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BOOK REVIEW: Then Came Faith
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by: Barbara Warren Dancing Word Reviewer
Title: Then Came Faith Author: Louise M. Gouge Publisher: Emerald Pointe Books ISBN: 0-97851-372-X Genre: Inspirational/Historical/Fiction
The Civil War is officially over, but it’s still alive in the hearts and minds of the people who lived through it. Juliana Harris is a staunch abolitionist who has come to New Orleans to help her friend Amelia Randolph start a school to teach former slaves to read and write. Once such learning was against the law, but now people long denied the blessings of freedom are experiencing great changes.
Andre Beauchamp, who was a naval officer in the war, commanding his own ship, has come home to a far different world than he previously knew. The slaves have been freed, and only Aunt Sukey, Gemma, and Cordell remain. His mother has been withdrawn and mentally confused since his father Francois was hanged by the Yankees. Andre has trouble accepting a life where the old standards don’t exist anymore. His wealth is gone and uppity blacks who wouldn’t dare look him in the eye now feel they are his equal. Worse of all, he can’t control his feelings for Juliana, who represents everything he hates..
Cordell and Gemma, former slaves chose to stay with Andre, but they too are having trouble with their newfound freedom. There are whites that refuse to accept that the old ways are gone forever. Life is dangerous for a freed slave.
Slavery was a terrible blot on our nation’s history. It was a sin against man and against God. Louise M. Gouge has done a great job of fairly and honestly telling the story from all three viewpoints. You will cheer Juliana, be concerned for Gemma and Cordell, and even though Andre’s attitude may make you angry, the writer has shown him growing and changing.
Then Came Faith is not a sweet, sentimental story of everyone living together in peace. It’s a gritty, no holds barred tale of what slavery was like and the effect it had on blacks and whites alike. Once in a while a book comes along that sticks in your mind like a burr, not letting go. Louise M. Gouge’s Then Came Faith is that book. It’s one you will want to read a second time. I strongly recommend this one for your bookshelf. It has a permanent place in mine. |
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