What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day (Idlewild, #1)
by Pearl Cleage
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage holds a well received rating of 3.70 out of 5, based on 17.9K reader ratings. First published in 1997. The book spans 244 pages.
About What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day
Acclaimed Playwright, essayist and columnist Pearl Cleage breaks new ground in African American women's literature--with a debut novel that sings and crackles with life-affirming energy as it moves the reader to laughter and tears.As a girl growing up in Idlewild, Michigan, Ava Johnson had always heard that, if you were young, black, and had any sense at all, Atlanta was the place to be. So as soon as she was old enough and able enough, that was where she went--parlaying her smarts and her ambition into one of the hottest hair salons in town. In no time, she was moving with the brothers and sisters who had beautiful clothes, big cars, bigger dreams, and money in the bank.Now, after more than a decade of elegant pleasures and luxe living, Ava has come home, her fabulous career and power plans smashed to bits on one dark truth. Ava Johnson has tested positive for HIV. And she's back in little Idlewild to spend a quiet summer with her widowed sister, Joyce, before moving on to finish her life in San Francisco, the most HIV-friendly place she can imagine.But what she thinks is the end is only the beginning because there's too much going down in her hometown for Ava to ignore. There's the Sewing Circus--sister Joyce's determined effort to educate Idlewild's young black women about sex, drugs, pregnancy, whatever. . .despite the interference of the good Reverend Anderson and his most virtuous, "Just say no" wife. Plus Joyce needs a helping hand to make a loving home for Imani, an abandoned crack baby whom she's taken into her heart.And then there's Wild Eddie, whose legendary background in violence combined with his Eastern gentility has stirred Ava's interest. . .and something more.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Pearl Cleage |
| Published | 1997 |
| Pages | 244 |
| Genres | Fiction, Chick-lit, Romance, Fiction, Classics |
| Average Rating | 3.70 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 17,853 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day?
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day is categorized as Fiction, Chick-lit, Romance, Fiction. Its primary genre classification is Romance.
Is What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day worth reading?
Based on 17.9K reader ratings, What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day has an average score of 3.70 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received."
How many pages is What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day?
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day has 244 pages.
Who wrote What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day?
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day was written by Pearl Cleage. It was first published in 1997.
What is the ISBN for What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day?
The ISBN-13 for What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day is 9780380794870.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
