Pleasing White Boys : A Story of Aspiration and Malice in Corporate America by Linda Saulsby

In her debut novel, Pleasing White Boys, the lead character dismantles her inner Self and candidly reveals her vulnerabilities while providing a revelatory view into corporate America near the end of the 20th century. It is told from the unique perspective of Lia Granger, an African-American, senior-level corporate executive who was among the often-unheralded women who laid the foundation for females who continue to strive in corporate America today — and whose stories remain largely untold. The central character’s experiences in a large, multi-national conglomerate provide the backdrop for the aspirations, challenges, obstacles, and cultural barriers confronting African-American executives, particularly females, which must be overcome to perform successfully in an arena that is too often hostile. It is an uncompromising chronicle and examination of the seductions and pitfalls of the corporate culture — its codes, machinations, unwritten rules, and copious perks.In Pleasing White Boys, Lia’s story is two-pronged. It compellingly chronicles a year-long period of turmoil in her career that leads to the reexamination of her life’s professional goals, and it delves into the deeply personal, tracing her background through a series of revealing, childhood vignettes that exposes the roots of how she responds to the professional and personal challenges which confront her during the relentlessly difficult year – all of which ultimately results in the devastating loss of her essential Self and leads to a profound life transformation. It chronicles a seemingly self-possessed, experienced executive who confronts the consequences of her aspirations and achievements and the tormented condition of her soul. Lia’s story is told through narrative and dialogue, and it is frequently punctuated with the lead character’s internal voice.