My review of Then Came Faith by Louise Gouge
Posted by:
Michelle Sutton on
February 26, 2007 at
10:56PM EST
From the Publisher: Elizabeth
is back in New Orleans, a war-ravaged city, to help rebuild and
minister to the people devastated after the Civil War. A strict
abolitionist & part of the Underground Railroad, she seeks to help
the South understand the transgressions of slavery.
My review: I'm
impressed with this book. I'll tell you why. I remember growing up in
the 1970s and watching several "mini-series" at that time. One was The Holocaust, and the other two were Roots and North & South. Remember those? I also read the books Roots and Queen by Alex Haley at the time. They were fabulous.
Then Came Faith
brought all of those memories back and with them came the emotion that
coexists with reflecting on such trying times. I loved Juliana and
Andre. They made an interesting couple--especially because of their
extremely conflicting beliefs--even though they were apart for the
majority of the book. The author did a fabulous job showing the hearts
of both abolitionists and confederates at the time of reconstruction in
the deep south.
This story had some grit, yes, but it wasn't
overly done. I especially loved it when Juliana went to confront the
slimebag Dupris in his bawdy house and tried to help Gemma escape. That
was priceless. Of course, the Civil War era books aren't realistic
without a few Klan scenes. Those guys in the white hoods just make me
sick, but without them the story doesn't feel as authentic. There was
just enough to give you a sense of the internal and external conflict
the characters experienced, but not enough to seem excessively dramatic.
I thoroughly enjoyed Then Came Faith
and am looking forward to the next book in the series. This is one of
those stories that you hate to have end. The faith element was very
well done and the change of heart amongst many of the characters was
heartwarming and sincere. I also must add that I really enjoyed getting
to know Andre and experiencing the doubts regarding his culture and the
way he grew up believing that "chattels" as he referred to them, were
not equal to whites, yet he loved Cordell like a brother, so he saw the
contradiction even within himself.
Then Came Faith was published by Emerald Point Books and released in September 2006.
