The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley

This brilliant novel defies any specific style of fiction.  Mosley is a writer of beautiful prose,  He  embodies the heart & soul of a 90+ year old black man, Ptolemy, suffering from dementia & isolation. His savior comes in the form of a 17 year old black girl, Robyn.  Ptolemy has been living a solitary & fearful existence for years since the death of his 2nd wife.  He lives amidst overwhelming squalor without a working toilet or shower.  His great nephew, Reggie, has been intermittently looking in on Ptolemy.  When Reggie is killed in a drive by shooting, he is brought to the paltry funeral by another distant relative where his grief is palpable.  Robyn, a recent orphan, has found temporary refuge on their sofa.  A symbiotic and loving relationship ensues between the old & frail Ptolemy and the young & vibrant Robyn.  Mosley's writing embodies his hero so completely we experience Ptolemy's confusion, his vulnerabilities,  and his heart.  Walter Mosley is one of America's most critically acclaimed authors.  He has received the O. Henry Award & PEN America's Lifetime Achievement Award. The novel chronicles the brutal & harsh lives of America's Black men a century ago and the bleak lives & opportunities that persist today.   Mosley's prose is a hybrid of history, philosophy, mysticism and the omnipotence of love in all its forms.   "The great man say that life is pain, that mean if you love life, then you love the hurt come along with it."  Ptolemy's paternal love for Robyn grows as she cares for him.   Ptolemy knows his legacy is with Robyn whose love for him will survive after he's gone.  "As long you remembah me, I'ma be alive in you."  This memorable tale of struggle and redemption is destined to become a cherished literary classic.