PASSION'S FURIES

Author: AlTonya Washington ISBN: 9781585713240 8/2008 HISTORICAL Publisher: GENESIS PRESS
Time Period: 1820's Charleston

Spend some time in 1820s Charleston, South Carolina as the Denmark Vesey rebellion is organized. Jacinta McIver is determined to be as much a part of the uprising as possible. Of course, this will never happen if her father has his way. Then, there's the charming and mysteriously alluring Solomon Dikembe who comes to Charleston with plans to conduct business with Jacinta's father Jason McIver. Jacinta soon discovers that the only thing more unsettling than the subtle mastery of Solomon's touch, is his determination to prevent her involvement in anything remotely related to the very real uprising destined to occur.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

AlTonya Washington sets her historical romance, PASSION'S FURIES, in 1820's Charleston, South Carolina, at a time when Denmark Vesey is leading a rebellion of slaves against the owners. Jacinta McIver is a free black woman living in comparative luxury and slave conditions touch her heart, mind and soul. She wants to take part in the rebellion to free the people she has come to know, despite the vast gulf between their lifestyles. Her father wants nothing more for her than her safety, especially far from Charleston where she is a safe, free black woman by only the merest of threads. Should any of the white plantation owners get even a whiff of her involvement in any talk of rebellion, she would certainly lose her freedom and life after losing her pride, dignity and virginity. When Jason McIver begins a business deal with Solomon Dikembe, a free mulatto from the north who owns property, sailing vessels, and power, he recognizes a viable way to remove his beautiful daughter Jaci from her perilous existence. Will she hate her father and Solomon for what they are about to do?

In PASSION'S FURIES, Washington creates compelling characters with both attributes to admire as well as their own special human flaws. Solomon is a gorgeous man who has always suffered from young ladies throwing themselves at him, but he's never sure if they like him, his good looks, or his wealth. In addition, being mulatto comes with another set of problems—not black enough for blacks to accept him as one of their own, despite all the good he does for the community, and not white enough for some white folks to think he's stepping out of the place where he belongs. He falls for Jacinta the moment he first meets this feisty, determined young woman, and she not only doesn't fall at his feet, she holds him in disdain because, though he's from the north and may not be like Charleston mulattos, he is still a mulatto, and in Charleston they are not to be trusted. It takes all of Solomon's strength to woo Jacinta without giving in completely to his carnal desires, and his ego is still fragile enough that he loses faith in Jacinta and must learn to love her anew.

I truly love well-written, thoughtful stories that are not just romance, desire and passion, but also teach me something. While the courtship and seduction of Solomon and Jacinta is brilliantly written, the story of the 1820's slave rebellion is just as compelling. Just a week ago, we found documentation showing that my husband's great-great-great-great-grandfather was a conductor on the underground railroad, and I read PASSION'S FURIES with an eye to learning more about this time. It would be exceedingly crass of me to say that I understand what the slaves went through, but I do have a very tender heart for any person who suffers any kind of abuse, and the slave stories in this book touched me deeply. In the moments as I was finishing the book, there was a news report that a biracial couple in a nearby town had been the victims of racial slur graffiti being painted on their property. Jacinta's hope that people get beyond the hatred of race, gender, and status is yet again left wanting. It saddened me and made me want to send a copy of this book to every high school in my area.

PASSION'S FURIES is a beautifully written love story about two people too proud to back down from their ideals, desires, and hopes, but strong enough to let each other into their hearts. I couldn't put it down and wished for more as it ended. I recommend it to every reader who enjoys a tight romance as well as some danger, suspense and history.

Susan Barton