Brickhouse

by Rita Ewing

Book Overview

Harlem entrepreneur and fitness superstar Nona Simms worked hard to make Brickhouse one of the hottest gyms in the city -- her gift to the community that has always been home. Now corrupt city politics is coming uptown, and Nona's dream is slated for the wrecking ball, doomed to die so a new mall can live. Nona is a fighter, though, and she's gathering her friends around her for support against the special interests. But her cherished business partner,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060570555
• ISBN13: 9780060570552
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

This Book was a great start

This book was good. It was everything expected and I would buy it again. It was close to real life to me. In the way people deal with there problems and how you should notice the things that are around you but you always put off your first mind because you dont want to believe about the bad in people.

Brickhouse

Harlem girl turned fitness superstar and entrepreneur, Nona Simms, maintains two very important mind-sets to keep her gym `Brickhouse' a success - hard work and dedication. No matter how famous she gets, she will always call Harlem home and she is there to stay! But, when the disgraceful and shifty community leader Rev. Watkins, threatens to force Brickhouse out of Harlem only to replace it with a shopping mall, Nona is prepared to fight fire with fire. Although Nona is geared up for the gossip laden battle that is about to ensue, additional personal concerns arise, further deepening her anger and humiliation. Adding on to her misery, her insecure daughter is escalating into a path of self-destruction, her best friend and business partner, Allen Wade, is hiding a terrible secret that can destroy him physically and a man she loathes is weaving his way into her heart at the most inopportune time. As Nona fights for all that she loves, she struggles to keep strong to also fight off the disparaging challenges that face her.

It was Good!

This book was nice. Nona owns her own gym, Brickhouse in her home town, Harlem. She has fought tooth and nail to have it, now she has to fight tooth and nail to keep it. Her business partner, Allen has been hooked on steriods for years, eventually he quits, but since he used iot for so long, his body aches for it. Now Allen is back on steriods. This is where the story gets interesting. Reverand Watkins is builiding a mall in Harlem, the only problem, is that means Brickhouse will close for good. Of course there's some sheisty activity going on and Nona does find out. It's the people who are behind it that makes it so sheisty. Is it her best friend Anna's husband, Anthony, the mayor? Or Allen, her best friend adn business partner? This was a hot book.

She's Mighty, Mighty!!!

Brickhouse is the latest novel by Rita Ewing that centers on a Harlem fitness superstar named Nona Simms. Nona has made Brickhouse one of the hottest gyms in the city. Celebrities, politicians, and athletes all faithfully come to workout to get that "Brickhouse" physique. But the walls of Brickhouse could be tumbling down due to corrupt city officials who want Nona's gym out and a new mall in. Nona also has to deal with her own daughter's body image issues and an unexpected love interest. It will take all of Nona's strength and willpower to fight against the demise of Brickhouse in Harlem. Nona will fight to the end with the help of her friends. But her friends have their own issues. Nona's business partner Allen Wade is trying to hide a terrible secret that could spell the end of both of their futures. Lelia is dealing with her failing marriage to a New York Knicks superstar and an affair with a politically powerful man. Anna is still reeling from the death of her son and trying to keep her marriage to the mayor afloat. Rita Ewing brings forth a delightful and interesting novel. Brickhouse uncovers a plot that a lot of businesses in the real world have to deal with, namely gentrification and big business moving into historic neighborhoods such as Harlem. Rita Ewing showed immense creativity in developing the Nona Simms character. Ewing's writing style is refreshing and proves that she can hold her own in this first (and hopefully not her last) solo effort.

delightful contemporary tale

After striking out for the third time to get the New York Fitness Club to open a facility in Harlem, Nona Simms decided her boss Marilyn cannot get past the image of a black slum to grasp the demographics she calculated; instead Marilyn implies she cooked the numbers. Nona sees an opportunity to better herself and do something positive for her community where she lives with her daughter Kelly. She quits to open up BRICKHOUSE gym in Harlem, which becomes very popular leading to best selling books and videos and TV appearances by Nona, a celebrity who still remembers her roots. Her flagship soon comes under assault to when Downtown gives authority to Reverend Watkins and his Harlem Empowerment Office to tear down Brickhouse to make room for Harlem East Mall in spite of the community desire for both. Nona quixotically fights back, but her best friend Leila Lomax and her partner Allen Wade have personal problems; she thinks her spouse New York Knicks star Shawn is cheating while he has returned to steroid use. Only Derrick Carter, whom she hates, seems to be there for her and a troubled Kelly. BRICKHOUSE focuses on an optimistic Harlem where dreams can occur. Though some readers like Marilyn will insist this is a fantasy because a middle class venture cannot work in a community like Harlem, my spouse always talks fondly of working in the Gold Coast section. The story line contains several characters fully developed whose woes can happen to anyone anywhere, but clearly unsinkable Nona is the center that keeps the tale together. Paying homage to Harlem, Rita Ewing hits the winning shot with this delightful contemporary tale. Harriet Klausner