The Sleeping Night

Jun 03, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-historical-fiction

An angel, robed in spotless white,
Bent down and kissed the sleeping Night.
Night woke to blush;
the sprite was gone.
Men saw the blush and called it Dawn.

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Angel Corey learnt all she knew of racial tolerance and Christian love at her father's knee. Her beloved father Parker had returned from the First World War with an unswerving trust in God. Growing up in the first half of the twentieth century on the outskirts of Gideon, Texas in racially divided America, his store served the...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Alexis ~*Too many books, not enough time*~ rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE!

Shelves: adult-romance, arc_netgalley, fall_2012_sept_oct_nov, interracial-love, violence, tragedy-tragic, strong_female_lead, soul_churning, self_discovery, saved, rescued, pregnancy, murder, moderately_steamy, historical-romance, his-her-pov, heartbreaking, heart_pounding_moments, hea-included, funfearless-andfemale, flashbacks, emotional-read, danger, kleenex-required

Spoiler Free Review
4.5 STARS out of 5
Genre: Adult Historical Romance

'They'll need love and courage to see the dawn...
He's a hometown native, returning from the war, determined to change the world he'd fought to protect. She's the girl who's been his secret friend since childhood, now a beautiful woman. Her wartime letters kept him alive.
But he's black and she is white.
In 1946, Gideon, Texas, their undeniable love might get them both killed. ~In The Sleeping Night

The Sleeping Night is set in the...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Mary B. rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of interracial romance, WWII historical fiction, angsty romance

Shelves: romance-historical-american, romance, kindle-books-i-own, twentieth-century-historical, class-differences-romance, emotional-and-angsty, friends-to-lovers, military-or-warrior-hero, multi-ethnic-racial-cultural-love, southern-setting

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Isaiah High and Angel Corey had been close friends since they were babies. Although they lived in the South under Jim Crow (he is black and she is white), Angel's father was unconventional and progressive for his time in that he was friendly to the blacks in Gideon, TX, and opened his store to them. He also maintained a close friendship with Isaiah's father, forged on the battle fields of WWI, and unbroken by the South's segregated and racist society.

As the children grew older, however, their...more
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Isaiah High and Angel Corey had been close friends since they were babies. Although they lived in the South under Jim Crow (he is black and she is white), Angel's father was unconventional and progressive for his time in that he was friendly to the blacks in Gideon, TX, and opened his store to them. He also maintained a close friendship with Isaiah's father, forged on the battle fields of WWI, and unbroken by the South's segregated and racist society.

As the children grew older, however, their parents recognized the very real dangers that existed if they maintained contact, and so they were forbidden from interacting once they hit adolescence. This could not prevent Angel and Isaiah from continuing to love one another from afar. And when Isaiah joined the Army just before WWII, they wrote letters back and forth consistently throughout the duration of the War. The reader gets to read these letters at the beginning and end of each chapter, and they add a rich, descriptive depth to the events as they are currently happening in the story.

Isaiah returns to Gideon, TX, just days after Angel's father passes away, and they strike up a friendship again, despite the dangers and the warnings from their allies. Isaiah is bitter and jaded from the horrors he witnessed in Europe, and he's determined that he will not stay in Gideon. But he cannot bring himself to leave Angel, and finally the two acquiesce to the long-suppressed feelings they have harbored for one another. But now they must face the danger that lurks in the town of Gideon, where many of the residents would rather see both of them dead before they saw a white woman be with a black man.

This book is richly detailed, putting the reader in the setting. Vivid secondary characters beautifully complement the plot and the primary characters. The letters between Angel and Isaiah during the war were a wonderful addition, and beautifully written. This book deals with a lot of spiritual and religious elements, but is not inspirational, per se. There is one sex scene, and it is not graphic, but is described in detail. There is a lot of talk about God in this story, mainly as the characters wonder how God could allow so much evil to be propagated in its name.

I actually wavered between 4 and 5 stars on this, only because - despite the fact that the writing was excellent, the plot solid, and the story lovely, I never felt quite connected to the relationship between the characters. Sometimes the romance itself took a backseat to the overarching racial and WWII-era anti-Semitic themes.

But ultimately I rated it five stars, because the story deserves it. I would recommend this to anyone who likes interracial romances, or just racial themes in general, or anyone who likes WWII era romance, because - WOW - the historical detail is so well-described and the reader can really place herself in the shoes of the characters. I could really feel the dangers and the emotions as the events unfolded, and this is the type of quality writing I have come to expect from this author.

I actually used the highlight feature in this book! :-) which I rarely do. But here are some of my favorite quotes that I highlighted:

And standing here now in the hot sun, he had to tell himself the truth or be damned. He hadn't come home to see his mama or deliver Gudren or any of the other things he'd told himself he had to do. He had come home because Angel was here. Every road always led back to her somehow.
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At seven, Isaiah had told his father he intended to marry Angel Corey. Jordan had stopped dead in the middle of the bridge and knelt down to stare in his son's eyes. He gripped Isaiah's arms so hard there had been bruises the next day. "No you ain't, boy. Don't you ever say it again. Ever. Hear?"
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Something terrible had happened, he thought. "Angel," he said gently, holding the umbrella over her. "What are you doing, girl?"
She swiveled her face around to him and the stillness he had thought to be some kind of pitiable defeat showed instead to be a clear and burning fury. With an expression of great disdain, she lifted her chin at the porch.
Isaiah looked. In red paint on the floor of the porch, someone had scrawled "nigger lover" in letters two feet high. A chill touched him.
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How could you carry the inside of a person with you and not call them a friend, no matter what the rules said?
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"Seems to me people are mean or evil because they're scared, mostly, or in pain, or afraid they're going to lose something."
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Best friend. That's what he'd told her last night. You couldn't hate your best friend. And she was that, all right, his best friend in the world. But a man didn't want to do things to a friend that holding her for five minutes this morning had brought to his mind. A man didn't think about slipping the old, tired robe from the body of his friend, thinking of touching the fresh supple skin below. A man didn't ache all day with hunger for a friend.
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He kissed her. "Since we were babies, Angel," he said hoarsely, "since we built that tree house, every day during the war, always, always, always I loved you."(less)

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Jun 07, 2012 willaful rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, multiracial-multiethnic, angsty-goodness, star-crossed-or-forbidden-luv, reunited-or-have-history, sexy-beta, epistolary-pen-pals-online-pals

World War II is over, and lives will never be the same. For Isaiah High, the end of the war means knowing he’ll never be able to belong in Gideon, Texas again.

"He’d understood that his service had changed him. Until he’d been forced to board the colored car at the Mason Dixon line, he had not realized that it might be impossible to return to the Jim Crow South, to fit himself back into rigors of a system that now seemed antiquated and peculiar.

However much he and his fellow soldiers had change...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Michelle [Helen Geek] rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE

Shelves: arc-netgalley, tbr-kindle, 5_star, life-changing

5 Stars

I wavered between 4 and 5 stars, but in the end, the slice of history we glimpse with this story sold me. The absolute courage demonstrated through the love of the two primary characters is sheer brilliance. The simple message ... Love one another.

"Isaiah to Angel:
"He didn't do you any favors, Angel. Your Daddy". She pulled mugs out of the cupboard. "Maybe not. But maybe that's how the world changes, Isaiah. One father, one child, at a time." "Mmm-hmm."

“Love one another. Love one another....more

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Jan 08, 2013 Barb rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Sleeping Night is the first book I've read by Barbara Samuels. Angel was left alone after her father died right after World War II ended. She never knew her mother, she had no brothers or sisters, and her husband of a few weeks was killed in the war, and her father passed away right after the war ended. Their small store's customers were mainly African Americans in Texas town. Angel's father was friendly with his customers and that put Angel in a bad spot after he died. She was never learned...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Next door neighbors, basically but twenty worlds apart. Isaiah High and Angel Corey were best friends their entire lives until they became teens and then, by mutual unspoken agreement, they were pulled apart. Her dad and his mom saw things they didn’t and decided their way was best. And, in WW II Texas, it was.
Angel’s mom died at her birth, leaving her to be raised in her papa’s general store, on the riverbank in Gideon, Texas. Across the river, in lower Gideon, lived the folk who the other res...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Melody May rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, romance

The story starts off in Gideon, Texas in 2005 at a bookstore. These ladies are gathered there to hear a reading of Angel Corey's experience growing up in Gideon. As Angel starts reading her story, we go back to 1926 where we meet a young Angel and her friend Isaiah High and there special friendship. A friendship that would be looked down upon during that time, giving the fact that Angel is white and Isaiah is black. We jump ahead 20 years in the story, we find Isaiah returning from World War II...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Hannah Fielding rated it 5 of 5 stars

A beautiful, passionate, thought-provoking story about forbidden love; this book will be going on my ‘favourite romances’ shelf.

From the blurb: An unforgettable romance in an unforgiving time. They’ll need love and courage to see the dawn. He’s a hometown native, returning from the war, determined to change the world he’d fought to protect. She’s the girl who’s been his secret friend since childhood, now a beautiful woman. Her war-time letters kept him alive. But he’s black, and she’s white. In...more A beautiful, passionate, thought-provoking story about forbidden love; this book will be going on my ‘favourite romances’ shelf.

From the blurb: An unforgettable romance in an unforgiving time. They’ll need love and courage to see the dawn. He’s a hometown native, returning from the war, determined to change the world he’d fought to protect. She’s the girl who’s been his secret friend since childhood, now a beautiful woman. Her war-time letters kept him alive. But he’s black, and she’s white. In 1946 Gideon, Texas, their undeniable love might get them both killed.

From the outset, I was drawn into the story by the compelling characters – courageous Angel, a lone white woman fighting to keep her independence after her father’s death, and Isaisah, her childhood friend who has seen too much in Europe during the war and can no longer tolerate the racism of the South. I found myself increasingly anxious as I read, seeing their love unfold in such a hostile environment – hoping so much they could find their way to each other but, knowing the reality of the setting and the historical era in which the book is set, fearing the only possible outcome could be tragedy.

Barbara is such a talented writer, conjuring up vivid mental pictures through her imagery that transported me to 1940s Texas and plunged me into the scenes. Here’s an example: ‘Isaiah sank down next to her. Bony knees stuck out from below his cut-off pants. His ankles were streaked, his shoes muddy, and he smelled like sunshine and dust and river water.’ I love that so much of the book has an authentic Southern feel in terms of tone and phrasing; and I really enjoyed the interweaving of letters sent during the war, which blend in a feel for war-time England and the two protagonists’ differing experiences of war.

In her dedication at the start of the book, Barbara mentions that this novel was ‘stashed away’, and it only saw the light of day thanks to an encouraging friend. Well, I am so very glad that Barbara did believe in the book enough to publish the book, because it was a true pleasure reading it, and I know that the touching story of Angel and Isaisah will remain in my imagination for years to come.(less)

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Jun 10, 2012 Kristin Anders rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: History buffs, interracial couples

Shelves: imperfect-heroine-romances, romance-books-reviewed

How are the sex scenes?

Meaningful. A few leading up to scenes and some implied, but nothing that would embarrass you at the next book club meeting. (Yes, you should definitely be discussing this book.)

How are the story lines?

Romantic and beautiful with heart wrenching realism about southern life during the 1940s.

Would you read it again?

Yes. Great literature should always be read again.

Summary

The Sleeping Night by Barbara Samuel tells the story of Angel Corey, a white daughter left alone after...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Vivian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Barbara Samuel has crafted an emotionally wrenching and soul-stirring story with The Sleeping Night. The story begins in 2005 with a prelude to a war memorial dedication and an author reading in a rural Texas town. The reader is then whisked away to the same town in the 1930s and 1940s. Angel Corey is the white daughter of a store owner, a store owner that sells to the "coloreds" and lives on the wrong side of the color-line. Her mother died shortly after her birth so she is being raised by her...more Barbara Samuel has crafted an emotionally wrenching and soul-stirring story with The Sleeping Night. The story begins in 2005 with a prelude to a war memorial dedication and an author reading in a rural Texas town. The reader is then whisked away to the same town in the 1930s and 1940s. Angel Corey is the white daughter of a store owner, a store owner that sells to the "coloreds" and lives on the wrong side of the color-line. Her mother died shortly after her birth so she is being raised by her father with somewhat unconventional ideas, such as the equality between whites and blacks. Isaiah High is just a few years older than Angel, but he is a black male being raised in an era of Jim Crow laws. As children, Angel and Isaiah play together, read together and even nap on laps together. As teenagers they are prohibited from playing together. As young adults they help one another remain sane during World War II through letters; Angel is now a war widow and Isaiah is a soldier in Europe. They both know that they cannot return to the level of friendship they had as children, but they also know that it has moved far beyond simple friendship into love.

Angel was allowed to be unconventional as long as her father was alive, but he died shortly before Isaiah returns to the States. Her sole remaining relative, a paternal aunt, expects her to fall in line with societal rules . . . sell the store, move into town and become more respectable. When Angel is pushed out of her church by the bigoted actions of the church governing body, she all but severs ties with the town of Gideon. Her only friends remain the High family, Mrs. Pierson (a family friend), and Mrs. Pierson's niece, Gudrun Stroo. Mrs. Pierson is a refugee from Poland and World War I and her niece is a refugee from Denmark and World War II. Both understand the notion of hatred without cause and try to provide a safe haven for both Angel and Isaiah as it becomes clear that they love one another.

The Sleeping Night isn't an easy read simply because of the topics presented: racism, bigotry, and hatred. However, it also presents some wonderful issues such as love, family and survival. The citizens of Gideon Texas were probably no different from those in other towns in the 1930s and 1940s. People were expected to adhere to certain societal and class rules with the pervasive notion that whites and blacks do not mix. The idea of an interracial couple, especially a black male and white female, was more than taboo; it was grounds for justifiable homicide against the male. Reading about the growing attraction between Angel and Isaiah during this time period provided a lot of tension, racial and otherwise. Ms. Samuel presents star-crossed lovers that hope for a life together that simply cannot be at that time and in that place. I was captured by the stories of Angel, Isaiah and the gentle (and not-so-gentle) townsfolk of Gideon Texas from the first chapter to the last, so much that I read it in one sitting. The Sleeping Night may make you cry or get angry at the injustices in the world but it will also make you smile, laugh and hope for a better tomorrow.
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Feb 19, 2013 Cinzia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes it's more difficult to talk about the books I liked a lot, just as The Sleeping Night, it triggers so many emotions and thoughts that you are not sure to be able to communicate that to all tothers. Wonderful, amazing but mostly true, here's how it might define in a few words.
The Sleeping Night tells the story of one kind of love between two people that everyone dreams about and that only great difficulty and fights are able to forge, for the right to have these feelings.
Angel and Isaia...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

If I could give this book 3.5 stars I would do so. Barbara Samuel has always excelled at creating romantic tension between hero and heroine, and you can't get much more tension than a black man and white woman in post-WWII Texas who know that they could be killed if they give into their attraction. Throw in a secondary character who survived the Holocaust and you've got a romance novel that was probably much too heavy for today's mainstream publishers. Good for Bell Bridge Books for pioking it u...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am very moved to think of times in our country's not too distant past when relationships between white people and black people were anything but equal. I'm not unaware of the fact that there are many places still in our country where people are mistreated or looked down upon because of the color of their skin. There are many reasons why I think this is appalling, but this is a book review, not a soapbox; so I will not digress.

In The Sleeping Night, Isaiah High has come back from World War 2 to...more I am very moved to think of times in our country's not too distant past when relationships between white people and black people were anything but equal. I'm not unaware of the fact that there are many places still in our country where people are mistreated or looked down upon because of the color of their skin. There are many reasons why I think this is appalling, but this is a book review, not a soapbox; so I will not digress.

In The Sleeping Night, Isaiah High has come back from World War 2 to Gideon, Texas. He is determined to leave again as soon as he fulfills a promise to a dear older neighbor. Because in Gideon is the woman he loves but can never have. Isaiah is black. Angel is white. And in Gideon, Texas in the 1940s, both of their lives could be in danger because of it.

This was a beautiful story. I can only describe it as beautiful. The language was poetical. The descriptions were detailed. I felt for Angel and Isaiah. I felt as if I was there, experiencing the deep hatred and unfairness of the times. I cheered for Angel, the strong and determined heroine. I ached for Isaiah, the very real and bitter hero. I was very moved by their plot.

Barbara Samuel does an excellent job relating the atmosphere in the deep south during those turbulent times. And the comparisons between the treatment of the blacks and Hitler's treatment of the Jews in World War 2 were very thought provoking. She uses letters interspersed throughout the chapters to describe the horrors of war that Isaiah faced and to help us understand the current relationship between Angel and Isaiah.

There is some sexual description- very minor and definitely not gratuitous. There is a deep spirituality throughout the novel as Angel and Isaiah both struggle to make sense of God's plan throughout the tragedies they face. It's definitely not marketed as a Christian novel with the sex and some strong language, but it does ask (and answer) some of the same questions that a Christian novel would ask from the same perspective.

I give this one a strong 5 stars and an R rating for sexual references and language.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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Jun 26, 2012 Navdha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-what-i-expected, reaallly-gooood

I never thought I'd say this but after reading this book I feel like I'm a hopeless romantic. This book was so much more than what I expected. At places, it was slow, there were grammatical errors and wrong spellings, but I got an ARC from Net Galley, so I can simply ignore the shortcomings and say that I reaaaaalllllly liked this book.

Full review with spoilers

This is the second book that I’ve read which is based on World War II but in this story it’s more on the sidelines.

The story revolves a...more I never thought I'd say this but after reading this book I feel like I'm a hopeless romantic. This book was so much more than what I expected. At places, it was slow, there were grammatical errors and wrong spellings, but I got an ARC from Net Galley, so I can simply ignore the shortcomings and say that I reaaaaalllllly liked this book.

Full review with spoilers

This is the second book that I’ve read which is based on World War II but in this story it’s more on the sidelines.

The story revolves around Angel and Isaiah who have known each other since their childhood. Their parents were good friends, that is, Angel’s dad and Isaiah’s dad, Angel’s mother died during childbirth. They used to play together and read stories to each other. However, the problem was that Angel was white and Isaiah was colored. During those times, people had a strict caste system and considered colored men inferior and killed them for daring to forget their place in the society. It was the mistake that Isaiah’s father made and died. Since then, things subtly started changing between Angel and Isaiah. They couldn’t see much of each other and were never supposed to be alone. As Isaiah grew into a teenager, he became more angry living in Gideon, Texas with the way things were. His anger was directed at Angel and they grew apart more till Angel’s father made Isaiah leave for the Army. The childhood friendship had somehow died and Angel had to marry her other outcast friend, Solomon.

It wasn’t until Isaiah heard about Solomon’s death, who had gone to the war two weeks after being married to Angel, that he wrote to her. Angel and Isaiah shared letters all throughout the war till one day suddenly Isaiah stopped writing.

The story begins so randomly that for a moment I felt that I wasn’t reading the right book. Then in a few pages, my slow brain started catching up and the story began. I loved how the author’s writing style. The way she moved between the past and the present, switching between letters that were written and posted and some that were never mailed to the current complications of Isaiah being back in town and Angel and him talking an getting friendly again, was excellent. I connected so well to the characters that I could feel their longing, fury, helplessness, desire, happiness, and sadness, jealously all in my bones. I just wanted Angel and Isaiah to be together so bad that every time a scene would come when they would become awkward or indifferent to each other, I would want to put them facing each other so that they could sort and talk things out which they hardly did. The injustice and the horrors of the war were all over the book. There are things that while reading felt long or scenes which could have been shorter or avoided altogether; but after finishing this book, I felt like all those things just made me connect better to Angel and Isaiah. The way the childhood memories were portrayed, the way they both connected, the way neither of them could stop thinking about each other, it was just so romantic! I am not a romantic at heart but reading the story and feeling their anguish and fear tore my heart. I think this book had one of the most beautiful love-making scenes. It was more than halfway after the story but it was worth the wait. I read each line real slow and tried to soak in the words. It was lovely. I must sound like an idiot but the author has a talent of making you connect to the characters in a whole new level. I guess this is what I like the most about the book. The book covered what it summarized about, which is, to me, like the goal being accomplished because sometimes after reading a book you feel as if the authors mislead you into believing something else after giving you a summary or a snippet of the story.

There were moments when I shook my head unable to believe that there was a time when racism was at its worst. There are racists still and I do loathe them but reading about times when even being polite or friendly to colored people made you a throne to people’s eyes still surprised me. What Edwin and his friends did to bully Angel to make her give them her store was so wrong and still no one took her side even when everyone was such a follower of the lord. In which religion or book does God ask people to stand by when someone is being clearly assaulted and violated? Sometimes I’m glad that those old times have passed but then thinking about current world problems doesn’t seem like a relief either.

My favorite parts of the book were the letters. The letters spoke volumes of each of their characters and reading how things had changed for them since childhood made me feel like I knew them as well as any of my oldest friends.

I guess it’s quite obvious that my favorite scene was when Isaiah and Angel finally gave up their inhibitions during that stormy night. That scene is so beautifully written that I think I’m going to remember it for a long time to come. After that I was actually waiting for something bad to happen. Because that’s what usually happens in every other forbidden love story, be it a book or movie. I was expecting the worst, naturally, and was praying, fingers crossed that the author didn’t kill Isaiah. But finally he didn’t die! He was alive till the end and that made me so happy that I am willing to share my chocolate stash with the author, even my nutella; which definitely is a big deal for me. This was my reaction peeking up from the pillow when I finally read that he survived:

I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did cause I’m used to being disappointed more often. It was a refreshing romantic read and I really liked it. ~~I don't know how many times I'm going to repeat that.~~
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Jun 16, 2012 Julie Kibler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Barbara Samuel's latest, The Sleeping Night, is a lovely sideline project, complementing her more recent foodie-themed novels written as Barbara O'Neal. It contains the right measure of Samuel's trademark references to baking, sensual detail, and bittersweet romance.

The Sleeping Night explores the story of a young white woman who sees beyond skin color to fall for her childhood playmate, and a young African-American man who returns from the battlefields of World War II, where decreased racism a...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Marleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

How can I begin to describe this unexpectedly stunning romance novel? First, let me just say that this is not a classic romance, it is more of a slice of history between 1926 and 1946 when the south is still very much segregated and it is impossible to think that a little white girl could befriend a little black boy. Angel Corey and Isaiah High have known each other since childhood, because both their daddies were genuinely very good friends. Also Angel’s father – a store-keeper - was an unconve...more How can I begin to describe this unexpectedly stunning romance novel? First, let me just say that this is not a classic romance, it is more of a slice of history between 1926 and 1946 when the south is still very much segregated and it is impossible to think that a little white girl could befriend a little black boy. Angel Corey and Isaiah High have known each other since childhood, because both their daddies were genuinely very good friends. Also Angel’s father – a store-keeper - was an unconventional religious and spiritual man, who didn’t discriminate – and saw God’s children in everyone. And when this talented author takes us back to 1926, in Gideon, southeast Texas and start setting the scene of how Angel Corey and Isaiah High grew up as children, being rocked on the porch together seated on Isaiah’s daddy’s lap, while he read them stories, I got totally under the spell of the beauty of this author’s writing.
I’m very partial to sweet children’s memories. Adding to that, the author excels in rendering the lush scenery and surroundings where Angel and her father keep their store, at the edge of Lower Gideon – the woods, the river, with all the smells, the sounds, it didn’t get more atmospheric than that. And let’s not even mention Angel’s cooking. Heaven! At that point I wanted to step inside that book and be there. Indeed, this book has the knack to speak to one’s entire sensory system.
And when Isaiah returns from war, having been sustained with a will to live thanks to the letters sent by his friend Angel, will they, Angel and Isaiah finally be able to confront the never expressed deep feelings they have for each other? It seems unfeasible, because unfortunately this is the south in the 1940ies and there’s a lot of meanness and ignorance in the upper Gideon community. Honestly it scared me to read how horribly mean and violent some people could be.
I won’t say more about how it ends because I highly recommend you to read this book. You will not regret it for a single second!
With time, I'll have to check out what else Barbara Samuel has written.

This is from another reviewer on Amazon.com – Judith Arnold – she says it so much better, and I couldn’t agree more:
“The splendor of Barbara Samuel's writing--her lush, sensuous prose, her attention to the earthy details of life, her strong-willed, complex characters and their struggles to connect with one another--are all on radiant display in The Sleeping Night. This book adds another element to the mix: the overt racism of small-town Texas in the years before, during and after World War II. Despite that racism, Angel and Isaiah form a childhood friendship that ripens into love as Isaiah joins the allied forces in England and Angel tries, with less than stellar success, to become a proper white lady who fits into the stultifying and bigoted society in which she finds herself. Can Angel and Isaiah overcome the limitations of that society? More important, can they overcome their own deeply embedded fears? Can they allow their love to blossom, knowing that in that place, in that era, their love could cost them their property, their safety, even their lives? This book will make you weep, and it will make you cheer. It will make you believe in the fierce power of love.”(less)

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Jun 27, 2012 D.G. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, reviewed

**4.5 stars**

The Sleeping Night is one of those books that takes you hostage and doesn't let you go. It was powerful and real in such a way that I was trembling with terror as I read it because I was so afraid for this couple. The book almost felt like literary fiction because it didn't have the normal trappings of a romance with the usual posturing hero or the certainty that everything would be alright. Instead it portrayed a love story on the road to tragedy.

This is the story of an interracial...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Brie C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

I came across this book on NetGalley by mere chance. I was intrigued by the setting and the premise so I requested it. It wasn’t an easy book to read but the story was riveting and very romantic.

The Sleeping Night is set in Texas just after WWII but it goes back in time through the character’s memories and a series of letters that the hero and heroine exchanged during his time in the war.

Isaiah and Angel were best friends while growing up. Angel’s...more Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

I came across this book on NetGalley by mere chance. I was intrigued by the setting and the premise so I requested it. It wasn’t an easy book to read but the story was riveting and very romantic.

The Sleeping Night is set in Texas just after WWII but it goes back in time through the character’s memories and a series of letters that the hero and heroine exchanged during his time in the war.

Isaiah and Angel were best friends while growing up. Angel’s dad was a progressive man who didn’t mind setting up a store that sold goods to the black part of their small town. His quiet nature and his own experiences during WWI, made him open and close to the black men and women in town, Isaiah’s father in particular. So they grew up together and their connection ran deeper than that of a mere childhood friendship. But it’s an impossible relationship so he joins the military. It will take war, tragedy and love for them to reunite, explore what could be and maybe have a second chance.

I thought this book has a lovely romance and an honest, albeit painful, portrayal of the time period. It wasn’t easy to read, not only because of the violence and hatred endured by Isaiah and his family, but also because his memories of the war were terrible. The reason he comes back is because a woman in town writes to him asking if he can help her find her sister’s family. He finds the only survivor, a woman who barely survived the camps but whose entire family and friends, her fiancé included, were murdered. The whole time I kept thinking about all the people who actually lived through this.

The romance develops slowly. These are not your typical star-crossed lovers. Angel never puts a name to her feelings and she even marries one of their friends just after Isaiah goes to war, but her husband dies soon after. Isaiah, on the other hand, has always known how he felt about her. In fact, one of the many times the book made me cry was when he remembers being a kid and announcing that one day he was going to marry Angel, and how his parents were terrified by this and made him promise to never say such a thing again. They remained in touch through letters that kept them sane, but the last year he stopped writing and their relationship suffered from it. When the book starts, he’s only temporarily in town because after living in Europe he can’t go back to the way things are in the South. So starting a relationship with Angel is not in his plans.

Angel isn’t particularly interested in a relationship either, and she has bigger problems to deal with. Her father died and now she’s in charge of the store. But she’s a woman and it isn’t proper to have her own business, especially one that caters to blacks. One of the most powerful men in town is relentlessly pursuing her and won’t take no for an answer. Her house is falling down and money is short. But she also spends time with Isaiah and while they rekindle their friendship they realize that even though life and pain has changed them, they still love each other deeply.

Almost the whole book is about Isaiah and Angel coming to terms with their feelings, and just the last part is about how they actually manage to be together. It’s filled with brutality and sadness, but also hope. I honestly didn’t know if they were going to make it because things get ugly at the end (more like uglier). But this is a romance and the happy ending should be part of it, so I promise there’s one. The ending was the weakest part and the most fantastic. The type of luck they get can only be found in fiction. So I guess it’s a bittersweet ending because, once again, I think of all the people who lived through similar situations and didn’t get a happy ending.

My only complaint with the story is that it felt too preachy. God and Church play an important role in the lives of the main characters, and Isaiah, understandably, suffers a crisis of faith of which he recovers nicely. Angel is relentless in her love for God, and religion is an overall theme in the book -- at times subtle, at times in your face. It rubbed me the wrong way, but this is just my very personal take on it.

Overall it was a great story, it drags a bit in the middle and the ending was rushed and too perfect. But I really enjoyed it and I’m happy I read it. Absolutely recommended to everyone.

Source: we received an e-ARC of the book through NetGalley for review purposes.(less)

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Aug 23, 2012 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of I/R or WWII Romance

Shelves: desert-island-keepers, historical-romance, read-2012

Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" I absolutely love Barbara Samuel's stories of forbidden love, and now that I've read The Sleeping Night, I have yet another one to add to my keeper shelf. Ms. Samuel is one of the most talented authors I know at writing interracial tales of seemingly impossible love. She is also one of the best at conveying a deep sense of yearning between her characters that makes me as the reader want to weep with joy when they finally come together and get their HEA. I like...more Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" I absolutely love Barbara Samuel's stories of forbidden love, and now that I've read The Sleeping Night, I have yet another one to add to my keeper shelf. Ms. Samuel is one of the most talented authors I know at writing interracial tales of seemingly impossible love. She is also one of the best at conveying a deep sense of yearning between her characters that makes me as the reader want to weep with joy when they finally come together and get their HEA. I like how she expresses the connection between the hero and heroine through longing looks, the barest of touches and shared words. The words are particularly important to this book because a large part of it is told in an epistolary format. It was Angel's letters that gave Isaiah the strength to keep going in the midst of the horrors of WWII, and he in turn had someone with an open and listening heart to whom he could write about both the good and the bad things he'd witnessed. Their letters begin in a friendly way and gradually build into something deeper, even if they can't come right out and say, “I love you.” They also share their appreciation of words through the books they both love so much. All the book references were wonderful, as well as how the pair still maintain their individuality by enjoying different types of books.

Angel is a rather plain young woman with the heart of a lion. She married one of her childhood friends just two weeks before he shipped out to fight in the war and was widowed mere months later. Deep down, it wasn't her husband that she truly loved though, but Isaiah, who had been her best friend and constant companion throughout most of her life. Angel is a kind, caring person with a strong and loving faith in God. She was extremely well brought up by a daddy who had an epiphany during his own wartime experience where he believed that Jesus came to him and told him that He loved everyone equally no matter the color of their skin. When Angel's father returned from the war, he opened a store where he primarily serves the black people on the “wrong side” of his small Texas hometown, and Angel has been helping him since she was a little girl. Angel is a free-spirited young woman with a vivid imagination. She loves to go barefoot and be outside in nature and has an affinity with animals. The little injured bird she tamed is really cute. She is also a talented cook and adores children, longing for some of her own, but for now, settles on teaching her Sunday School class. Angel is a generous soul, always doing for others, but she suffers prejudice of her own, both for her decision to live alone and keep running the store after he father passes away and for her sympathy toward the African Americans in the community.

Isaiah has loved Angel since he was a little boy. He even told his father that he was going to marry her someday, which earned him a stern reprimand, because in that era, even a little boy who was black saying something like that about a white girl could get himself killed. I could really sense Isaiah's pain and frustration over the racism that was rampant in Texas and the entire South at that time. It was the prejudice that had taken his father's life, and even after returning home from fighting in the war, Isaiah was still treated like a second-class citizen, as though his sacrifice was meaningless. It had been a refreshing change for him to be treated decently by the British and Europeans who weren't bothered by the color of his skin and didn't care much for America's segregation debate. Isaiah had all but vowed never to return home, but an errand for an old acquaintance and the call of his heart for Angel brought him back to the same hateful, bigoted Texas he'd wanted to leave far behind. Isaiah obviously cares very deeply for Angel and is frustrated by not being able to express his feelings because of the danger it could put them both in, but underneath his anger over not being able to claim the woman he loves, Isaiah is a gentleman with a scholarly side. He treats his mother with great respect, and loves children every bit as much as Angel does. He is also a very talented builder.

It's obvious that Isaiah and Angel are prefect for each other, which is why as a reader it was a little bit frustrating that they couldn't be together sooner. I understood that Isaiah and Angel couldn't touch or even interact very much because of the danger they faced from racists, but it does make the early part of the story move a little slow. I was absolutely dying for them to just brush in passing or maybe think of one another in more overtly romantic terms, which would have built a little more sexual tension. Even now though, I can't decide if this was a weakness of the story or pure genius on the author's part, because it appeared that Isaiah and Angel were trying to avoid even thinking of each other in that way, knowing how impossible their love would be. When they finally do touch, it's a very emotional moment, but it still takes a while for things to build between them. When the first love scene finally happens, it was utterly beautiful.

While I wouldn't categorize The Sleeping Night as an inspirational romance per se, it does contain a very gentle spiritual message. Angel maintains a strong but quiet faith in God and His ability to work good even in the midst of the most trying circumstances. Isaiah, on the other hand, understandably lost his faith after witnessing the horrors of WWII. Angel never tries to change his mind though, but instead treats his views with respect and offers him understanding and patience, believing that she can have faith for both of them. Ultimately, it is her gentleness and love that helps to restore Isaiah's faith. I really loved and related to how this part of the story played out, and think that many authors of inspirational romances could learn a lesson from it about not having one character browbeat the other when it comes to spiritual issues.

Overall, The Sleeping Night was yet another beautiful story from Barbara Samuel's fertile imagination. It was one of the earliest books she wrote, but at the time, there was no market for it. I'm so glad that her significant other encouraged her to dust it off, give it an overhaul, and get it published. It's definitely a refreshing and welcome addition to the romance genre that I highly recommend.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Jan 16, 2013 Trisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

So many intense themes - race, segregation, war, faith, PTSD, the Holocaust - all dealt with while still leaving room for a beautiful love story. It took me a while to understand/adjust to the structure of the book - the flashbacks, the letters, and the blending epilogue - but I came to really appreciate it by the end. It wasn't a cheap gimmick and really enriched the telling of the story. I loved how some events reminded them of letters and other events were recalled within letters. The inclusi...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: oct-12

A heartwarming, and at times heartbreaking, story of a black boy and a white girl growing up together in 1940's Texas. Isaiah High and Angel Corey were best friends until their teens when his Mom and her Dad thought it best to discourage their friendship as it would be looked down upon during that time.
Isaiah becomes an American soldier during World War 2 and the letters back and forth between him and Angel help them both through this horrific time while giving them hope for the future.
Upon his...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Teresa Medeiros rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've been a Barb Samuel fan for years and this was a gorgeous novel illuminated by Barbara Samuel's usual emotional intensity and lyrical writing. It's an interracial romance set in post WWII Texas during a time when loving the wrong person could literally cost you your life. Angel and Isaiah were beautifully drawn, three-dimensional characters. I have to confess that I read the book with a lump of dread in my stomach because I was so afraid for the characters, but in the end the book was incred...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Dani Moore rated it 5 of 5 stars

Angel and Isaiah grew up together, they had loved each other most of their lives. But this was the South in 1946. Neither one had ever admitted it, even to themselves. Because She was white and he was black and that could get them both killed.
It is a heart wrenching story of love, violence, hatred and evil. Both in Europe and in Texas. A story that will chill you to the bone. Made worse by the fact that you know it could be true. I won't give away the end, but I know, this is one story you will...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Sonny rated it 4 of 5 stars

I delayed in reading this book, expecting another story of the blacks' plight and the sympathetic whites. Not so. This is a tender story of friendship. Yes, love comes into it, but the relationship between Isaiah and Angel is tender with years of understanding each other and the racial climate saturating their world. They are not fools in thinking they can change their world, not even trying to find ways to shift the mindset of Gideon, Texas. They know they cannot pursue a relationship and find...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Lynn Spencer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

Starcrossed lovers show up often enough in romance, but rarely with such convincing emotion as in The Sleeping Night. Barbara Samuel's tale of an interracial couple in postwar Texas takes readers through a rollercoaster of emotion as we see her characters dealing with love, loss, and poisonous bigotry. I felt absolutely wrung out after reading this book, and I was in awe of the author's ability to create a story that made the reader feel so deeply invested in the central couple.

This is a partia...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Laura Drake rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love all Barbara Samuel's books, but this one is a step above - I think because the stakes are so high.

In the South, around the time of the Last Great War, you could die for the feelings these characters had for each other, white, black, woman or no.

I was so afraid for the main characters, the only thing that kept me going was knowing that Ms. Samuel wouldn't devastate me with a tragic ending.

The region and times are well portrayed, the characters so real-to-life that the story sucks you in,...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Christa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-arc

This was a fantastic and touching story. The main characters, Angel Corey and Isaiah High, were very sympathetic and likeable. The storyline was bittersweet and sometimes heartbreaking. The story pulled me in, and I couldn't put this book down. It is one that I very highly recommend, and I'm sure I'll be reading it again. I've read several books by Barbara Samuel under her various names, and she has not disappointed me yet.

Angel Corey and Isaiah High were very good friends until they grew to an...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

I received this book from the publishers through netgalley and am so happy I read it!!!

This story touches your heart. Angel is white - Isaiah is black - they become friends as little children and have always loved each other. The story flashes back and forth between their letters to each other during WWII and their everyday life. It is about growing up in the south, falling in love with the "wrong person", and the fight of their lives to have a life together. A great love story!

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Sep 05, 2012 Pmcdnld2 rated it 3 of 5 stars

A black soldier returns to his small segregated town in Texas after WWII. His best friend from childhood was a white girl who wrote to him throughout the war-but he is afraid to have anything to do with her because of the history of their town. His plans to leave town quickly are upset, she tries to reach him, and the town reacts as you would expect. Good story.

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