If These Walls Could Talk

In Bettye Griffin's<I> If These Walls Could Talk </I>three very different families share the same dream: moving out of New York City and into a house--and a life--of their own. . . <P> Reuben and Camille have always been afraid to send their children outside to play in their rough Bronx neighborhood. So when they see a television ad for homes in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains they jump at the chance. Spirits are high as the family's new life moves forward but all is brought to a screeching halt when Reuben loses his job. <P> No one in either Milo or Dawn's Brooklyn-based family has ever owned a house and the Poconos seem perfect. Plus if they put a deposit down today they can get a free deck and a fireplace. But after they move in it starts to look like their house was slapped together like a ham sandwich and doesn't seem to be much stronger. <P> Norman and Veronica are happy to leave Washington Heights for a place in the country. . .and so are their relatives. Each weekend brings a parade of empty-handed guests expecting to be fed but not expecting to pitch in and help. <P> Now as three families embark on a journey filled with both triumphs and tribulations they're about to discover that not all is perfect when your dreams come true. . . <P>