The first of the trilogy, Young Jacob, begins the journey – the Rite of Passage – of Jacob Pete Manor. The Manor family consisted of the head of the household, breadwinner and provider — the father, Gary Manor, the mother, Betsey, and their four children. There was a two-year difference between each child. The eldest daughter and firstborn was Elsie, then came Big Brother (Gary Jr.); next was Dabney, the youngest girl, and last but not least, Jacob Pete.
Betsey’s fourth and final pregnancy was met with severe complications, and she was informed by her doctor that she could not bear any more children. Bets over-bonded with Jacob at birth, as his conception marked the conclusion of any life that would ever again emerge from her womb. He was indeed a mama’s boy, but Bets wanted the best for Jacob and concluded that he needed to be influenced by a male who genuinely cared for him. She did not have access or knowledge of any form of a “Rite of Passage.” What she knew was that a woman could not teach a boy how to become a man.
So now the obvious question, “Who was going to train up Jacob?” The most obvious and immediate response would be, “G, his father,” but…
Betsey assigned their oldest son, Gary Jr. (Big Brother) the responsibility of guiding Jacob. Big Brother only had four years prior life experience than his younger brother, but Bets figured he was a competent candidate to lead and train up Jacob, and Brother was happy to take his little brother under his wing at a very early age.
As parents, she and G still ruled the household. Big Brother steered Jacob into and away from situations and places that were impossible for Bets or G to help Jacob experience. They realized that Jacob needed to separate from his parents, especially break away from his mama’s boy tendencies, and Big Brother, Gary Jr. was their trusted resource.
This was the journey – Rite of Passage – of the youngest Manor child, Jacob. It was through his eyes that the unspoken journey of an African-American male child was explored. Jacob’s curiosity about life – successes and failures, ups and downs, and life’s ultimate lessons — though some costly — helped him understand and uncover the true meaning of “manhood.”
Trilogy: Jacob’s Rite of Passage: Young Jacob, Volume 1
Author: Clarence V. Matthews
Publisher: DeeClare Publishing
Category: Fiction, Boys to Men
ISBN: 978-0-615-35006-6
Released: March 2010
Paperback
80 pgs
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