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Reviewed: Jun 27, 2010

The Sacred Place by Daniel Black
St. Martins Press, February 2007
320 Pages, Hardcover, $23.95
ISBN: 0312359713
Genre: Fiction

RAW Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

When 14-year-old Clement went to visit his grandparents in Money, Mississippi in 1955, he wasn’t aware of the dynamics of the colored folk’s relationships with whites.  His simple act of leaving his nickel on the counter instead of placing it in the white salesclerk’s hand was deemed a blatant act of disrespect and his refusal to pick up the money and hand it to her incited her even more.  Her embellished interpretation of this act told to others, riled the whites in town who had concerns of the colored population getting beside themselves.  Clement’s refusal to admit that what he did was wrong and apologize for it, put a town with deeply rooted thoughts at odds with each other.
 
To teach Clement, his grandfather Jeremy Johnson, and the colored community a lesson, Clement is kidnapped.  Jeremy lost his oldest son to racial hatred and his guilt for not doing anything during that incident weighs heavy on him.  He refuses to let his grandson’s dilemma go away quietly, so with the help of his wife and the community behind him, he stands up to those in the community for justice for Clement.  His greatest strength is gained from the fellowship and communion he has with the spirit of his oldest son in the Sacred Place , a serene wooded area where the spirit realm is as real as the natural.
 
Daniel Black has a way with words that just draws me in.  His oneness with nature and his execution of imagery is powerful in creating the places and characters that make up his novels.  I became a fan after his first offering, They Tell Me of A Home and he has not disappointed yet.  The story line in THE SACRED PLACE shows the strength of a community in a time that was very frightful and disparaging to African-Americans.  Injustice reigned and lynchings were prevalent and often African-Americans kept quiet and accepted their fate.  One man’s determination changed the situation in Money, Mississippi and proved to a town that they have a voice and are a people.

Reviewed by Paula Henderson, RAWSISTAZ.com
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Paula Henderson is an IT Quality Assurance Manager with a book addiction.  She is the mother of three children and resides in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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