The Night before Thirty: A Novel

New, from the number one bestselling author of Hand-me-down Heartache and Sorority Sisters, a novel about five women on the verge of turning thirty, whose lives are changed forever when they meet through a national radio contest

At first glance, you couldn’t find five women more different.

Catara is a personal shopper in New York who dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Embarrassed by her weight, she lets a lack of self-confidence derail her goals. In Atlanta, Lashawnda has gone from a string of bad relationships with men into one with a woman that doesn’t seem much better. Elise is realizing her dream of opening up a gymnastics school in Louisville, Kentucky, but between working and taking care of her grandmother, she can’t find much time to nurture herself. Tanya’s relationship with her boyfriend is at the breaking point. She’s ready to leave Chicago and fast city living to settle down and have a family, but her man isn’t on the same page. Alecia lives in Los Angeles and has been getting by on her looks for a long time, but when her (married) boyfriend makes it clear that his wife comes first, she has to realize that beauty fades and she must prepare for her future.

But these women do have something in common—they all share the same birthday and are about to turn thirty. When the number one syndicated black radio show in the country sponsors a Night Before Thirty Getaway Weekend, these women meet, and while their time together is brief, the impact they have upon one another’s lives is everlasting.

From the Hardcover edition.

Each on the verge of her thirtieth birthday, five women from various parts in the country, who have nothing in common but their mutual enjoyment of the same African-American radio show, win a birthday cruise to the Bahamas, during which these unlikely friends form a special bond that transforms each woman's life. Reader's Guide included. Reprint. 17,500 first printing.

Tajuana “TJ” Butler is the author of the novel Sorority Sisters and the number one Essence magazine bestseller Hand-me-down Heartache. She has published a collection of poetry, Desires of a Woman, and is a gifted public speaker. She lives in Los Angeles. For more information about Butler and her books, publicity tour, and other news, visit her website at www.tjbutler.com.

From the Hardcover edition.