Review of Deceptive Calm
Posted: 30 Mar 2025, 12:51
[Following is a volunteer review of "Deceptive Calm" by Patricia Skipper.]
‘Deceptive Calm’ by Patricia Skipper, is a novel that tells the story of Vanessa Condon, a beautiful, light-skinned Black girl who has a best friend, Trisha, and a young love, Barry. Vanessa lives as a young girl in a Catholic orphanage for Black children in South Carolina. The orphanage is run by Sister Rosalie, a history enthusiast who tries to instill in the children, a kind of patriotic sense, despite the period. The novel begins in 1968, when there was a struggle for civil rights for Blacks when John F. Kennedy died, but at the same time, racism was still strong and the Klan continued its attempt to oppress Blacks. A challenging period emerges in the book immediately in the first chapter, when children, happy to go on a field trip, are attacked by the Klan, and Trisha is injured. The bond between Vanessa and Trisha will remain over time, even though, as they grow up, they will live in different states. They will always stay in touch, as only true friendship can be: enduring despite the distance. The course of Vanessa's life will be quite dynamic. Assuming the identity of a deceased white girl, she manages to move to California, get married, and has a child, but lies have short legs, and assuming the identity of a white girl will lead to dramatic consequences, which of course I do not want to spoil. On a first reading, honestly, the narrative seemed rather superficial to me. So, I wanted to re-read the book as if watching a film. Important and still relevant concepts emerged: civil rights, the value of friendship, racism, and sexual and domestic violence. The language in the dialogues is popular, sometimes scurrilous, but realistic. I give it 4 out of 5 stars because I generally liked it, both for the themes addressed and for the story itself, but the feelings of the characters emerged little. This is why I didn't give it 5 out of 5. I didn't like the sex scenes, as they often distracted my attention from the very important events covered. Precisely for these scenes, reading is recommended for an adult audience. In my opinion, this novel could be a starting point for a movie.
******
Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
‘Deceptive Calm’ by Patricia Skipper, is a novel that tells the story of Vanessa Condon, a beautiful, light-skinned Black girl who has a best friend, Trisha, and a young love, Barry. Vanessa lives as a young girl in a Catholic orphanage for Black children in South Carolina. The orphanage is run by Sister Rosalie, a history enthusiast who tries to instill in the children, a kind of patriotic sense, despite the period. The novel begins in 1968, when there was a struggle for civil rights for Blacks when John F. Kennedy died, but at the same time, racism was still strong and the Klan continued its attempt to oppress Blacks. A challenging period emerges in the book immediately in the first chapter, when children, happy to go on a field trip, are attacked by the Klan, and Trisha is injured. The bond between Vanessa and Trisha will remain over time, even though, as they grow up, they will live in different states. They will always stay in touch, as only true friendship can be: enduring despite the distance. The course of Vanessa's life will be quite dynamic. Assuming the identity of a deceased white girl, she manages to move to California, get married, and has a child, but lies have short legs, and assuming the identity of a white girl will lead to dramatic consequences, which of course I do not want to spoil. On a first reading, honestly, the narrative seemed rather superficial to me. So, I wanted to re-read the book as if watching a film. Important and still relevant concepts emerged: civil rights, the value of friendship, racism, and sexual and domestic violence. The language in the dialogues is popular, sometimes scurrilous, but realistic. I give it 4 out of 5 stars because I generally liked it, both for the themes addressed and for the story itself, but the feelings of the characters emerged little. This is why I didn't give it 5 out of 5. I didn't like the sex scenes, as they often distracted my attention from the very important events covered. Precisely for these scenes, reading is recommended for an adult audience. In my opinion, this novel could be a starting point for a movie.
******
Deceptive Calm
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon