The idea of home and the stress and strain of family underlies Who Asked You?, the eighth novel by author Terry McMillan (Waiting to Exhale).
Set in an oppressed, largely African-American community in Los Angeles, the story revolves around Betty Jean, aka B.J., a hardworking, 60-year-old hotel maid, wife, mother and grandmother whose life is pulled in so many directions it's a wonder she isn't falling apart. B.J. serves as the primary caregiver for her retired husband who is struggling with Alzheimer's. Her three adult children have their own lives and problems: one son is a haughty, successful chiropractor who moved far away from the family and racks up marriages, while her other son is serving time in prison, vowing his innocence. And when her daughter, a supposedly recovered drug addict, shows up on B.J.'s doorstep one day and drops off her two young sons so she can take off with a new lover, B.J. is suddenly burdened with even more responsibility. B.J.'s vocal, strong-willed sisters, with their own family woes, add to the complications. Unlikely support arrives in the form of B.J.'s friend and neighbor and a young nurse taking care of B.J.'s husband.
As in McMillan's other novels, serious issues are rendered with wry humor. Quirky, original characters and unexpected jolts and surprises infuse the lively, engaging plot. The story is told via a multigenerational ensemble cast, which lends depth and authenticity to a mostly dialogue/monologue-driven narrative dealing with the intricacies of family life in the era of "hope and change." --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines