Review of Deceptive Calm
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Jerry Jay
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- Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
Review of Deceptive Calm
[Following is a volunteer review of "Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper.]
Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper gets into the action right from the start! I felt like I was reliving the moments described as if I was there! Reading this book was like watching a movie. The story is set in a segregated 1960s Charleston, SC. At a time when race relations between White and Black people in the United States were fragile at best. These are also the disgusting times when the Ku Klux Klan was running rampant and their subsequent hate crimes were routine and only appalling to few outside the Black community. When the interactions between races were often unpleasant and downright horrifying for the melanated. When the threat of violence against Black people was daily and moment to moment. The main character is Vanessa Condon, a light-skinned, teenage orphan raised by nuns and who could pass for white. Throughout the story you will meet, among others, Tricia Bibb- Vanessa's best friend (who happens to be white), her friend Barry, Sister Rosalie- Vanessa's caregiver at the orphanage, and Tod, of the wealthy/affluent Von Westerkamp family. Along the way, the author seamlessly weaves and blends South Carolina history, American history including Civil Rights events with Vanessa's experiences through character dialogue. As serious as the subject matter is, Patricia Skipper's use of humor almost balances out the dark tone of a story set against the backdrop of hate and racism. I can appreciate the relief, but I could also say that the humor dilutes the atmosphere of the times.
Vanessa decides she wants a new identity and a better life away from the heartbreak of her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. Will the grass be greener on the other side? The story follows Vanessa through high school to her journalism career to marriage and motherhood, and the drama in between. Vanessa holds a secret that only she and her best friend know. After years of living as a successful broadcast journalist under an assumed name she obtained through falsifying documents of a dead white baby, Vanessa marries into a very wealthy and powerful white family. Will she find her happily ever after? Not for the faint of heart, this book contains depictions of violence as it pertains to hate and racism, chauvinism, and rape, as well as the inspiration of hope, family, friendship, and love.
Any person reading this book, especially persons of color, will undoubtedly feel a range of emotions as they progress through the chapters. You will have an opinion. Even though Deceptive Calm is rooted in truth and depicts the ugly side of American history, I am glad that this is a fictional story. Patricia Skipper wrote a very enjoyable book with Deceptive Calm, and I recommend it with a three out of four rating. It is well written, educational, and entertaining. I appreciate the editing as I found only three typos in the entire read. My only criticism is when it came to the Black characters. Their personas felt superficial and a bit stereotypical. Still in all, it is a great story and I give it four out of five stars.
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Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper gets into the action right from the start! I felt like I was reliving the moments described as if I was there! Reading this book was like watching a movie. The story is set in a segregated 1960s Charleston, SC. At a time when race relations between White and Black people in the United States were fragile at best. These are also the disgusting times when the Ku Klux Klan was running rampant and their subsequent hate crimes were routine and only appalling to few outside the Black community. When the interactions between races were often unpleasant and downright horrifying for the melanated. When the threat of violence against Black people was daily and moment to moment. The main character is Vanessa Condon, a light-skinned, teenage orphan raised by nuns and who could pass for white. Throughout the story you will meet, among others, Tricia Bibb- Vanessa's best friend (who happens to be white), her friend Barry, Sister Rosalie- Vanessa's caregiver at the orphanage, and Tod, of the wealthy/affluent Von Westerkamp family. Along the way, the author seamlessly weaves and blends South Carolina history, American history including Civil Rights events with Vanessa's experiences through character dialogue. As serious as the subject matter is, Patricia Skipper's use of humor almost balances out the dark tone of a story set against the backdrop of hate and racism. I can appreciate the relief, but I could also say that the humor dilutes the atmosphere of the times.
Vanessa decides she wants a new identity and a better life away from the heartbreak of her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. Will the grass be greener on the other side? The story follows Vanessa through high school to her journalism career to marriage and motherhood, and the drama in between. Vanessa holds a secret that only she and her best friend know. After years of living as a successful broadcast journalist under an assumed name she obtained through falsifying documents of a dead white baby, Vanessa marries into a very wealthy and powerful white family. Will she find her happily ever after? Not for the faint of heart, this book contains depictions of violence as it pertains to hate and racism, chauvinism, and rape, as well as the inspiration of hope, family, friendship, and love.
Any person reading this book, especially persons of color, will undoubtedly feel a range of emotions as they progress through the chapters. You will have an opinion. Even though Deceptive Calm is rooted in truth and depicts the ugly side of American history, I am glad that this is a fictional story. Patricia Skipper wrote a very enjoyable book with Deceptive Calm, and I recommend it with a three out of four rating. It is well written, educational, and entertaining. I appreciate the editing as I found only three typos in the entire read. My only criticism is when it came to the Black characters. Their personas felt superficial and a bit stereotypical. Still in all, it is a great story and I give it four out of five stars.
******
Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
