Deceptove Calm:A Review

[Aya Osman 1]

"Deceptive Calm" follows Vanessa and Trisha, two best friends from South Carolina, who, during high school, skillfully adopt the identity of a deceased baby. Raised in a Catholic orphanage by the beloved Sister Rosalie, Vanessa later decides to escape her painful breakup with high school boyfriend Barry Hale by embracing this new identity.

After moving to San Francisco, she becomes a renowned news anchor, but carries a secret known only to Trisha. Throughout her climb to success, Vanessa, who has passed for white due to her Southern upbringing, faces the harsh realities of racism and sexism in the broadcast journalism world. Meanwhile, her marriage to wealthy Tod Von Westerkamp quickly deteriorates into unhappiness, compounded by her Catholic upbringing which makes divorce unthinkable.

With only Trisha for support, Vanessa’s life takes a complicated turn when her biracial son, Brett, faces medical issues highlighting her racial background.

The novel’s detailed exploration of the challenges faced by women in media, with its mix of in-depth character development and graphic sexual content, can be overwhelming, but ultimately it provides an inspiring look at a biracial woman's journey in a predominantly white, male industry during the 1970s. The struggles that Vanessa and Trisha endure make for a compelling narrative that reveals the resilience required to succeed in their field.

[La Dunar]

This is rather a summary statement than a review.