Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez starts out with an unlikely love story between a black boy and a Mexican girl but the theme of this story is loss. Loss after loss, piled on top of loss and then more loss. It shows us racism toward black people and Mexicans in a small town built only to dig for oil. The main family in the story is headed by a white man that has only known loss and can’t seem to grow beyond that lesson no matter how hard the local pastor tries to lead him.
This unlikely love story is daring, beautiful and cruel. It takes place around a real event: The New London School explosion on Thursday March 18, 1937 at 3:16 pm in New London, Texas; an all white school…except for the 3 Mexican children, Naomi, Beto and Cari, brought there by Henry Smith, Beto and Cari’s father and Naomi’s step-father.
It is well known that a local black boy, Wash, is seen regularly helping around that school to maintain the grounds. He was also there the day of the explosion. He pulled many bodies from the rubble. He was the perfect one to blame for the many losses to this community.
“Remember, son, when it comes to whites, ‘yesser, yessum’ is the only answer you know,” Chapter 6
Of course when the white people in town have suffered the loss of so many children they need someone to blame so they look to Wash, instead of facing the fact that it is just a terrible accident. No matter how hard they all try there is no setting anything right again.
I found this book in the Banned Books section at the Longview Public Library. There are a lot of tender subjects in this book and I can see why someone might not want to look so blatantly at racism, child abuse, alcoholism and other human conditions. I think Perez did a good job describing her characters and their situations. Honestly I have little personal knowledge of prejudice towards Mexican people but I was not shocked that it is very similar to how black people and Native Americans have been and are treated. I felt a lot while I read about characters that I fell in love with. I might not want to just hand this book to my teenager without a conversation, but I think it is worth reading. I think it will help compassion to grow in any reader.
You can get your own copy of Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez on Amazon.com.
Read my Review on Goodreads:
Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Pérez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I could not put this book down. It had a compelling story, wonderful characters and a perfect pace that kept me engaged.
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My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information.
If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
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