Review of It's Only a Shadow

[Brendan Donaghy]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "It's Only a Shadow" by Constance Mims.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Author Constance Mims was born in Kentucky in 1953 but grew up in Indiana. It’s Only a Shadow is the story of her life and her various struggles. There’s her struggle to put food on the table for her kids, for example. She also struggles to keep her business afloat in the face of some strong racial discrimination. Then there’s her battle to find a suitable soul mate. Most important of all is the struggle to stay true to her faith in God and to align her life with the teachings of the Bible.

The book is a quick read. It runs to just 136 pages and is made up of short chapters of two or three pages each, in the main. There are a few family photos included. The author strikes a good balance between her personal experiences and the spiritual lessons she draws from these. The shadow mentioned in the title is how she describes the bad times when she feels separated from God’s light. She has learned not to fear the shadow anymore because she knows it’s simply her cue to make her way back into the light.

There are many things to enjoy in this book. The author’s portrayal of her family will resonate with many people. She is the child of a mother who gave birth to her at the age of fourteen. She was raised mainly by her grandmother and extended family. There wasn’t much money around, but the family was rich in love. The result was, the author notes, ‘We were poor but I didn’t know it.’ (page 17)

She grew up in the American south in turbulent times, but this isn’t a tale of oppression or rights denied. Discrimination gets mentioned, particularly when the author discusses her business ventures, but this is more a story of ordinary, everyday life. Perhaps that’s what gives the book its appeal. She struggles with a lack of money (much of the time), family issues, serious health concerns, and problems in her relationships with men. There are times when she feels let down by the churches she attends. Out of these common experiences, she draws spiritual lessons. One doesn’t have to share her faith to appreciate her sincerity and passion for her beliefs.

At times, the book turns the reader’s expectations upside down. The author goes to a recently desegregated high school where she is one of only three Black kids in the middle grades. This reader was primed for a Ruby Bridges moment but it doesn’t happen. The author encounters some racism but has a positive experience overall. She struggles more when she attends a predominantly Black college and discovers that prejudice doesn’t stop at issues of race and colour.

I didn’t find too much to dislike about this book. There are a few minor mistakes left in the text that could have been weeded out, but they didn’t spoil my enjoyment.

I am awarding this book four out of five stars. The book may well have been professionally edited, but there are still quite a few errors in it, so I am deducting one star for that reason. I recommend it to anyone who likes reading warm, human-interest stories. If you also like religious testimonies, this is the book for you. It is one that can be enjoyed equally by people of faith and people of no faith at all.

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It's Only a Shadow
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[Amy Luman]

We all have our own stories, don’t we? It’s easy to relate to Ms. Mims since almost everyone struggles with money issues, and all believers struggle with their faith.

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I can relate when you say, the family was rich in love, even though they lack money. I like page 17 that you mentioned. That's so kind of the author. I enjoyed your review!

[Kemzy5]

This storyline is very relatable as everyone has a different struggle in life. Nice review.