Rooftop Diva is the story of a young lady who faced death as Hurricane Katrina destroy-ed her neighborhood and a life she was accustomed to. Monique Devereaux never thought that returning home to her grandmother’s house would end up so tragically.

As the storms ravaged the area, by the time Monique made it up to the rooftop, she only saved herself, and not her elderly grandmother. In a riveting tale, Mr. Pollard helps readers better understand some of the atrocities of Hurricane Katrina, as well as the mental toll that it took on the countless men, women and children who lived through and continue to live with the aftermath of the storm and events surrounding it.

Ms. Devereaux, after spending several days on top of the roof of her grandmother’s house, is finally rescued and she eventually ends up in Dallas, Texas. Determined to leave her past behind, she actually ignores that she is Black—that her mother had a relationship with an older, married white man—and she is the result of that situation. Fortunately for Ms. Devereaux, she meets a Good Samaritan—a wealthy woman who introduces her to a life she couldn’t have imagined.

But Ms. Devereaux does have a past and while she has tried to erase it, she finds that something keeps happening to remind her that no matter how high she climbs, she can’t hide from who she is and what she was.

Life isn’t a bed of roses for Ms. Devereaux as she picks up her life, gains employment and eventually an affluent husband, who divorces his wife to be with her.

And then there’s Mel. Ms. Devereaux met Mel Hawkins during her brief stay at a shelter in Dallas. While taking a shower, she rebuffs Mel’s advances and the woman becomes hell-bent on making her pay. She becomes obsessed especially when she sees Ms. Devereaux rebounding from life at the shelter into a life of affluence.

Ms. Devereaux, unfortunately, does not know that Mel was actually an inmate who walked out of a jail during the chaos and con-fusion surrounding Katrina.

Mr. Pollard, in a page-turner, develops each of the characters in this intriguing tale. Not only will readers have a better understanding of some of the many issues that survivors dealt with, but also how one good act could go a long way in helping save a life.

Ms. Devereaux had a lot of breaks and everyone was not as fortunate, even though there are times that she actually felt as though her life was not going so well—like when she revisited her grandmother’s home only to find the decaying body, or when she was viciously attacked by Mel, and when she found out that her marriage, to the man she loves, Stanley Brickman, is not what she expected. She also meets her father for the first time and she faces the unimaginable—having her child kidnapped.

Rooftop Diva is full of twists and turns thanks to a well developed storyline. You will cheer Ms. Devereaux while also sharing with her and reliving one of the most devastating disasters in American history.

You’ll get a glimpse into how many became survivors as well as the mental toll it took on those in need of help and those offering assistance.

Mr. Pollard has positioned Monique Devereaux to be the subject of a sequel.

It will be interesting to see what happens to her next. One thing she has to understand—her past will always be a part of her!

Check out D.T. Pollard at www.DTPollard.com

If you have a book you would like reviewed, contact Cheryl at csmith@dallasweekly.com