Deceptive Calm - by Patricia Skipper (Paperback)

About the Book

1968 was a tough time to be Black in the South. A stunning light-skinned beauty, Vanessa assumes the identity of a dead White baby to change her race.. Her charmed life abruptly ends after her first child is born with Sickle Cell Disease.

Book Synopsis

Against the turbulent backdrop of declared martial law in South Carolina, a stunning light-skinned beauty, Vanessa, lives in a Catholic orphanage for blacks. After a series of racial traumas, Vanessa obtains the birth certificate of a deceased white baby and uses this document to assume the child's identity. She moves to California and enrolls at UC Berkeley under her newly acquired name.

Vanessa marries into one of California's wealthiest families. Her charmed life abruptly ends eighteen months after the birth of her first child who is diagnosed with sickle cell trait. Discovering that the woman he married is black, as is his toddler son, Vanessa's ruthless husband plots his revenge but they both survive. The police investigation that follows seems pretty clear-cut until a curious, young detective uncovers some clues to her private life where nothing is as it appears. The aftermath of the discovery brings down a pillar of San Francisco society.

Review Quotes

Lyndasue Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars

A Time of Change in American Racial Equality

September 28, 2023 Verified Purchase

Skipper skillfully weaves together personal accounts, interviews, and historical records to provide readers with a human perspective on the struggles faced by African Americans during this time. Her storytelling is both evocative and empathetic, allowing readers to connect with the individuals who played pivotal roles in the civil rights movement and the broader fight for racial equality.

Furthermore, the book highlights the deceptive nature of the era's calm exterior. While on the surface, the 1960s and 1970s may have seemed calm to some, Deceptive Calm illuminates the undercurrents of tension, conflict, and change that were brewing beneath the surface. Skipper's portrayal of these hidden dynamics adds depth and complexity to our understanding of the era and challenges preconceived notions about the progress of civil rights.

Deceptive Calm is not only a historical account but also a call to reflection and action. It prompts readers to consider the relevance of the struggles and achievements of the past in today's context. Patricia Skipper's book serves as a reminder that the fight for racial justice is an ongoing journey, and the lessons of the past must inform our actions in the present.

In conclusion, Deceptive Calm is an engaging and enlightening read for anyone interested in American history, particularly the civil rights movement and the cultural transformation of the 1960s and 1970s. Patricia Skipper's meticulous research, compelling storytelling, and insightful analysis make this book a valuable contribution to the understanding of this pivotal period in American history. It challenges readers to confront the complexities of the past while inspiring them to work towards a more just and equitable future.

andyfalk

5.0 out of 5 stars

Exceptional Storytelling

October 16, 2023 Verified Purchase

You know a book is good when you can't put it down. When I was supposed to be working, I was reading Deceptive Calm. I ate meals with the book in one hand, a utensil in the other. For God's sake I was even finishing the book while I had a football game on in the background, which is just absurd and something I had never even considered doing. Suffice it to say, once you get into the story, good luck putting this book down.

Skipper's sagacity into the south is reminiscent of some of the great master storytellers. She writes about the south like Michael Crichton wrote about technical and scientific issues. I absolutely love her character portrayals as well, which got me so heavily invested into the story.

As an added bonus Skipper's love for San Francisco and local knowledge puts you right there, on the cable cars, the foggy streets and the barbary coast below the Cliff House. This is a must read, and I'm sharing Deceptive Calm with all my friends!

Jacqueline Shapiro

5.0 out of 5 stars

Culture shock in a story that takes twists and turns at every corner.

November 4, 2023 Verified Purchase

From the Spanish moss antebellum deep South to the foggy San Francisco Bay, our main character experiences the twists and turns of her life beginning as an adolescent orphan of the deeply racial South in the 1960s into her grand coastal relocation to the Bay Area adulthood. Lots a fun local SF Bay area references and landmarks written by a woman who really knows her stuff. Fun, quick, enjoyable read.