“The pride in Ghalen’s heart turned into respect. At that moment he realized that he never understood his father’s genius” (Mosley 132).

When one thinks of romance, a book focused on a love relationship between two people with similar values, lifestyles, and interests immediately comes to mind.  Walter Mosley’s Ghalen:A Romance in Black (Harper Collins, 2026) defies this expectation.  Mosley crafts a story of Robert Horton and Jamilah Fenestra, a couple who fall in love despite their very tangible differences.  She is pursuing an MD and a PhD and is a medical researcher; he is an assistant cook in a vegan restaurant. 

The likelihood that these two extremely different people would become romantically involved is one of the first surprises and twists in a love story that symbolizes the very complicated nature of love. Readers will see more unexpected twists when they meet Ghalen, the son of Robert and Jamilah and follow him as he comes of age.

Mosley is a natural storyteller, and his figurative language and use of descriptive language to establish the setting place the reader in the room and adds depth to his narratives.  Natasha Vile is a woman who helps Ghalen to adjust to life in college.  Mosley’s use of metaphor to describe Natasha illustrates his skill at creating vivid pictures of the character for his reader.

When Natasha introduces herself to Ghalen, he sees a woman whose face is framed with emerald green eyes laced in black, with slender brows shaped like deep waves. In describing Natasha’s workplace, Ghalen observes:

There was an open newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, laid upon an empty 

chair, and a small, round, orange glass was filled with tiny purple flowers that had yellow centers set perfectly off-center and at the side of the table.  Next to the vase were four keys on a small black metal ring (219).

The details described in this passage bring the room alive.

The themes in Mosley’s book are very timely.  Central to the story is the nature of people classified as neurodivergent and how society views and addresses their special needs.  Their different way of seeing the world has often been classified as “slow,” and they are labeled as being on the spectrum.  In many classrooms and public institutions, they often do not get the resources that they need to function as individuals who think “outside the box” and who have a different type of intelligence. 

Mosley’s novel reveals how those labeled as “neurodivergent” and those who are classified as “normal” can learn from each other. Ghalen reflects on his relationship with his father.  “The pride in Ghalen’s heart turned into respect. At that moment he realized that he never understood his father’s genius. He experiences it every day of his life but just took his father’s worldview for granted” (132).

Mosley also explores the nature of love.  While love may involve romance, the deep love that Ghalen has for his parents and for the women he encounters affirms that love is more than romance or a physical relationship.  Love involves, as best-selling author and psychiatrist M. Scott Peck argues in his book, The Road Less Traveled, making a commitment to help someone to grow emotionally and spiritually. 

This love is not simply between a man and a woman; it can be between two men, two women, parents and children, and individuals and the community.  Love is thus not static, and its boundaries are blurred.  Many make sacrifices and put aside their own needs for love, and when they lose a loved one, they may feel very alone.  After a loss, Ghalen wants to know why it is so hard for him to cry.  He ponders this. “No, he thought, I am not sad. I’m empty” (126). 

Ghalen symbolizes the lives of many Black men.  At one point, he gets caught up in the “system,” and the trials he encounters and the consequences that follow will resonate with many readers. He also meets and interacts with immigrants from the continent of Africa.  Mosley’s introduction of immigrants to the novel highlights those who come to the United States to seek refuge from political tyranny and economic hardships.  Readers will also witness the work ethic of immigrants and the challenges they confront while in this country. 

Ghalen, A Romance in Black, will appeal to a vast array of readers.  Walter Mosley is one of America’s most celebrated writers and the author of more than 60 critically acclaimed books in various genres that cover a wide range of ideas and issues.  For more information, visit https://www.waltermosley.com.

Dr. Brenda M. Greene is an Author, Professor Emerita, and Founder and Executive Director Emerita of the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY. For more information, visit https://www.drbrendamgreene.com