Three Summer Reads I Want to Share-The Magicians, The Northside and Conquistadora

I have not posted in quite a while and that is for a multiple of reasons. I have not been able to do a lot of writing and therefore wanted to recap for my blogger friends some interesting books that absorbed me this summer as I am recuperating.  Here are three books to start you off with many more I hope to summarize in the next week. Although my reviews are much abbreviated, I think you will gather my opinion in any case.  Thanks for understanding. Wisteria

The Magicians, by Lev Grossman
ISBN-10: 0670020559
416 Pages
Viking Adult; 1 edition (August 11, 2009)


The Magicians, by Lev Grossman,I was asked to read The Magician King, this books sequel that would publish in August, 2011. I had not read The Magicians and the publisher graciously sent it along as well.This is my idea of an adult version of a world like Narnia. The writing is totally different and the plot as well. A young adult engrossed in fantasy novels finds himself quite unexpectedly in an exclusive school for would be magicians. "The land of his childhood fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he ever could have imagined...."(back cover).Fans of Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia will appreciate this adult fairy tale and will be awaiting the sequel The Magician King. Fortunately, both are available now in bookstores.

I am currently reading The Magician King, where the travels of Quentin and his friends continue.   If you love fantasy, this is a must read.

The copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher for review.  Above is my honest unbiased opinion. 

The Northside, by Nelson Johnson
978-0937548738
Plexus Publishers
November 2010
358 Pages

The Northside by Nelson Johnson, is a spectacular non-fiction book about the rise of Atlantic City. The focus is mainly on the contributions of African Americans in the mid-20th century as Atlantic City emerged from a small barren island.  I will be reviewing this for Historical Novels Review for the an upcoming issue. I will post a copy of that review once the magazine is published. In the mean time, this is a book any lover of American History will devour with earnest. I couldn't put it down. There is so much history pulled together in this narrative style that is shocking and Johnson is brilliant to document this time period with such skill.  In fact, before I had been sent the copy for review, I had already purchased my own copy after browsing in my local bookstore.  My extra copy is bound for a colleague who can't wait to get his hands on it. Nelson Johnson also wrote Boardwalk Empire, a book that is on my wish list for sure.

I purchased the copy of this book at Amazon.

Conquistadora, by Esmeralda Santiago
Knopf (July 12, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-0307268327
432 Pages

Conquistadora, by Esmeralda Santiago is my top pick from my summer reading. It is a sensational historical fiction saga, based on Puerto Rican history and the clash between plantation owners and their slaves. It is also the story of an incredibly strong and rebellious woman named Ana, who has a fearless drive to succeed in life. She becomes a sugar plantation owner in Puerto Rico and despite growing rebellion, she is unyielding. This story takes the reader up to  the time of the Civil War.  The effects of what happened in the Southern States has far reaching implications in the Caribbean Islands and Ana is determined to secure her future.  I purchased this book to read as the history of Puerto Rico drew me to the story as well as the character of a strong woman who emerges to compete with men at a time that it was frowned upon.  I also lived in Puerto Rico when I was a child and attended Spanish schools. Although the memories of my past experiences are fading, I will always have the fondest memories and recall extremely happy times with my family. Puerto Rico introduced me to the language and culture and delicious fruits that were abundant then only there. Fortunately, we live in a time when guava, coconut, mango, papaya and other foods are no longer considered exotic. Read Conquistadora, you will succumb to Esmeralda Santiago's exquisite writing and fall in love with a beautiful story.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].


I purchased a copy of this book at Amazon.


© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2008-2011].

Review-My Name is Mary Sutter

MY NAME IS MARY SUTTER
by Robin Oliveira
Viking/Penguin Group
$26.95/$33.50 Can; 384 pages
ISBN 13 978-0670021673
May 13, 2010

Mary Sutter, shared the womb with her sister Jenny, but in her words her life is more in “competition than cooperation” with her neonatal twin. Mary has followed in her mother’s footsteps as a midwife. Considered by many to have far surpassed her mother’s talents, Mary is competent and popular, regarded with high esteem. However, she wants more. Following her life’s passion to become a surgeon, she seeks admittance to the Albany Medical College. Facing gender prejudice, her application is denied. With an indomitable spirit she seeks alternatives to learn to become a surgeon. She is called upon to help deliver a breach baby where she meets James Blevin, a surgeon. Although impressed with Mary’s technique, he denies her request to become her teacher. When the Civil War breaks out, Dorothea Dix forms an organization to hire a corp of nurses. Mary travels to Washington, DC to answer the ad, but is denied because of her age. With a fiery determination and unshakable resolve to fight prejudice in her way, she finally ends up insinuating herself upon Dr. Sipps another surgeon. He works in a retched, unsanitary, disease filled overcrowded hospital. Sipps is overwhelmed with the wounded and sick but reluctantly allows Mary Sutter to assist, watch and listen. She is witness to bloody battlefields where she must step over the dead and seriously wounded, maimed and diseased. What she learns is more than she ever expected as she is faced with difficult choices. The battle between the North and South, is a metaphor for her own guilt over family, career prejudice, love and reconciliation.

Mary Sutter is an unforgettable character, a role model of distinct strength. With determination and raw nerve she overcomes not only the prejudices that seek to impede her goal to become a surgeon, but she presses her own character beyond the limits of human tolerance. This is a graphic and brutally honest depiction of the massive carnage that resulted during the Civil War when canon artillery combined with limited medical knowledge and inadequate supplies decimated hundreds of thousands of men. Even still, Robin Oliveira’s storytelling is captivating and is a welcomed addition of historical fiction for anyone interested in reading about this period. A dramatically compelling story, tearful and tragically real, sure to produce deep breathing and serious pondering of the past. With my highest recommendation, this will be a top ten of 2010.

Disclosure: This copy was sent to me by Viking Press. This review is offered without bias and is my honest opinion.



© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

I read Little Women for a graduate course in American History this past year. I did not post my review at the time, but have included it now as it is one of my top pics for 2009. My review speaks for itself, a timeless treasured classic that I was happy to read again.

Little Women
Louisa May Alcott
Barnes and Noble Classic
528 pages




Louisa May Alcott has always been a woman I admire because of her success as an author, particularly writing Little Women. How amazing for a woman writer in 1868 to sell out the first printing in four weeks. Today, this would be a feat equivalent to making the New York Times Best Seller List, followed by an honored location at Borders with a red 30% off sticker. Quite possibly her book would have been an Oprah Book Club selection. No doubt Ms. Alcott and her publisher would be waiting nervously for the announcement for the coveted Newbery Award for Children’s Literature. I would venture to say that she would have collected all of these awards and many others.

There are many women children’s authors who write realistic fiction today, with striking differences. Louisa May Alcott wrote her story with the idea of selling books. This is what prolific best selling authors do today. Children’s authors like Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary and Paula Danzinger(deceased). They repeat the same winning format, book after book with different characters, different setting and a few changes. In her time, wasn’t this what she was doing? Todays, authors of children’s books were not without controversy. Judy Blume, has been on the 100 Most Banned and Frequently Challenged Books per the American Library Association numerous times over the years. Her books are taught in school, shelved in libraries, continue to raise eyebrows and continue to make money.

Alcott didn’t have a winning format yet, this was her first book and she chose to eliminate her controversial opinions. She knew any inclusion of this talk would alienate readers, and she was her best publicist. There are several places in the book where Jo speaks about her writing,

“Sorry you couldn’t find nothing better to read. I write that rubbish because it sells, and ordinary people like it.”

Alcott has admitted the character of Jo is autobiographical so I wonder, is Little Women a product of her attempt to sell books? Women in her time were expected to marry, yet this was not Alcott’s view, preferring to make her own money, supporting herself and deciding not to marry. When Jo gets married in Little Women, even though, contrary to her personal preference. There is no disputing her incredibly brilliant talent as a 19th century writer who has withstood the test of the classics. However, writing was always her way to make money to help support her family.

Louisa May Alcott lived in the midst of the Civil War, believed in the abolitionist movement, women's rights, including the unpopular belief she held that women did not need to marry. Yet, in her book, we read a text that is devoid of these issues, in the style of our 1960s television show Father Knows Best, or perhaps the Brady Bunch. These shows were entertainment lacking controversy and continued long commercial success. Had she decided to write on the cutting edge and offer a book with a host of disputable topics, I doubt she would have achieved such overwhelming success.

Through the guidance of Mrs. March the March sisters learn a core set of values including self-control, self-denial, a strong work ethic, an altruistic behavior and the need for balance between work and play. Mrs. March in fact was the prominent parent in this book, yet in Alcott’s real life her father, influenced the family on a daily basis.

Could it be that his strict control the adherence to his transcendental beliefs was so constrictive that Louisa May Alcott decided to portray the vision of a father she wished she had? Why were all the other characters autobiographical and mirrored so much of her life? Yet, her father, who at one point wanted to leave his wife and children would have been scandalous, not a great image for selling books at that time.

The portrayal and behavior of the March sisters could take place in the 21st century. It would still be a best seller, but it would be an even greater commercial success if she included the controversial dogma she espoused yet omitted in Little Women. Women's rights, domesticity, women in the workforce, are topics still drawing readers to bookshelves. In fact, these debated issues would sell more books.

When I read this book as a teen and young adult, my impressions were not based on the author, but directed at the content of the book. I gravitated to Jo and her spunky personality, I wanted to be her. After all, we were almost alike, so I thought. I was the tom-boy in the family, the bookworm, the funny girl, a bit eccentric at times the writer and I never wanted to get married.

After reading the book numerous times, this is the first time I examined the author in the context of the period, looking at in counter-factually. She was not only a successful writer, but a publicist with vision, with modern marketing skills, because she knew her audience, knew what they wanted to read, and was able to give them what they wanted. I would have enjoyed talking with Louisa May Alcott, a women who I consider an anachronism in history.

Disclosure: Provided by TAH grant for graduate class.

Virtual Blog Tour-Shades of Gray with Jessica James

Virtual Blog Tour Kick Off

It is with my great pleasure and my sincere honor to be able to present an interview with Jessica James, author of Shades of Gray for this Virtual Blog Tour. I read and reviewed Shades of Gray over a year ago and it has since become one of my favorite Civil War historical fiction novels. I voted it one of my top ten reads for 2008 and I have just re-read it.

Enraptured by the romantic duet of Andrea and Alex I am captivated by this Civil War couple. Once again, their dueling discourse is so amusing to read it is unforgettable. The dialog flows naturally, their voices so real, charming, witty and brilliantly written by Ms. James.

I had a chance to talk to Jessica James about Shades of Gray and I wanted to share the interview with you. Please make sure you check out her awesome blog Life in the Past Lane. If you love history and historical fiction, this is a place you won't want to miss.

INTERVIEW

First, can you update us on what has been happening with Shades of Gray.

Sure. After your review in April of 2008, Shades went on to win two Best Regional Fiction awards and was a finalist for ForeWord Magazine’s 2008 Book of the Year in the Romance category. In 2009, it was a finalist in the 2009 HOLT Medallion Contest for Best Southern Theme, and it has twice hit #1 on Amazon in the romance/historical/U.S. category, temporarily overtaking Gone with the Wind. I’ve been really blessed with its success.


1. Why did you chose to write historical fiction and what do you want readers to take away from your books?
I’ve always been intrigued by stories of the past – especially the Victorian era when honor and integrity were such an integral part of our society. I hope readers leave Shades of Gray with the feeling they’ve read a great love story, rather than just a Civil War story, but I also hope the themes of faith, duty and honor resonate with them, and that they gain a better understanding of the emotional cost of the war.

2. Who are your literary heroes and why?
I like the strong, silent, mysterious type so Edmond Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo comes to mind as well as Sir Percy Blakeney from The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Blakeney really epitomizes the mysterious element because the reader is led to believe he is a coward and a fop, when in reality he is risking his neck every night.

3. If you could meet any famous person in history, who would it be?
That’s an easy one. The main character in Shades of Gray is patterned after Confederate Colonel John Mosby, who was definitely the strong, silent type. He also had that mysterious quality about him that I find intriguing.

4. Favorite comment from a reader.
I don’t know if you remember, but the final line in your review last year was “Honestly, you will not sleep.” Since then I’ve received numerous comments from readers who say they didn’t finish Shades until the wee hours of the morning – and then had to go to work. Keeping readers up all night reading or thinking about the characters is one complaint that always makes me smile – and I can’t help but think, “well Wisteria warned them.”

5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working on your book?”
Reading would be the number one thing, followed by gardening. (For me that means planting something in the fall and then when it comes up the next spring deciding I don’t like it there and moving it). I also enjoy traveling, the beach, and horseback riding when I can. Lately I’ve been creating press releases for other authors, which is really fun because of the variety of topics. Even though it’s writing, it’s a nice diversion because I’m learning about nanotechnology and the CIA (for crime/thriller authors) instead of historical facts.

I hope you enjoyed the interview with Jessica James. I have to grab some sleep tonight since once again I stayed up late reading this novel, even though I knew the ending... I couldn't put it down.

As part of this Virtual Blog Tour, please leave a comment to be entered into the raffle for this memorable "Basket of Goodies" that includes, T-Shirt, Pack of 5 Shades of Gray/Justus Greeting Cards,CD: Homespun Songs of the C.S.A. by Bobby Horton,Romantic Rose Stationary, Pack of Votive Candles and Southern Magnolia Handmade Virginia Soap, Virginia Grown Shopping Bag and Faux Roses. Along with your comments please leave your email so that if you are the lucky winner on the tour, we will contact you.

Sunday Salon, Blog Kick-off Event Starts Monday

Shades of Gray Blog Tour Begins Tomorrow!

Tomorrow I will be kicking off the Virtual Blog Tour for Shades of Gray by Jessica James. This is a very exciting event and I will be sharing my interview with the author about her highly successful historical fiction novel of the Civil War in Virginia. Please take a look at this exciting trailer from Jessica James Blog, Life in the Past Lane.


Hope to see you all there!!

Tuesday Teasers, July 28, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:



* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Up against the back stoop, overhung by a small porch roof, I saw a wide and deep pile of pork bones, carrot tops, rotted squash,, broken furniture, soiled sheets, black-haired rag dolls, broken liquor bottles, one mirror, three busted clocks, a rusted frying pan, and a mess of white paper covered in nonsense scribbling. Such things should have been carted off to be burned or buried, but that pile had obviously just kept growing outside the door."

From: A Separate Country by Robert Hicks...due out September 2009. Robert Hicks is the bestselling author of The Widow of the South. This is his new novel set in New Orleans, after the war. A historical novel based on the life of the General John Bell Hood, a notable Confederate general.

According to the back cover....

"is the bittersweet story of a decent and good man who refused to admit defeat-and the story of those who taught him to both love and be loved, and transformed him."

Published by Hachette Book Group.
978-0-446-58164-6

Gettysburg Trip, June 30, July 1, July 2, 2009

My trip to Gettysburg...
PERSPECTIVE is the word I kept hearing over and over again in my head. How do you equate or fathom the staggering numbers of the killed, wounded, missing and captured soldiers that were lost in three days of intense horrific and ghastly fighting. Hand to hand and close range fighting were the norm. The numbers of statistical casualties would roll off the tongue of our brilliant tour guide.

To be a guide in Gettysburg you have to pass a rigorous test. Out of 300 examinees, five passed the test and our leader was one of them. It is an awesome responsibility and not one the Gettysburg National Museum and Preservation Society takes lightly.

PERSPECTIVE is hard to grasp as you view the panoramic beauty of America's landscape. How can one envision the sight of bodies three deep, so many wounded that most would die on the field anyway? So many bodies that their were not enough people in the town to bury them. They say approximately 800 bodies are still buried beneath the rolling farmland of Gettysburg. Their tomb is where they fell for now undiscovered or marked. Scattered monuments pepper the countryside, tributes to the soldiers Confederate and Union who fought and died those three days.

Devil's Den, a collection of huge boulders is a famous backdrop of old Civil War photos and is instantly recognizable. This photo taken by Alexander Gardner of a Confederate Soldier. In my movie you will see the same shot missing the soldier. The spot is identical and has remained preserved since 1863.

I was unprepared for the intense emotion I would feel as I walked the battleground sites on the second day. I stood there and closed my eyes and trid to picture the explosion of sound. Canons that were capable of firing 2 to 3 times per minute. I tried to visualize that six horses were needed to pull each canon. One in three men were shot, killed or wounded. This was a blood bath of complete carnage. Officers fought and died along side the men they commanded. PERSPECTIVE.

The countryside as a battlefield crawling with infantrymen, artillery, horses is such a contrast to what you see. Closing your eyes and reading books, hearing the tour guide and a vivid imagination still can't capture the fierce, chaotic drama of the three days. I was entranced much of the time. I tried visualization and comparison.

I visited the Gettysburg Museum which contains prodigious exhibits, video clips and lessons. I found the museum overdone and overwhelming. There was no space on any wall leading to a profusion of media that lost it's message. If you visit the museum plan to do this as a one day event, not as an add on after any tour. It will tire you out.

I am so glad I was able to go on this trip sponsored by a grant that Danbury won called, Teaching American History (TAH). I don't know if I conveyed the serenity and solemnity of Gettysburg, but it is there.

Another aspect of Gettysburg that has touched all our national venues is commercialism.
Visit the downtown and of course there are all sorts of shops and numerous
stops and restaurants catering to the tourists. One interesting event that has drawn visitors to Gettysburg out at night is the ubiquitous Ghost Tours. Led by a guide with a lantern, your group is led to any number of venues with hopes of seeing one of the many ghosts that have been thought to reside or have been known to appear. I did not want to participate in this or any tour of the commercial shops downtown. However, I did purchase a number of books at the Gettysburg Museum Bookstore. Surprised? Neither am I! I will share them with you and talk about the bookstore another time.

If you have never been to this historic Civil War battle site, you really must try to plan a trip there sometime. Read as much as you can before you go to gain PERSPECTIVE.

Sunday Salon-Looking for Winners!

Good morning everyone. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and the weather is great too!

My reading this week has been mostly devoted to my Civil War grad course. I'm plodding through Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson. This is a comprehensive and lengthy non-fiction book, considered to be one of the best general studies of the Civil War.


I have to say it does read more like a novel than a fact by fact discourse. The size is daunting at 900+ pages, but one would expect no less with this complex subject. McPherson won the Pulitzer Prize for this book, so if you are looking for a book to learn more about the Civil War, try Battle Cry of Freedom.

Winners of Testimony-I need addresses from you.

The following bloggers won a copy of Testimony, but I have not received your address.
They are:
Naida: (I probably had yours once, but don't anymore)
The Book Resort
liana 66
Tiffany 819
Anita Yancey

Winners of Born in the USA I also need your addresses.
Carlene-----I have yours
The Book Resort
scottsgal
jemscot 425
Brooke

Please send your address to the email address on my blog so that I can have Hachette send you our book. :) If you don't want the book any longer, would you please let me know? I want to make sure you get your book, but I will have to chose other winners after June 13th if I don't here from you. Thanks....Wisteria

With summer's sun trying to peak past spring's rain, many of us are getting ready for a time of summer reading fun. I know I can't wait! Where is your special reading place? Do you have a special time to read? What books are you looking forward to reading this summer? Let me know what you are reading.

Have a great week!

Sunday Salon-Glad to be back!

It's great to be back on Sunday Salon. I can't wait to visit everyone's blog. It's been a rough couple of months for me, but this week I'm feeling better. Although not quite 100%, I can at least read a little and write to you. It has been unbearably difficult not being able to write on my blog and reading yours. All is good today though and that's all that matters.

Obviously, my reading has been very low for May because of my illness, but I did start a couple of books to make up for lost time.

I'm reading The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan-published in 1963. Wow! This is a must read about the state of women during the late 50's and early 60's. This period of time has been called the Second Wave of the feminist movement. Amazing stuff!!!

Also on the nightstand are:
Sea Changes by Gail Graham...fabulous!
Every Boat Turns South by J.P. White...riveting!
Leviathan by Eric Jay Dolin...compelling history of whaling in America.

Review: Salvos on the Backwater

Salvos on the Backwater: A Novel of the Civil War Period,Erin Wunderlich, XLibris, 2008, hc$22.99/ pb$15.99, 284pp, 1-4257-9845-4

It is 1863 on the Gulf Coast of Florida on the Apalachee Bay. Cap’n Jack Nichols and his Uncle Wiley are fishing on board the Chopee. This area of Florida is a dangerous place with constant treats of gators, panthers, snakes and other wild animals. Along with beastly harm comes the threat of Confederate pickets and Union soldiers who are crawling the countryside. It is a battleground for control. Bridges are targets. Waterways patrolled. Clear passage to ship goods is essential to both sides and at any cost. Desperate men will work for food and turn colors quicker than a the flash of a lighting hits the earth. Jack prefers fishing to any involvement in the war as he tries to remain neutral.

On this day, Jack and Wiley come upon the USS General Lyon and they frantically dodge cannonball fire. But Jack knows the labyrinth of streams, land and islands like his own name. They escape capture, possibly death and when they slip away they encounter a homestead. They meet the widow Rebecca, her father and son who have come upon tough times. Before leaving, Jack helps Rebecca get on her feet. Smitten with the widow, Wiley notices Jacks backward glancing smile as they leave. Jack continues to face peril from the Civil War and his nemesis Timber Harris. Harris, a sore looser, lost his boat to Jack in a card game and won’t rest till he gets revenge. According to Jack, “For me Harris is like a rip tide that keeps dragging my britches back toward trouble”

This historically informative action adventure provides a look at Florida in the Civil War era not often written about. Jack the manly, ingenious, Indiana Jones type main character is captivating. The plot is predictable , however that does not diminish the fine writing and imagery captured in the semantic dialect of the area.


You may want to read this one for the Southern Book Challenge 2009. This is one of my choices.

1/2

The Secret Keeper, by Paul Harris

The Secret Keeper by Paul Harris
Penguin Group
ISBN 978-0-525-95102-5
$24.95 ($27.CAN)336pp

I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. This novel is alive, fast paced and will move refusing to let you catch a breath. A tension thriller throughout with intricate plot twists and intrigue, you will feel greedy for more. Here is my review:

The Secret Keeper


Harris doesn’t waste any time shocking you into a compelling need to continue as the opening chapter captivates your attention to read on. The Secret Keeper is a Transcontinental consummate adventure thriller traversing between London and Sierra Leone. In London, Danny Kellerman receives a cryptic letter of desperation from his ex-lover Maria. He is a journalist who four years earlier reported on the political upheaval in Sierra Leone where he met Maria. The postmark is three weeks earlier and all sense of reality disappears when he discovers that he is too late and Maria is dead, a victim of a robbery and murder while driving in the country.
He manages to convince his boss their is a story lurking behind the letter he received and he is soon on board a plane to Freetown. As his plane takes off his thoughts are on everything but his current relationship with Rachel. Kellerman finds a vastly changed Sierra Leone, peace has won over the war torn countryside, but in its place a sea of secrets, corruption, collusion, mistrust and an endless struggle for power by a host of candidates emerges. Further, Danny uncovers distressing information that indicates Maria was keeping secrets. Faced with a soul searching decision in the first chapter, Harris revisits the scene in the end where Danny is held captive. He is forced to decide whether revealing the truth, printing the truth-is worth the potential wretched ramifications of his obdurate actions.
Harris’s poetic prose style lends itself to a one night read. You will see as I did putting this book down for even a moment is quite difficult. His prolific use of carefully placed similes, paints a vibrant palette of imagery bringing the reader into the story.
A debut novel, will cause a few white knuckle moments, you won’t want to miss it. Paul Harris is a novelist to watch and anxiously await his next book.

Wisteria Leigh

Sweetsmoke by David Fuller, August 6, 2008

Sweetsmoke, is the name of a fictitious southern plantation owned by Hoke Howard. The story takes place sometime during the Civil War when the roles of owner and master are hanging in the balance. Slaves are running to taste freedom and owners are desperate to maintain the status quo by creating horrific examples of those who dare to flee. Both master and slave are afraid, for the future is precarious and unknown.

Hoke Howard is the owner of Sweetsmoke consisting of the land, tobacco crop, livestock and most important of all his slave chattel. Cassius is one of Hoke’s favored slaves and for some unexplained reason he is treated differently. Their unique relationship is noticed by the slave community as they perceive freedom given to him that others do not have.


Emoline Justice is a freed slave living in town who was once owned by Hoke. She lives in town and is a conjurer, a healer, who nurses Hoke back from a serious injury. During the time he spends with her he learns to read, a punishable offense, often by death. This being Cassuis’ weapon, he keeps his secret from everyone. One day, Emoline is found dead, murdered by a crushing blow to her head from behind. Cassius becomes enraged with anger when he is told and has no choice but to seek vengeance for the death of his friend and teacher. To search for the killer, Cassius must leave the plantation requiring all his wit and skills to survive. He has never had so much freedom, but will he run given the chance?

Fuller’s storytelling is mesmerizing as he unveils hidden secrets of the Sweetsmoke Plantation that intertwine between the slave quarters and the big house. His book is destined to be a major classic of American literature. It should be included on any reading list choice in high schools where there is an American History curriculum and also included in the study of US History in college.

David Fuller’s writing is beautifully poetic, written with lyrical verse and deep passion.
He is an accomplished storyteller whose years of screenwriting experience shows in this debut novel. As in any great movie, I couldn’t wait to find out what happens. At the same time I wanted to savor the story and prolong the ending. Let’s hope his next book is not too far in the future.

PS....I received an email from David Fuller and he has posted this review on his website. What a thrill. Check out his sight for Sweetsmoke it is really phenomenal.

David Fuller's Website

A Must Read....Shades of Gray by Jessica James

I feel I must start off my new blog with one of the best books I have read in years!! Shades of Gray, by Jessica James takes place during the Civil War, an historical novel of difficult choices. The Civil War pitted brothers, sisters and whole families against their own relatives. Passion was intense on the battlefield we know, but Jessica James creates a series of smoldering skirmishes and competitive contests of wit between the two main characters, Andrea and Alex Hunter.
Andrea, a southerner disguised as a man (Sinclair) is an expert equestrian who spies behind Confederate pickets. The battles from her past drive her over enemy lines to fight against her southern homeland. Hunter, a true southern Confederate from well-healed Virginia bloodlines, would rather die than surrender. When circumstances force Andrea and Alex to live at his southern plantation, the true battles of this book begin.
Ms. James has such an incredible flowing style of writing, that her dialogue between the Andrea and Alex was so entertaining, I felt I was there, in the next room. I felt like I was the spy lurking in the living room, like I shouldn't be listening. I actually found myself belly-laughing, giggling, sobbing to the point I had to keep tissues next to me. I'm not kidding!!! Listen to this quote from her book,

"Is that what you call the midnight mischief created by your mob of marauding miscreants? Lord have mercy on the Confederacy if you serve her through the unchristian and atrocious acts that are plotted and perpetrated by your band of highway-robbing heathens and hell-deserving henchmen." (p.195)

I have to admit I have red stickies all over this book where I wanted to go back and read portions of the text again. This book is much more than a book about the Civil War. The war is just the setting. If you want to read a book you will never forget and will think about for months after reading it. Read Shades of Gray. I challenge anyone not to cry, even the toughest among us. This book took my breath away. Jessica James is a master of storytelling and suspense. Honestly, you will not sleep.