Review of Deceptive Calm

[Ali Pinar]

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

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4 out of 5 stars

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“Too Old to Rock ’n’ Roll: Too Young to Die”
I kept thinking of this Jethro Tull song as I was reading this book about a woman who is too white to be Black, yet too black to be White. Vanessa, the main character of the book, grows up in an orphanage in Charleston, South Carolina, in an era when the color of your skin is more important than who you are. Her skin color causes rejections, but she finds shelter in the love of a caring nun. She grows up to be a successful woman and lives a deceptively calm life, but her past lurks behind her.

The book portrays its characters in a masterful way. Instead of long paragraphs, it uses small details, such as a carefully placed adjective in a sentence, or actions like parking a car in a no parking zone. The characters are nicely developed in accordance with the events. How they respond to the external events are realistic and makes the characters relatable.

The book also refers to the historical events in the background. But instead of the historical events, the focus remains on how the characters respond to these events, which leads to better storytelling.

Towards the end, the book leaves its deceptive calm aside and becomes more action based, to wrap things up for a Hollywood ending. This part could have been better written, but I would rather remember the better part of the book.

This book is not a masterpiece that will rock your world, but it will make you think about people. We all have secrets to hide and wounds that are healing. We cannot see them easily, but it does not mean they do not exist.

I give this book a 4 out of 5, barely missing a 5. I recommend it for leisure reading for a relaxing day. It is easy to read and has a nice flow. It will also be a good choice for a book club, since there will be a lot to discuss with your friends.

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Deceptive Calm
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[Gerry Steen]

You wrote a fair review for this book. I enjoyed reading it and my favorite character was the boisterous, loving, Sister Rosalie. Her character was so vivid and got me into the story from the get go.

[Ali Pinar]

I agree about Sister Rosalie. I like the character and like how she was depicted. I think there should be another book on Sister Rosalie. I would read it.

[Stephen Christopher 1]

This book is not a masterpiece that will rock your world, but it will make you think about people.

This! I love this sentence; it's a great way to refer to this novel. Look, I had some challenges with it. Sadly for me, as a history buff, some of the historical references were incorrect. Martin Luther King's assassination date, and the 'Killer Rabbit' story were full of factual inaccuracies.

Like you, I felt the rushed Hollywood-style ending ruined it a bit. Yes, there are some strong characters who succeeded during an appalling period in history, when many others didn't, and I feel this book applauds those people.

[Ali Pinar]

Great minds think alike