Beyond Molasses Creek
Nicole Seitz
Thomas Nelson
January 31, 2012
320 pages
Amazon|BN
provided by publisher
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5/5 Books
Three lives are bound by a single book . . . and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.
Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.
As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.
A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.
About The Author:
Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels – The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, and The Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design.
Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books.
Connect With The Author:
Website | Facebook | Twitter
My Review:
Having read Saving Cicadas by this fabulous author, I was excited to jump into a new novel by her. Beyond Molasses Creek is both a dramatically complex read AND a light, refreshing read. It’s not often you find a book that can be BOTH of those things in such way that the reader never looses interest. This book is wonderfully written in a style that will win your heart, your mind, your soul. Filled wonderful messages between the lines, you’ll loose your heart to Molasses Creek!
Ally’s character is one that you would love to meet in real life. She’s come back to the South Carolina town she grew up with to handle the loss of her father. Once there, she learns of her father’s dying wish. For her to STAY in South Carolina again. But, there’s one thing that Ally must deal with if she does. Across her Molasses Creek lives a wonderful, God-fearing man. Vesey,the man she calls her closest, best friend. Ally’s loved him from afar since she was little, but she can never have him. Why? It’s nearly unheard of for a white woman and a black man to have a relationship in the 50s.
Ally is coming to terms with the consequences of her actions in her younger years. Vesey is sent away, she leaves and travels the country, becomes pregnant, loses her daughter to a kidnapping and comes full circle with herself and her home, when her father dies. The complexity of Ally’s character is beyond stunning. She grabs your heart and squeezes it til you become a part of her, til the reader FEELS each emotion from happiness to sadness, from hurt to anger.
Sunila’s character is wonderfully portrayed as a 30 year old woman living as a slave. Each emotion she felt overflows to the reader, helping the reader to see through the eyes of the young woman learning about her true identity.
Vesey’s character is one that I would love to know in real life. He’s a wonderful man who trusts so wholly in God and his tenderness with Ally shines bright.
This is most definitely a highly recommended 5 Book worthy novel from an author who can take the complexity of life’s issues, the intensity of kidnapping, loss, survival, forbidden love, and infuse it with wonderful Southern charm to turn out a story that will leave the reader often in tears, and with a smile of awe on their face. By the last page, you don’t want to leave Molasses Creek. The reader will want to sit down with Ally, Vesey, Sunila and all the other characters, take trips back into the past, and live out the future right along side them. I am pleased to say that I am adding this to my all time favorite Christian novels, and I look forward to reading more of Ms. Seitz’ wonderful work in the future!
That’s a very nice cover.
Thanks for the review, Molly!
My goodness, Molly. This review is amazing, and I am so grateful to you for posting!
Molly, this was one of my altime favorites as well. Nicole was a new author to me, and I have added every one of her books on my TBR pile! I just loved it, everything you said in your review was so true about evoking such emotions in the reader. Fantastic read!!
Melanie
I just received my copy of this book yesterday. Can’t wait to read it. Sounds amazing.
Now that’s a positive review. Wow! It sounds like an amazing book and I’m so impressed that the author could create not only such a beautiful story but also such a beautiful cover as well.
I also was a part of Litfuse’s tour and, while this wasn’t my normal genre, I did enjoy reading it. Nicole’s writing comes alive on the pages. And I thought it was really neat that her characters were older on in life, and looking back over their youth. Very neat angle.