Review of Deceptive Calm

[Marlene R 1]

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

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4 out of 5 stars

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I usually don't like reading Kindle books on my phone but I found myself frequently wanting to continue and not put down Deceptive Calm, wondering what would happen next. A violent action initially draws you in and takes you back to the dangerous discrimination that young and even professional Blacks lived with in the Deep South in the late 1960s on a daily basis. It made me realize how it touched their everyday lives making it more difficult in so many ways that myself as a Midwestern White female takes for granted and unfortunately frequently still applies today. The initial energy of the characters propelled me forward while still enjoying the many interesting history lessons on the Civil War, previous presidents, and Southern VIPs the author frequently inserted comically, thanks to a vivacious nun's character.
It was amazing how the author was so easily able to connect that past to the civil rights movement era in the South and also carry over into women's rights later in the book as the characters matured. You don't have to be a history nut to find it easy to relate to the many types of discrimination the women and Blacks suffered in this book without giving up. I also learned useful Black health statistics and accurate medical diagnoses and treatments. It's a great lesson on how the color of skin can affect the way we see and treat people from past to present.
The book was well edited with only 4 typos noted which kept the characters' conversations flowing without the need to re-read or guess who was saying what. I didn't give it a higher rating than 4 due to some explicit sexual material, that even though I hate to admit it was entertaining, could be too descriptive for some. The women's later life choices, sexual issues, work place discrimination and abusive relationships unfortunately brings this historical fiction too close to reality today some 50 years later.

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Deceptive Calm
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