Review of Deceptive Calm

[Nancy Walker]

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

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4 out of 5 stars

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Deceptive Calm
by Patricia Skipper

After reading the book’s synopsis, I was anxious to dive into the story. I became utterly engrossed within the first three pages, finding it difficult to leave the characters, even briefly. The book begins in 1968, in Charleston, South Carolina, and follows through the adult life of the main character, Vanessa. She is a very light-skinned black child, having been abandoned on the doorstep of a black Catholic orphanage as a baby in 1952. Vanessa was raised by the administrator, Sister Rosalie. A passionate Civil War history buff, Sister Rosalie has a panache for spinning Civil War facts about Charleston. She adores Vanessa and their bond is mutual. After Vanessa goes to college, she makes a decision that will forever change her future: to pass as a white woman.

The book captivated me with its well-crafted writing, attention to history, and excellent descriptions of Charleston, SC, and San Francisco, CA. While many reviewers have praised it as a Civil Rights-era novel exploring racial differences and struggles, this aspect emerges only initially. As the story progresses, it delves into the struggles of illegal migrant workers and highlights many of the injustices faced by women in various fields of employment and independence.

I rated the book 4/5 as a great read, but be prepared for a shift in tone as the story progresses and the characters age. Innocence is lost, and the book goes in a completely different direction. That is understandable as the characters mature and seek new avenues of growth, including love. Typically, with character development, we expect change, but the further I read, the tonal shift made me feel that I had picked an entirely different book.

While I don’t shy away from books with sexual content, the author unexpectedly threw it at me without notice. Plot twists and turns are what I crave in a novel, but the synopsis and reviews failed to warn me about the twists involving sexual abuse.

Despite this unexpected turn of events, I enjoyed the book and recommend it with the caveat that the reader be aware of what to expect before providing it to a young person, as the graphic nature is descriptive. Nevertheless, it’s a compelling and easy read that’s hard to put down.

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Deceptive Calm
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