The Tattered Black Book

" The OnlineBookClub.org review of ""The Tattered Black Book"" by Lexy Duck 

The thrill of unbridled young love is an unrelenting force that goes to the extreme to exist. This love is what drives Charlotte, the daughter of a powerful attorney, and Tey, a Native American boy, to defy the norms of the time and try to find a way to be together. They face opposition from both the societal prejudice of the 1880s and Charlotte's father, who hates the Native Americans with an unrelenting passion. Together they try to find a way to be together without Charlotte's father finding out as he vowed Charlotte would never be allowed to be with Tey. Lexy Duck's novel The Tattered Black Book tells this story.

I found myself unwilling to put it down once I started; there was never a dull part. The narrative started with a young child, Danny, finding a journal and begging her Auntie to read it to her. The story bounced from their perspective to the perspectives of Charlotte and others in her tale. This kept me in suspense as the story was always moving around to the different characters. This suspense lasted until the very last page of the book.

It also allowed for the characters to be seen in more depth. For example, Tey could be seen through the hateful eyes of Charlotte's father. Then he would be described from Charlotte's loving viewpoint, and his personality was furthered fleshed out. This was done for all the characters and created a well-developed cast that each stood out in their own way.

The writing was my favorite part. There were only a few grammatical issues, and I believed it was professionally edited. More importantly, the writing flowed with the story. Each word added to the narrative and gave me a crystal-clear view of each event that took place. Duck's stunning historical details brought the time period to life and gave each character a physical description that matched the depth of personality each possessed.

This book is more than deserving of 4 out of 4 stars. I can think of nothing I did not like about it. However, there was the use of some profanity and mentions of violence. Readers of romance and historical fiction will enjoy this remarkable tale. It is a quick read that hijacks the imagination and takes you along for quite the ride. The literary elements of the novel work in tandem to create a masterpiece. I would be the first to read another book by Duck if she chooses to write one.

******

The Book Commentary review, reviewed by Romuald Dzemo, June 16, 2022

""He told me he'd kill any savage that dared touch even one hair on my head. And if I ever allowed it, he'd kill me along with him..."" are amongst the strong words that introduce this spellbinding novel, a tale that brims with family secrets and intrigue and drama that is rare. A well-known attorney would not allow the love between his daughter and an Indian boy to blossom. To stop them from loving each other, he has to do the unthinkable. It is what this story is about and more...

 When Danny discovers Charlotte's diary and her wedding photo, she becomes obsessed and curious about them. So she asks her aunt about Charlotte Wickham. It is then that her aunt opens up and spills out the secrets to Danny and her mother, Diana — secrets that have been in the family for sixty years. It is the story of how far a Caucasian father would go to stop his daughter from loving an Indian boy.

The story is persistently suspenseful, alternating between 1883 when Charlotte lived and 1951 as Danny and Diana look for answers to her identity. The story is spellbinding, and it brilliantly explores the theme of racism and social inequality. The love between the daughter of a well-known attorney and a Lenape Indian, who met in grade school, serves as a medium through which the author explores the consequences of racism and the inequality of equal men. The prose is excellent and the writing possesses a beauty that delights in itself. The sparkling dialogues feel real, and they elevate the drama, transforming the entire story into an emotional rollercoaster that keeps readers racing through the pages. The Tattered Black Book by Lexy Duck is a dazzling novel with complex and fully drawn characters, a setting that mesmerizes through the power of its historical and cultural hints, and a conflict that moves the plot in unexpected directions. Lexy Duck comes across as a gifted storyteller with a voice that is as unique as it is compelling. "