The Frost Zone
Jason Frost
Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is the story of a ninety-one year old Black man named Ptolemy . He has dementia … of sorts . I ’ m sure most doctors would diagnose him as that , but I ’ m not as convinced . Seems to me this man had more life in his “ last days ” than most people do in their seventy-one point seven years on this planet .
Walter Mosley creates a beautiful story with some … provoking people . Ptolemy is a walking , dying encyclopedia of his Black experience . And many others as well . The man is dying , he knows he ’ s dying , and he ’ s okay with him dying . What hurts him most is that his mind is going away . His remaining family is like the rest of ours ; some good , some bad , some looking for a quick come up .
What happens , however , is what makes Walter Mosley one of the masters of this beloved craft . A mahogany beauty ( Robyn ) finds her way into the life of Ptolemy and she is one of the few bright lights to walk hand and hand with him in the end . While Robyn is his chaperone in “ real life ”, the person that guides him is someone we never really meet .
Leave it to Mr . Mosley to create a ( ghost ) character that is more powerful than the ( live ) characters . Coydog McCann is the character of whom I speak . He ’ s a teacher , he ’ s a guide , he ’ s a mentor , and he ’ s a friend . Together , Ptolemy and Coydog have a deep , deep friendship that borders on the strongest type of brotherly love . This bond grows stronger over the years and Coy needs Ptolemy to help him complete a mission of sorts when he dies , and Ptolemy needs Robyn to do the same .
To help with this Ptolemy chooses to be a guinea pig for an experimental drug that will help him be lucid his final days . In spite of his dementia , this man is far from crazy and the drug doesn ’ t give him clarity … it sharpens it . The name he gives to the doctor is classic . As with all of Mosley ’ s novels the surrounding cast is splendid . Every single one . Even Alfred . This man can not miss . Thank you Walter for yet another .