Home » Reading & Literature » African-American Writers » Omar Tyree's, Sweet St. Louis

Omar Tyree's, Sweet St. Louis

© Tracy Roberts

In Sweet St. Louis, the epitome of male-female relationships, Omar Tyree has given fiction readers a unique espy into well chartered territory. It tells of a romance between Sharron Francis, a plain Jane woman and Anthony, a certified ladies' man.

In the beginning of the story the main characters are living their lives as adults in the 90s, playing love games and waiting for a chance to kiss a frog into a prince.

Sweet St. Louis is written from the outsiders point of view while answering the age old questions of what makes people fall into love and out of lust.

Anthony first meets Sharron on the street when his best friend Tone pushes him to try out his new line. To his surprise the line performs exactly as he had hoped it would, to run through a woman's mind and stay there.

Sharron finds herself well intrigued by Anthony. She decides to find out the true meaning beind this mind boggling line, "A piece of me for a piece of you."

The entire novel is like an investigation. Tyree asks for audience participation in figuring out what is the driving force behind the character's action and reactions. In a way, he's really asking why do men/women act/react this way.

Tone, Anthony's best friend from way back when, finds himself on another plateau of life. A prime example of young black men today on their way to nowhere without being stereotypical. Tone has dreams and would really love to fulfill them, he isn't merely floating in a strong river current ready to take him under.

Celena, Sharron's roomate is more like a disgruntled mother figure, at best. Without a roadmap to her own future she does not hesitate to tell Sharron how to live life. Possibly jealous? That maybe the situation of Tone as well but some women choose to display this emotion in various ways. Anger included.

These characters make up Sweet St. Louis and should not be mistaken for the real people living real lives in the city of St. Louis.

There is one discrepency of Sweet St. Louis, although minor it is none the less mentionable. Tyree refers to Highway 70 as Route 70. I've lived here for quite a while and everyone that I have ever heard mention the inner belt has never refered to it as a route. Research is a monster. You too can read Sweet St. Louis for $24.00 from Simon & Schuster.

The copyright of the article Omar Tyree's, Sweet St. Louis in African-American Writers is owned by Tracy Roberts. Permission to republish Omar Tyree's, Sweet St. Louis in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.