Lena Spencer should have the perfect life. A successful and rich husband, two children a mother can be proud of is her life. But she's not happy. In counseling, Richard doesn't understand and Lena can't explain why she is so frustrated. No one expected her to leave, but she had to or suffocate. An unexpected conclusion will be satisfying. Not all marriages are meant to be saved. Lena uses the example of her idol Tina Turner to make a plan for her life. This was won through a Good Reads giveaway and was one I'd not ordinarily pick up, but it was most enjoyable! ( )

Readers familiar with the writing of Connie Briscoe, Terry McMillan, and Be Be Campbell Moore will welcome Jacqueline Luckett to the world of African-American literature during a time when the most prolific and popular African-American secular authors write about drug dealers, drug addicts, criminals, con artists, and gold diggers. Like her predecessors, Ms.Luckett writes for and about that forgotten segment of the African-American community, the college educated, middle class professional.

Lena Spencer has put off her professional dreams for some thirty odd years to provide emotional and social support for her husband Randall as he climbed the ladder at TIDA, to raise the children and run the household. Now that the children are leaving home for college, Lena wants Randall to reciprocate with emotional support as she returns to school to update her photography skills in preparation to starting her own photography studio. After all, they had an agreement that Lena would hold off on starting her career while Randall built his. Lena is tired of waiting and is ready to begin filling her dream, but Randall is still actively building his career and wants Lena to go along with the roles that they have been playing for the past thirty years, with Lena serving as housewife and social hostess. Even though Randall has provided a life of luxury and security for Lena and the children, Lena is prepared to give it all up and start her life over on her terms much like her shero Tina Turner.

Housewives who interrupted or postponed their careers to raise families will relate to Lena’s universal journey and may be encouraged to revive their deferred careers or hobbies. Women experiencing the “empty-nest syndrome” and those experiencing menopause will also relate to Lena as they too begin time and dreams slipping away.

Lena is the main character and the only fully developed character. We see all of the other characters through her eyes. We are privy only to Lena’s inner thoughts. We learn enough about her husband and children to know that she feels unappreciated as well as unfulfilled creatively. While I would have liked to have shared some of Randall’s inner thoughts, not having access to his thoughts did not detract from my enjoyment of Lena’s passage from self-denial to self-actualization, from allowing circumstances decide her fate to determining her fate for herself.

Although the characters are African-American, Lena’s plight is universal and the story can be enjoyed by everyone. The average middle class American will recognize families like the Spencers among their neighbors.

SEARCHING FOR TINA TURNER is an excellent debut effort. There is a neglected audience waiting for reading material that portrays African-Americans in a positive and relevant manner, Ms.Luckett has addressed that audience in a meaningful way. ( )

Lena seemingly has everything, yet feels unfulfilled. I wanted to shake her and tell her she really does have everything, appreciate it! But she's a fictional character and I couldn't. I didn't always understand her choices, which put a damper on the book. Her fascination with all things Tina was fun, and I did like the ending. ( )

Lena is a fifty something woman who is fed up with her husband, who wants her to continue to put her dreams on hold. She leaves him and uses Tina Turner as her inspiration to start a new life. She goes to France to try to find Ms. Turner and meets an old flame there. This is a story about a woman who has led a traditional life as a wife and mother trying to find and develop other sides of herself.

I liked this book, but I did get very irritated by the references to whites as always wanting to keep African Americans from being successful, questioning how they could be successful, etc. It was racist, demeaning, and insulting. I understand that the author was mostly writing for an AA female audience, but I didn't appreciate reading these insulting, not to mention just absolutely incorrect, assertions every 20 pages or so. Aside from this, this is a nicely written story that does a good job of illuminating what it's like to start over in middle age. ( )

Searching for Tina Turner tells the story of a woman dealing with the all too common problem of having lost herself in her marriage and children. Before she married Randall, Lena had big dreams of being a professional photographer. As a wife and mother she finds her dreams always being sacrificed for the good of the family of her husband's ambitious career. When she fights for her dreams her marriage begins to fall apart and her children become resentful. Struggling to find a balance Lena turns to Tina Turner for advice.

The cute and breezy dust jacket could lead you to believe that this is a light, fun read with little substance, but you would be wrong! Jacqueline Luckett writes of a woman trying to discover herself with passion and wisdom and a rare understanding for the difficulties and heartbreak involved. Lena comes across as a fully realized character with depth and humor, falling into the same pitfalls we all do. I loved that Luckett refused to give her the easy way out of her troubles. I really enjoyed this book and will look forward to Jacqueline Luckett's next novel. ( )