris: The writing takes off on its own. I usually start with the names and then take it where the characters lead me. Since I knew these characters I knew their background, but I didn't know what was happening with them now.

E Lynn Harris: I have several that I like -- Raymond, and even though he is complex I love Basil. I love Nicole, and even though I don't like her I loved creating the character of Yancey in the new novel.

E Lynn Harris: You have to have confidence in yourself, but Terry's first book was published by a major publisher. But she went out on her own to promote her book. I learned from Terry that promotion is very important.

E Lynn Harris: Great characters, fast-moving plot, and humor.

E Lynn Harris: The way people respond to you; it is really heartwarming.

E Lynn Harris: Actually, it just missed being on the tour. I am getting an award in Richmond this Saturday for my contributions to African-American writers, though I will not be able to accept it because I will be at a book signing in Fayetteville. I have recently spoken at Virginia Tech, and I did signings at Hampton and Richmond.

E Lynn Harris: Yeah, it is more difficult. Right now it is due in August 2000. I keep rewriting it, trying to figure out what to tell and what not to tell. I've had a very interesting life.

E Lynn Harris: Peaches is in the new novel, and I am learning Basil as I write him, and as I learn more about him as a character I hope readers will become more accepting of him. But it still doesn't explain or excuse some of his behavior.

E Lynn Harris: I want to be writing in my new home. I am staying off the road.

E Lynn Harris: Yeah, I will be in Atlanta the last week of the tour. Check my web site -- www.elynnharris.com -- to get more specifics.

E Lynn Harris: I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS by Maya Angelou, GIOVANNI'S ROOM by James Baldwin, and INVISIBLE MAN by Ralph Ellison.

E Lynn Harris: A combination of both. I always try to write novels indicative of the world I live in, which includes gay/straight, black/white -- that is what I love about my world: It includes a little bit about everybody.

E Lynn Harris: Unfortunately, Lonnie, we live in a world where people are more comfortable with labels then individuals. I have gone through two categories, as I was once categorized as a gay writer and as a black writer. At some point in my career I hope I will be just seen as a writer. I am moving up, I guess.

E Lynn Harris: It is still under wraps. Please be patient. But it is in good hands.

E Lynn Harris: I just got a call from a store in New Orleans that helped me out when I just started, and they just opened a store in Shreveport, and even though they didn't make the tour, I will go out on my own. And when I say nonreading cities, it means cities that don't get good crowds, not cities where people don't read. I think they ignore these cities unjustly. On this tour I am doing Savannah because they said it would be an event, not just a book signing. I try to encourage my publisher to send me to nontraditional cities.

E Lynn Harris: I don't know the dates, but I am doing it. I am not doing the whole tour, but I am doing part of it, and I am looking forward to it.

E Lynn Harris: I am most appreciative to my fan base. You guys have made me a literary superstar by telling your mothers, brothers, sisters, husbands, boyfriends, and girlfriends about my novels. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart, and I hope that you will leave the session and call a friend to tell them that the book is in stores, online, it is everywhere. I didn't depend on the critics, I depend on you, and I am thankful.

Reading Group Guide

For discussion: Abide with Me:

1. What does Basil hope to prove by stripping in front of his therapist [p.16]? Why does he brag about leaving his date sitting in a restaurant? How are these two acts related? Are Basil's opinions about women and sex unusual or warped [pp. 30-31]? Do other men feel the same way, even if they hesitate to talk about it as openly as Basil does? Do you agree or disagree with Basil when he says, "I understand the power of sex. And once you understand something completely, you can control it" [p. 32]?

2. What techniques does Yancey use to ingratiate herself with Nicole? Is Nicole naive in accepting Yancey's friendship so readily? Yancey declares that after Albert, her high-school boyfriend, betrayed her "Every brother I meet is paying for what Albert did" [p. 54]. Do you think that Albert's marriage to a white woman made the situation more painful for Yancey than it would have been had he chosen a black wife? How do her opinions of men compare to Basil's views of women?

3. Trent is concerned that he won't get an assignment he wants because the project leader is a black woman. Are his fears understandable? Why does he say "you know how we can sometimes be our worst critics" [p. 63]? Are there examples of this tendency in the book? Have you encountered situations in which blacks are overly critical of other blacks? Do other groups exhibit the same behavior? Why do you think this happens?

4. Raymond and Trent briefly discuss getting married. Do you think that gay marriages should be legal? Why or why not?

5. After they meet an old friend of Nicole's at a restaurant, Nicole and Yancey talk about the way women compete with one another [p. 84]. How do their reactions to the "bad seeds" they've encountered differ? Is Nicole too forgiving of the actress the rest of the cast called "Evilene"? Was Yancey's "trick" for defeating her rival justifiable or unethical? How important is it for black women to stick together, particularly when it might entail sacrificing their own goals?

6. The NAACP withdraws its support of Raymond's nomination to back a candidate who "understands the needs of our community, especially on issues regarding the survival of the African-American family" [p. 95]. Is a gay candidate like Raymond incapable of understanding and supporting the basic values of the community? Can his partnership with Trent be defined as a "family"?

7. In what ways does Raymond Sr.'s objection to Kirby's involvement with an Asian woman parallel his discomfort with Raymond and Trent's relationship? Do members of minority groups have a moral obligation to date and/or marry within the group? Do interracial or interreligious marriages necessarily undermine individual cultures?

8. Why is Raymond so reluctant to confront Trent when he learns of his arrest? By betraying his promise to Trent to be open and honest, is Raymond betraying himself as well? What is the significance of the fight he has with his father about the situation? Is his father only concerned with Raymond's political future? Why does Raymond Sr. say "Stop letting people fuck you over, especially black folks"[p. 161]? What does this indicate about his own biases and beliefs?

9. When Raymond and Trent finally discuss Trent's infidelities, whose side are you on? Does Trent take their relationship too casually or is Raymond demanding a level of perfection that is impossible to achieve? Are the conflicts between Nicole and Jared more clear cut [pp. 284-285]? Do they handle them better than Raymond and Trent? Why is Nicole so ambivalent about starting a family? In addition to her reluctance to give up her career, what other factors contribute to her hesitations?

10. When she tells Raymond about his father's affair early in their marriage, Raymond's mother says "People sometimes do hurtful things just to get the other person's attention" [p. 291]. How does this relate to the events in the book? Are Basil's and Yancey's schemes, for example, mean-spirited and evil? Or are they desperate attempts to generate the attention and love that is missing from their lives?

For discussion of the Invisible Life Trilogy:

1. The title Harris chose for his first book—and eventually for the entire trilogy—echoes Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, a seminal work in African-American literature. How does the world Ellison describes compare to Harris's description
of the African-American community today? Are the protagonists similar in any way? Does "Invisible Life" only refer to the lives of the gay and bisexual men, or does it encompass aspects of the women's lives as well?

2. Discuss the views of homosexuality you have encountered in your own life. Are most people more willing to accept racial and religious differences than sexual differences? Do gay black men and women suffer greater doubts and more guilt than gay whites? Why or why not? What cultural factors influence the way people feel and talk about sexuality? Did the novels change your own feelings about the gay community?

3. The characters' relationships with their parents is an important theme in the trilogy. What impact does her mother's criticism have on the choices Nicole makes and her image of herself? Is Basil's hostility toward women a result of being raised by his father? Do you think his father genuinely loved him? Why didn't his father succeed in teaching Basil "to be a man and to try and do what's right"? Is Peaches a believable character or is Harris's portrait of her too idealistic? Are you more sympathetic to Yancey when you find out how her mother treated her as a child?

4. Discuss the differences between the views on race, religion, and gender expressed by the two generations. How do they reflect the society in which each generation grew up? Do you think Americans are becoming more tolerant or that age-old prejudices still thrive?

Read an Excerpt

Summer came, tucked behind a flawless spring. Raymond loved perfection, but he did not know that with perfection, sorrow would soon follow. It started with a late evening phone call. Raymond Winston Tyler and Trent Michael Walters had retired to their large, loft-style bedroom after an uneventful Friday. The two were trying to decide if they should watch the local news or one of the three videos they had rented for the weekend. Raymond answered the phone on the nightstand after a couple of rings. He started to let the answering machine pick up, but the ring sounded unusually urgent and important. Maybe it was his younger brother, Kirby, or his best buddy, Jared.

After about ten minutes of "Yes... Yes... I can't believe this," Raymond walked over toward the large bay window. As he held the portable phone to his ear Raymond gazed at a burst of orange and blue lightning slice through the clouds as the sky opened up and sheets of rain began to fall. It was both beautiful and frightening.

Trent realized this call was important and went downstairs to the kitchen. A few minutes later he returned with a bowl of microwave popcorn, a box of peanut M&M's, and two bottles of water, just as Raymond was hanging up the phone with a stunned look on his face.

"Is everything all right?" Trent asked with concern in his voice.

"You're not going to believe this," Raymond said as he rubbed his forehead.

"What?"

"That was the chief of staff for Senator Patricia Murray's office," Raymond said.

"The U.S. senator? And?" Trent quizzed.

"I've been nominated for a federal judgeship," Raymond blushed. "Get the fuck out! That's great," Trent said as he hugged his broad-shouldered partner.

"I still don't believe this," Raymond said as his lips parted into a huge smile.

"Why not? I've always known you're the best lawyer in the world," Trent said proudly.

"Do you realize the next step would be the Supreme Court? What is this ... I'm getting ahead of myself. Supreme Court, my ass! My pops isn't going to believe this," Raymond rattled off.

"Call him," Trent urged.

Raymond looked at the digital clock on the phone and realized it was past midnight in Birmingham, Alabama. But Raymond wanted to share the news with his parents.

"Do you think it's too late?"

"Raymond, how often does someone get nominated for the federal bench?"

Trent asked.

"You're right," Raymond said as he grabbed the phone and dialed his parents' number. After three rings Raymond started to hang up when he suddenly heard his mother's sleepy voice. A voice more familiar to him than any sound he'd ever heard.

"Ma," Raymond said.

"Ray? Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Everything is fine. I'm sorry to call so late. Where's Pops?"

"He's right here. You want to talk with him?"

"Yeah, but I want you to hear this too. Put me on the speakerphone." Raymond knew his father hated the speakerphone, but he heard a click and then his mother's voice suddenly sounding far-off. "Ray Jr.? Are you all right?" Raymond heard his father ask.

"I'm fine," Raymond assured him.

"Then this better be good. Do you know how late it is?" "Yeah, but I thought you'd like to talk with the future federal judge from the Western District Court of Washington," Raymond said. He liked the sound of his possible new title.

"What!" Raymond heard his father exclaim. Raymond could hear his mother in the background singing, "My baby ...my baby going to be a judge." She sounded like the mother in the movie The Nutty Professor singing "Hercules, Hercules."

Raymond heard some clicking in the phone and then he could hear his father's voice more clearly. Raymond Sr. had turned off the speakerphone. "Is Ma all right?"

"She's fine. When did all this happen? Why is this the first I've heard of this?"

"I didn't know I was even being considered. I knew there were some openings, but everybody in my office thought they were going to pick an Asian-American or this lawyer Charles Pope. I'm still in shock," Raymond said. "I guess we can thank the Simpson trial and my taking your advice about helping out Norm Rice in his race for governor." "Did Norm have something to do with this?" Raymond Sr. asked. "I have no idea," Raymond answered. "I got the call from Senator Murray's office. Her chief of staff said they had been trying to reach me all evening. But I guess we should all calm down because I haven't been put on the bench yet. There is the confirmation process," he warned. "Don't worry about that. You'll get it. I know they need some local color on that bench."

"I hope you're right, Pops. I hope you're right."

After hanging up the phone, Raymond sat on the edge of the bed silently, listening to the rain and thinking about how his life was getting ready to change. Again.

During the Simpson trial Raymond had served as a talking head for the local NBC affiliate and had become something of a local celebrity, partly because he never seemed to take sides and also because Raymond was a very good-looking man. The station had been swamped with calls, faxes, and letters from women wanting to know Raymond's marital status. Raymond and Trent would spend some evenings reading some of the offers from viewers. Ray had his secretary send each viewer a thank-you note stating, Mr. Tyler is very happy in his personal life. When the station offered Raymond a permanent position, he politely declined.

His father was a retired family court judge and state senator who had always dreamed his son would follow in his political footsteps, and had suggested Raymond parlay his newfound celebrity into political prominence. It had been years since his father had encouraged him to pursue politics.

His mother just wanted him to be happy.