Themes of race

[6eyed]

Throughout the book, the author includes Zia's feelings on how she is perceived as a mixed woman because of her eye color. Zia is confident in her identity as a black woman, and themes of race pop up here and there throughout the story. I especially wanted to see how this would impact Bryce and Zia's relationship because Zia notes how all the family's servants are black. However, this issue is not further addressed. Do you feel like the author successfully tackled issues of race in this story?

[Twylla]

I think now that we have a better understand of human genomic diversity, we need to step back and ask ourselves - is there really such a thing as human races at all? But in our society, race is a big part of a person’s identity.

When Zia first referred to “The Question”, I had no idea what she meant until she spelled it out for us. But Zia has a good sense of who she is. She had a strong relationship with her mother and a strong conscious identity as a proud black woman.

[cluetop]

I think the author definitely tried to incorporate struggles of racism in the book. Although I didn’t fully anticipate what ‘The Question’ repeatedly referred to in the book was, I definitely recognized it once Zia explained what it was. As a non-white person, I often get the “where are you really from” question, and it was interesting to see that experience through Zia’s eyes.

However, I do see your point that the author could have expanded on Zia’s struggles with racism and utilized Bryce’s traditional southern family to do so. While I do think an attempt at tackling issues of race was made, I think there could have been more done to make it a truly admirable attempt.

[6eyed]

I think the author definitely tried to incorporate struggles of racism in the book. Although I didn’t fully anticipate what ‘The Question’ repeatedly referred to in the book was, I definitely recognized it once Zia explained what it was. As a non-white person, I often get the “where are you really from” question, and it was interesting to see that experience through Zia’s eyes.

However, I do see your point that the author could have expanded on Zia’s struggles with racism and utilized Bryce’s traditional southern family to do so. While I do think an attempt at tackling issues of race was made, I think there could have been more done to make it a truly admirable attempt.

I thought the inclusion of Zia's struggle with "the question" was an effective tool when it came to show us the confidence Zia has in her identity. It probably would have worked better had the author mentioned beforehand that Zia's eyes were light colored. I would also describe the author as "having made an attempt". Baxter himself comments on how easy being a white man makes his life, but it's only mentioned a single time. Especially since he refers to Zia as his "Slave Queen", you would think those racial connotations would have been addressed. I can't help but wonder if the author's way of addressing this was to include historical knowledge on Yoruba later on

[Kaitlyn Canedy]

If this book was a historical fiction novel, I would agree with this point. However, based on the genre, I do not think that there was a need to address it any more than it already was. Zia was clearly uncomfortable with what she perceived as slavery when meeting Bryce's parents, but Bryce did reassure her that he did not see her as anything other than what she was- a beautiful woman that he is going to spend the rest of his life with. The story was written in current times, so I assume that the servants of Bryce's parent's household can leave whenever they want to. Readers aren't given any clues about their wages, but we do know that Bryce is a billionaire. So I assume that Bryce takes good care of them once he is able to do so. His father, on the other hand, is not a likable person and seems to be cross with everyone, including his own son. He didn't take to Zia too well either. But since this is a romance book, I did not think that the issue of race needed to be addressed specifically.

[Chiwelite O]

I loved the fact that the author did well to make us see Zia for the strong confident woman she is who is comfortable In her own skin. The author however did not totally address the issues of race; it was highlighted here and there anyway.

[Obioma CM]

I felt the author should have done more to address the issue of race. For instance, Zia's discomfort and what she perceived as slavery when she visited Bryce's family should have been explained further, maybe by someone else other than Bryce. The author left a lot of things for us to fill out which did not sit so much with me. Are these workers comfortable? Are they being paid well? Why are they all black?

On the other side, I think the part about Yoruba was the authors way of trying to resolve this.

[emeraldlaurice012]

I feel like the author attempted to achieve this. However, I found it lacking as it could have been tackled more. We barely scratched the surface as it was.

[Natalie Deer]

Racism is not who we are but the color of our skin whether we are pink black yellow or green it doesn't make a difference we all are one. In whatever we do or say sometime it comes with a price to pay. She is a black strong woman who is caught up in indigenous people.

[Muna Chizzy]

The theme of race was not fully addressed in the story, to me i think that was not the point the author is trying to make and that is why its not fully discussed.

[6eyed]

If this book was a historical fiction novel, I would agree with this point. However, based on the genre, I do not think that there was a need to address it any more than it already was. Zia was clearly uncomfortable with what she perceived as slavery when meeting Bryce's parents, but Bryce did reassure her that he did not see her as anything other than what she was- a beautiful woman that he is going to spend the rest of his life with. The story was written in current times, so I assume that the servants of Bryce's parent's household can leave whenever they want to. Readers aren't given any clues about their wages, but we do know that Bryce is a billionaire. So I assume that Bryce takes good care of them once he is able to do so. His father, on the other hand, is not a likable person and seems to be cross with everyone, including his own son. He didn't take to Zia too well either. But since this is a romance book, I did not think that the issue of race needed to be addressed specifically.

It doesn't need to be addressed, but it's clear the author meant to include it. My question was more whether these issues were addressed as sufficiently as the author wanted. So, even if Onyx Gold didn't have to, they did include themes of race in the book. To use your example, if we aren't given any clues to the wages of the workers in Bryce's house, then what was the point of the author pointing it out but never mentioning it again?

[6eyed]

I felt the author should have done more to address the issue of race. For instance, Zia's discomfort and what she perceived as slavery when she visited Bryce's family should have been explained further, maybe by someone else other than Bryce. The author left a lot of things for us to fill out which did not sit so much with me. Are these workers comfortable? Are they being paid well? Why are they all black?

On the other side, I think the part about Yoruba was the authors way of trying to resolve this.

Do you think the whole Yoruba segment was more in an attempt to balance the racism Zia encounters? Does the author actually succeed or do they just kinda, let the reader know theyre not racist by calling Zia a Queen of Yoruba and whatnot.

[Katie Blackmore]

I think the author should have addressed it as a fully-fledged theme or not at all. Race is a discussion that has only just begun and we should talk about it because the majority don't realise how much they have and how they subconsciously doing things that are offensive. The only thing is I couldn't find any information on the author so I don't know if the author was in a position to be able to successfully and comfortably address the theme of racism.

[Shannon Ruane]

I feel like the author attempted to achieve this. However, I found it lacking as it could have been tackled more. We barely scratched the surface as it was.

Hi! Given that this is a romance genre novel, I am grateful the author did not turn it into a "diversity issues" novel. The author needed to choose a genre and focus on that. Putting crime with romance blend is an excellent idea and if there were additional revisions to the work to bring balance to both genres it would have been lovely. Because the author is already working on blending two genres a third genre/topic (diversity) element would have been too much.

Diversity issues in a novel (romance blend or otherwise) is an excellent idea if written tactfully (or even with a positive point of view). Discrimination style writing is obviously a bad choice.

If the author wanted to tackle race more, the novel should have been historical fiction, or pure romance. In either case, emphasize her discomfort at the estate. Perhaps the condition of marrying Zia would be them living at the estate which is run by all African-Americans. The drama about race would be instantly intensified. If on the initial trip she was mistaken by another estate employee, who assumed she worked there instead of Bryce's fiance, that could also have opened a story to discuss racial issues. But the emphasis on crime and the focus on racial issues would need to be altered or eliminated.

I am pleasantly surprised his mother was so welcoming that her (white) son was marrying an African-American woman. The father reacted more as I would have expected but at least the mother was willing to tell her husband off for being so rude. I love she was happy the two were getting married and found the telling off funny. The fact all the employees are African-American seems to be because it was a long-standing family tradition, not an insult or slavery situation.

I am disappointed because the author used Zia's unique eyes as the basis for Bax not killing her. If she had "normal eyes" she would be dead is what the book made it seem like. The author did not emphasize Zia's other attributes, such as her intelligence in general and how she is smart enough to manipulate him in the end. I don't know enough about African culture but that part could have been handled better. It sounded like a history lesson when they could have made it exciting.

Even if Zia was unaware of Bax's crimes, she probably would have found the delivery of what should have been extremely interesting cultural information dull and not interested in hanging out with the African couple like they did. Zia only seemed interested because she was investigating Bax not because she cared. I think that is poor writing in those scenes. I hope the sequel is better.

[Akshi Porwal]

I really think that the issues pertaining to race were only added for a more controversial effects. They are mostly surface level and never delved into properly. Really, what i dont understand is how people being curious about Zia's eye colour is racist. Its just someone wondering. Like how if I'm a family all the kids had blonde hair when their parents have brown hair. Its just curiosity and the way the book tries to label it is just wrong.