BITTERSWEET

In his debut, Johnson aims high, attempting to tell the intertwined stories of three African-American brothers, but he overextends his reach as the tales spiral in hackneyed directions. Nathan, the oldest, successfully presides over his Pittsburgh church as he battles the advances of a female parishioner. Victor, or "Ice," drives a bus in Cleveland and overflows with a street bravado that sometimes slips into caricature. Clifford, the most interesting of the trio, pursues an M.B.A. while working at a white-collar job; he tries to live the middle-class African-American dream, but when his wife decides to divorce him, his life crumbles as he desperately strives to gain custody of his sons. Johnson arranges the novel so that all three brothers suffer relationship difficulties simultaneously; a contrived setup, but one that allows him to offer a variety of thoughtful perspectives on the topic of marriage and the pressures couples endure to make their partnerships work. In some interesting internal monologues, the brothers emerge as distinct people, but the abrupt cuts back and forth between them disrupt the flow of the tale. The brothers' mother—a widowed former educator working toward her Ph.D.—emerges as the strongest character even though she is relegated to a supporting role. Providing guidance, leadership and a verbal smack in the face when necessary, she offers comfort and advice in her sons' times of trouble. This is a heartfelt first novel, but it fails to lend fresh insight into the dynamics of contemporary African-American family life. (Jan.)