Review of Deceptive Calm

[Victory Ositaorah]

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

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5 out of 5 stars

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History has always been beautiful to read and understand, but it is better understood when portrayed in a movie or written in a book. In Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper, we get to read about Vanessa Condon's life experiences as a Black woman in the 1960s.

The book is about a young girl named Vanessa Condon who is an orphan. She was abandoned by her parents when she was a baby and due to her skin color she was never adopted. The story begins with a bus full of students that includes Vanessa, Trisha, Barry, and others being attacked by the Ku Klux Klan, which leads to Trisha suffering a serious head injury and being rushed to the hospital. As the book progresses, Vanessa has some unhappy experiences, which make her decide to assume the identity of a dead White baby and move to California. She now goes by the name Vanessa Vaughn and has the new life she dreams of. Does she succeed in hiding her true race in California?

Deceptive Calm is an interesting book that enlightened me about the discrimination and injustice that was experienced by Black people in the 1960s and 1970s. The author carefully developed the plot and made it easy to become engaged with the book after the first few chapters, also helping me to become familiar with the characters. The characters were all unique and I liked the role that Sister Rosalie and many others played in Vanessa's life. The book is primarily about acceptance, love, family, and self discovery. Vanessa is my favorite character and I appreciate how she was strong despite all the challenges she encountered. I also enjoyed reading about Trisha and Vanessa's friendship, especially how Trisha looked out for her. The story would also enlighten readers about American history in a unique way.

I had nothing to dislike about this book and I would be rating it 5 out of 5 stars. I encountered a few errors while reading, which shows that the book was professionally edited. I would recommend this book to adult readers and people who enjoy books with history, mystery, and a touch of romance.

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Deceptive Calm
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