Review of Deceptive Calm
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irene marley
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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.]
The book is about a very light-skinned African American girl named Vanessa. She was dropped off at a Negroes only orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina as an infant. She has silky blond hair and blue eyes, and some people do not believe that she is Black. Her light skin color has even prevented her from being adopted. Vanessa was raised by progressive Sister Rosalie. She is the only colored nun in the diocese. They consider themselves family and refer to each other as mother and child.
In the beginning, Vanessa is on a school bus going to her Catholic high school. The school has both Black and White students at a time when segregation is still in place. The driver, an 18-year-old student at the same school, is warning everyone about Klan activity in the area. He tells the colored students that they must get in the middle seats and stay away from the windows. The bus soon encounters a group of Klansmen who start throwing bricks at the bus's windows. Trisha, Vanessa's White friend, is hit in the head by a brick and seriously injured. The Negro hospital is closer, so Barry decides to take Trisha there instead of the hospital for Whites.
Vanessa and Barry go to the prom together and Vanessa has her first kiss with Barry. They profess their undying love for each other, but sadly Barry has to leave for Harvard. Vanessa is going to save herself for him.
One summer Vanessa and Trisha get jobs on a farm. They work with migrants and learn about identity theft. They're told that the Coyotes who smuggle illegal aliens into the country look for birth certificates of dead babies under five. Trisha convinces Vanessa that she can become White permanently.
After graduating high school, Vanessa and Trisha both go off to the University of South Carolina. During their sophomore year, Barry's mom dies. While at Barry's house, he talks Vanessa into having sex. At the funeral, Vanessa finds out that Barry has a girlfriend at Harvard. Soon after the funeral, Vanessa is told by Dr. Hale that she is pregnant. When Sister Rosalie dies, Vanessa uses her inheritance to move to California and go to graduate school. Only Trisha knows where she is.
Vanessa gets a degree in journalism and is a big success in the industry. Over the years she works at numerous radio and television stations and wins many awards. Her career is amazing, but she never dates. Then she meets Tod. He is White, rich and comes from an old-money family. He chases her for a year, and she finally says yes. He sweeps her off her feet and they get married, but she keeps her true identity a secret. Once married, Tod changes. Vanessa finds out that he is much different than she thought. When Vanessa gets pregnant it is the beginning of the end. Tod reveals his true evil self.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed the way the author used current events and famous people throughout the story. I also liked all the historical data that Sister Rosalie incorporated into everyone's daily lives. I deducted a point, because many of the scenes were too graphic and the "N" word made me feel very uncomfortable. Overall I enjoyed reading the book and the ending surprised me.
******
Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The book is about a very light-skinned African American girl named Vanessa. She was dropped off at a Negroes only orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina as an infant. She has silky blond hair and blue eyes, and some people do not believe that she is Black. Her light skin color has even prevented her from being adopted. Vanessa was raised by progressive Sister Rosalie. She is the only colored nun in the diocese. They consider themselves family and refer to each other as mother and child.
In the beginning, Vanessa is on a school bus going to her Catholic high school. The school has both Black and White students at a time when segregation is still in place. The driver, an 18-year-old student at the same school, is warning everyone about Klan activity in the area. He tells the colored students that they must get in the middle seats and stay away from the windows. The bus soon encounters a group of Klansmen who start throwing bricks at the bus's windows. Trisha, Vanessa's White friend, is hit in the head by a brick and seriously injured. The Negro hospital is closer, so Barry decides to take Trisha there instead of the hospital for Whites.
Vanessa and Barry go to the prom together and Vanessa has her first kiss with Barry. They profess their undying love for each other, but sadly Barry has to leave for Harvard. Vanessa is going to save herself for him.
One summer Vanessa and Trisha get jobs on a farm. They work with migrants and learn about identity theft. They're told that the Coyotes who smuggle illegal aliens into the country look for birth certificates of dead babies under five. Trisha convinces Vanessa that she can become White permanently.
After graduating high school, Vanessa and Trisha both go off to the University of South Carolina. During their sophomore year, Barry's mom dies. While at Barry's house, he talks Vanessa into having sex. At the funeral, Vanessa finds out that Barry has a girlfriend at Harvard. Soon after the funeral, Vanessa is told by Dr. Hale that she is pregnant. When Sister Rosalie dies, Vanessa uses her inheritance to move to California and go to graduate school. Only Trisha knows where she is.
Vanessa gets a degree in journalism and is a big success in the industry. Over the years she works at numerous radio and television stations and wins many awards. Her career is amazing, but she never dates. Then she meets Tod. He is White, rich and comes from an old-money family. He chases her for a year, and she finally says yes. He sweeps her off her feet and they get married, but she keeps her true identity a secret. Once married, Tod changes. Vanessa finds out that he is much different than she thought. When Vanessa gets pregnant it is the beginning of the end. Tod reveals his true evil self.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed the way the author used current events and famous people throughout the story. I also liked all the historical data that Sister Rosalie incorporated into everyone's daily lives. I deducted a point, because many of the scenes were too graphic and the "N" word made me feel very uncomfortable. Overall I enjoyed reading the book and the ending surprised me.
******
Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
