The Rhythm Of Secrets by Patti Lacy

Since 1955, Sheila Franklin, a talented musician, has perfectly performed the role of devout pastor’s wife, locking away her past as Sheba Alexander and Sylvia Allen. Her carefully constructed façade crumbles with a single phone call from a young Marine named Samuel, the illegitimate son she secretly put up for adoption. Samuel begs Sheila to use her government contacts to get his fiancé, Mali, a Thai prostitute, into America. A dangerous mixture of love and guilt spurs her to help her only child even though it devastates her husband Edward and exposes her questionable past. After a quarrel with Edward, Sheila and Samuel board a C-130 for Thailand and then search Bangkok’s steamy streets for a Madonna-faced prostitute. The two whisk Mali from a brothel but are seized by a warlord who considers Mali his “number one girl.” In a teak “ghost house,” Sheila discovers God’s grace and gains the freedom she needs to find her own identity—Sheila, Sylvia, and Sheba. A framed story, this novel has roots in the bohemian 1940s New Orleans French Quarter and spans three decades, including the turbulent Vietnam era.
This was a powerful, enjoyable book that I highly recommend. Sheila has secrets – secrets that she’s never exposed to her husband, a big-time pastor. He doesn’t know about her mixed parentage, or parents’ background, or about the fact that she has an illegitimate son with dark skin.

This book shows how one simple, single mistake can haunt you for years and years. I know we’re supposed to accept God’s grace for our sins, but, even when/if we do this, our sins and our bad choices can still affect our lives for a long time.

This novel also shows that it’s best to tell the truth, especially to those that you love. Don’t hide secrets, what if they come out to bite you later, causing turmoil in your current relationships?

This book also has a pretty deep inspirational message – showing that no matter how tough things get, even if it appears that we may lose our lives, it’s best to call upon the Lord, our creator, during times of trouble.

I loved the way the author truthfully showed how judgmental we can be as Christians. You know, this book had me thinking about how some Christians are quick to punish, judge, make others feel unworthy, not following the example that Christ set forth for us in the Gospels. When Sheila, the main character in Rhythm of Secrets, loses her parents and goes to live with her grandmother Mimi, she’s forced to suffer from Mimi’s judgmental attitude towards her. This attitude partially stems from Sheila’s parentage. Yet, Mimi is a Christian? Sadly, the church is filled with Mimis and it’d be great if, the next time we find ourselves judging others for their mistakes, then we should stop, and take a hard look at ourselves. What sins have we committed in our own lives?

I guarantee that this book will get a strong emotional response out of you. For me, the most emotional part happens when Sheila is forced to give up her baby, a baby that she loves fully and unconditionally. Her son’s dark skin doesn’t bother her, as her baby’s complexion is a result of her mixed parentage.

Give this book a try. If you’ve read it, let me know what you thought about the story.

I’ll top off this blog post with a question: Have you experienced a lot of judgmental Christians in your life? Did the judgmental actions affect your faith?

Many thanks to Kregel for providing me with a free review copy.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

What The Bayou Saw by Patti Lacy
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications (March 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0825429374
ISBN-13: 978-0825429378

From Amazon.com:
Product Description
The past can’t stay buried forever Rising author Patti Lacy’s second novel exposes the life of Sally, set amid the shadows of prejudice in Louisiana. Since leaving her home in the South, Sally Stevens has held the secrets of her past at bay, smothering them in a sunny disposition and sugar-coated lies. No one, not even her husband, has heard the truth about her childhood. But when one of her students is violently raped, Sally’s memories quickly bubble to the surface unbidden, like a dead body in a bayou. As Sally’s story comes to light, the lies she’s told begin to catch up with her. And as her web of deceit unravels, she resolves to face the truth at last, whatever the consequences.

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This book was deep and moving! I could see a bunch of women reading this novel and then getting together for coffee and cookies while discussing it. Patti hits on some tough issues that we face here in America, which include bigotry and rape.

Sally suffered a traumatic childhood experience when she was twelve – which resulted in someone’s death. Her secret African-American friend, Ella, has also carried this secret. Both women have suffered greatly because of this incident, and Sally started lying as a youngster to cover up her forbidden friendship, and to hid the tragedy. Amidst the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the rape of one of Sally’s community college students, her memories are set free from her mind, making her stop and think about how her years of actions are affecting her life and the lives of others, including her husband’s! I think Sally lies so much that she no longer realizes that she’s doing it!

I don’t want to tell too much of the story by giving away too many details, but, I think you should run out and buy this book today if you haven’t already done so! You won’t be disappointed!
The book also made me pause and think about my own childhood. Sally moves into a new area when she’s around eleven or twelve, and I was ten when my family moved to a new area. It was strange, being the new Black kid in the neighborhood. People acted like I was a martian from outer space or something! When I graduated from high school, I was the only Black female in the class! Racism is something that I’ve experienced in my life and Patti touched upon this issue in a realistic way.

Great story! You should read it!

~Cecelia Dowdy~