Review of Deceptive Calm
Posted: 02 Jun 2025, 19:19
When writing historical fiction, you are not only telling the story of American history, but you are providing actual facts that has occurred. Deceptive Calm, is a wonderful book to read especially if you have a hard time following, however, I tend to struggle with the book with some of the facts that were provided. With that being said, I struggle on rating this book. Don’t get me wrong, this book catches your attention and pulls you into where you feel like you are living during the times these events occurred, however, some the events that were mentioned were inaccurate.
Deceptive Calm takes place in the 1960s where blacks were struggling to fit in the white society. Particularly, this book is based on Vanessa Condon, who was left at a black, Catholic orphanage since she was a baby in Charleston, South Carolina. However, Vanessa struggled to get adopted by black parents because of the abnormally color of her skin. Vanessa had very light skin which many people mistaken her as white and not black. Sister Rosalie who is part of the orphanage, loved Vanessa and never treated her any different.
During Vanessa’s teenage years, she decided to run away and start a brand-new life. With the discovery of getting a new social security number under an infant that passed away, Vanessa believed that this was her ticket out of South Carolina. During the 1960s, the social security department never matched the birth and death certificates up, so this type of fraud was almost guaranteed successful. Surprisingly, Vanessa found a birth certificate of a white infant whose name was Vanessa Morgan. Once Vanessa got approved, she headed out to California and enrolled into UC Berkeley, and started her new life.
During her exciting and successful life in California, Vanessa fell in love and got married into one of the wealthiest families. Shortly after, Vanessa gave birth to a child that was diagnosed with a sickle cell trait, which this condition mainly affects black individuals. During this hard time in Vanessa’s life, her façade begins to slowly crumble as her husband plots revenge against her when he finds out that he married a woman who classifies as black. However, Vanessa and her baby survived.
As mentioned previously, I struggle with rating this book. I definitely give it five stars overall because of it catching your attention and educates on how racism has affected during the 60’s, which is still currently happening around the US. However, with the minor details of our history such as Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, makes the rating drop. Dr. Martin Luther King was shot on April 4, 1968, shortly after 6 p.m. In Chapter 5, it was mentioned how he was shot on April 3rd. Yes, I know it is only one day difference but this our American History that has a significant part in many people remember especially black people. Other than the history inaccuracies, if you are sensitive to graphic nature like rape and abortion, as well with profanity such as name calling like n-gger and b-tch, then this book isn’t for you.
Considering all these factors of the book, I would give this book a four out of five. Deceptive Calm is well written and it definitely pulls you in and never lets you lose your attention span. I just wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who is sensitive to sexual content and who is under the age of 18.
Deceptive Calm takes place in the 1960s where blacks were struggling to fit in the white society. Particularly, this book is based on Vanessa Condon, who was left at a black, Catholic orphanage since she was a baby in Charleston, South Carolina. However, Vanessa struggled to get adopted by black parents because of the abnormally color of her skin. Vanessa had very light skin which many people mistaken her as white and not black. Sister Rosalie who is part of the orphanage, loved Vanessa and never treated her any different.
During Vanessa’s teenage years, she decided to run away and start a brand-new life. With the discovery of getting a new social security number under an infant that passed away, Vanessa believed that this was her ticket out of South Carolina. During the 1960s, the social security department never matched the birth and death certificates up, so this type of fraud was almost guaranteed successful. Surprisingly, Vanessa found a birth certificate of a white infant whose name was Vanessa Morgan. Once Vanessa got approved, she headed out to California and enrolled into UC Berkeley, and started her new life.
During her exciting and successful life in California, Vanessa fell in love and got married into one of the wealthiest families. Shortly after, Vanessa gave birth to a child that was diagnosed with a sickle cell trait, which this condition mainly affects black individuals. During this hard time in Vanessa’s life, her façade begins to slowly crumble as her husband plots revenge against her when he finds out that he married a woman who classifies as black. However, Vanessa and her baby survived.
As mentioned previously, I struggle with rating this book. I definitely give it five stars overall because of it catching your attention and educates on how racism has affected during the 60’s, which is still currently happening around the US. However, with the minor details of our history such as Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, makes the rating drop. Dr. Martin Luther King was shot on April 4, 1968, shortly after 6 p.m. In Chapter 5, it was mentioned how he was shot on April 3rd. Yes, I know it is only one day difference but this our American History that has a significant part in many people remember especially black people. Other than the history inaccuracies, if you are sensitive to graphic nature like rape and abortion, as well with profanity such as name calling like n-gger and b-tch, then this book isn’t for you.
Considering all these factors of the book, I would give this book a four out of five. Deceptive Calm is well written and it definitely pulls you in and never lets you lose your attention span. I just wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who is sensitive to sexual content and who is under the age of 18.