August 2024

A few years ago, I met Alli Frank and Asha Youmans at a library event, and I immediately became a fan of their work. BOSS LADY, their fourth book, does not disappoint. Their stories are true to life but also laced with lots of humor.

Antonia "Toni" Arroyo is Black and Puerto Rican. She is working at the San Francisco Airport where she assists passengers getting to and from their gates. Among her regulars is Sylvia Eisenberg, a widow who travels between San Francisco and Arizona. Sylvia enjoys hearing all about Toni’s plans --- and is continually cheering her on. Toni appreciates the older woman’s zest for life, as well as the love she has for her family.

At one point, Toni had a scholarship to UCLA and loved her classes there. But when her father died, so did her dreams as she had to turn her back on school to help her mother and two younger brothers. Along the way, she met Simon; they married and had twin daughters. As the book opens, Simon has been off on a sabbatical from their marriage to “find himself,” leaving Toni with the girls --- and a life where there is very little “Toni-time.” But in her free time, she works at becoming the master of her own world as an entrepreneur. She tries out various concepts before hitting on one that she thinks will be the perfect fit: a skin cream that is colored for every skin tone.

Picking up Sylvia at the airport one day is her grandson, who is Black. Toni is perplexed by this as Sylvia clearly is a white Jewish woman. But at the same time, her head is turned by this handsome man. Once again, Alli and Asha will bring the subject of race to the attention of readers --- how we look at people by color and how often assumptions are made, many of which may be off-track.

Of course, when Toni least wants him to return, Simon comes back into the picture. And it seems like her dreams are going to get back-burnered again. But this time, there will be a head-to-head competition as they both have entrepreneurial ideas, and hers seem to be a lot more grounded than his. They will come up against each other on “Innovation Nation,” a show where venture capitalists bestow investment dollars into the best ideas. Will the best idea win? And what about that handsome grandson? How does he fit into the story? What about those “ready to be signed” divorce papers that are sitting on Toni’s shelf? And what are those twin girls going to be up to next?

BOSS LADY is a complete delight. I dare you not to smile, or even laugh, as you read it!