Review of Deceptive Calm

[Avery Wenig]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper takes the reader through major themes of American history in the late 1900s. Starting in the South during the 1960s, it follows the path of two young girls and discusses hard topics such as abortion, race, and a woman’s role in male-dominated fields. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I believe the storyline felt rushed at times, which is why I am not giving it 5 stars. But overall, it was a captivating, thought-provoking book. It does have some graphic sexual content that could be difficult for some readers, but the author does a tasteful job of showcasing the reality of the times that the book is set in.

The book shows that although we may believe we are in good times or the “calm” of life, it can be very deceptive. One aspect of the book that I thought was very intriguing was the showcase of racism from all sides. The main character, Vanessa, is an orphan who grows up in a Black orphanage but, to the naked eye, looks White. The struggles that she endures because of being an orphan and because of her skin color led her to always feel unwanted and unloved, except for her best friend, Trisha, and mother figure, Sister Rosalie. These feelings and the actions of those who say they love her but act otherwise bring her to many crossroads throughout her life.

This book is a mix of drama and a bit of a thriller toward the end. It will have the reader turning the pages to see what will happen and take some turns that, as I stated earlier, make the book feel rushed. Overall, it was a well-written book with good character development. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this period, the late 60s to 80s, or to anyone who likes dramas. It will leave the reader with thought-provoking questions about the difficult topics I mentioned earlier and is a good storyline for those topics.

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Deceptive Calm
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