A Satirical Novel With Plenty of Soul

Take a trip to Soul City, where you'll discover the world-famous 100-foot-tall Afro pick, the biscuit shop where the product is topped with butter straight from heaven, and streets filled with cars that play only the driver's favorite artist, like the Princemobile, the Billiemobile, and the Jay-Zmobile.

In Soul City, black is beautiful, black culture is celebrated and great music brings everyone together. It is the black utopia, and it is the place, as its citizens like to brag, with "more mojo than any city in the world."

Journalist Cadillac Jackson was sent by Chocolate City magazine to cover Soul City's mayoral election, but he has another plan in mind: to write the definitive book on the place. Cadillac does not understand what makes Soul City so special, but he is determined to figure it out and share his findings with the world.

Along the way, he meets some of its quirky citizens:

• Revren Lil' Mo Love, the pint-sized, 10-year-old preacher who never bothered to finish reading the Bible.

• Ubiquity Jones, a woman who would always discover your biggest secret, then reveal it at the worst possible moment (in public, of course).

• Granmama, the feisty 200-plus-year-old biscuit shop owner, has enough sass for two Soul Cities.

• Mahogany Sunflower, the take-no-nonsense woman equipped with the Jimmy Choo heels necessary to walk all over anyone who dares cross her. Cadillac cannot resist her beauty, and eventually falls in love with her -- though he probably wishes she would be a little kinder toward him.

The mayoral election is like no other. It's not about education, the economy or crime.

Only one issue matters: the music. In Soul City, that dictates the city's tone, and one has to have the right groove if one is to keep Soul City in order.

Unfortunately, we come to discover that even shady businessmen can threaten a great place like this. Enter John Jiggaboo, the man behind Jiggaboo Shampoo, a hair-care product that strips away at your black pride with every wash. Once Jiggaboo hooks up with a crooked politician -- the second component needed to wreak havoc in a city -- the battle for the soul of Soul City is set in motion.

In his debut novel, Rolling Stone contributing editor Toure brings a comedic edge to such sensitive issues as race, culture and stereotypes. It's innovative, cleverly written and social satire at its finest. If you have become disillusioned with current literature, or are simply interested in stepping out of your reading comfort zone, take the voyage to Soul City -- you won't regret it.

Michael Arceneaux is a student at Howard University who writes for The Hilltop.

Posted Sept. 9, 2004