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Il primo fiore di zafferano

(Freedman/Johnson #1)

Laila Ibrahim (Goodreads Author),

Roberta Maresca (Translator)

4.30 · Rating details · 66,120 ratings · 5,829 reviews

Nella Virginia delle grandi piantagioni e degli schiavi, la piccola Lisbeth Wainwright, primogenita di una ricca famiglia, è affidata fin dalla nascita alla balia Mattie, la schiava di colore costretta a separarsi dal figlioletto per accudire la neonata dei padroni. Tra le due si instaura un rapporto di grande affetto e complicità, che permette alla bambina di crescere nel ...more

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Paperback, 252 pages

Published September 27th 2016 by AmazonCrossing (first published December 17th 2010)

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Nov 10, 2016 Caz (littlebookowl) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

During the last 30 minutes of listening to this book, I was so full of emotion.

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Aug 15, 2014 Angela M rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-reviews

When I read The Invention of Wings last year , it made me think about little I really knew about slavery in spite of having read books and seen movies depicting the despicable injustices and inhumane treatment that black slaves in this country were forced to live with . Once again, this time in Yellow Crocus, the author provides a story that showed me yet another heartache that a female slave on a southern plantation in 1837 was made to bear and my education continues.

I can't begin to explain ho ...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Kiessa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I want to wrap my arms and legs around this book and hang onto it forever. With a depth and subtlety I'm sure I didn't even fully grasp during this first read, Yellow Crocus captured my attention and my emotions on every single page. I am hungry to pick it up and start all over again. Beautiful, warm, hopeful, and inspiring, this story unfolded so seamlessly I felt like I was living it. To finish the last page left me renewed and deeply satisfied. This is the kind of book that makes me glad to b ...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Jamie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, series-in-progress, historical-fiction, kindle-read

This was a wonderfully written book! This book follows two characters, Mattie and Lisbeth, and is set in the mid-1800's in Virginia. Mattie is a slave woman for Lisbeth's family and is called in to be a wet nurse to young Elizabeth (Lisbeth). Forced to leave her own son just a few months old, Mattie is moved into the house and raises the young girl, almost as her own, for several years...

The first half of the book we gets the first several years from Mattie, but as the years wear on, it starts t This was a wonderfully written book! This book follows two characters, Mattie and Lisbeth, and is set in the mid-1800's in Virginia. Mattie is a slave woman for Lisbeth's family and is called in to be a wet nurse to young Elizabeth (Lisbeth). Forced to leave her own son just a few months old, Mattie is moved into the house and raises the young girl, almost as her own, for several years...

The first half of the book we gets the first several years from Mattie, but as the years wear on, it starts to shift to Lisbeth's. We get to see her turmoil as Mattie longs to be with her son and family but has also grown close to her young charge. All seems as ideal as it can be for a slave family for the first several yours but as Mattie's son grows older, problems arise.

We switch to Lisbeth as she begins o be taught about society, and her place in it. And the place of slaves, men, etc. When Mattie is no longer by her side she is forced to make her own decisions for good or bad. But what is that in the 1850's? How do you cope being divided by love from family?

I greatly appreciated the honesty the author brought forth. So many are afraid to speak or write the truth of how things were. While this book surely tones it down, it does note paint it pretty either. And the further into the book, the darker some of the subjects get. I hate when authors over sugar-coat the past. All men were NOT seen as equal then. and women were not to men. This portrays things relatively accurate. My feelings toward the characters were mild but consistently there. A light empathy.

This book hits some deep subjects. For those who get angry at the idea of slavery or past prejudice, do not read this. This refers to slaves as they were called in those days. This is not for the young readers, there is a rape scene,and whipping in this. For the mature reader this is a wonderful book for both history and the bonds of love, family, loyalty and friendship.

I received this book from Flaming Chalice Press in exchange for a fair and honest review. So special thanks to them! *No money or other exchanges involved*

2020- Touchy touchy subject these days. Touchy language. But I am glad the author kept to the truth of the matter. She didn't assume too much of how life was for everyone but enough that will make you think and wonder. Good and bad. It is sad to see how easily people just accepted things without question. The roles one plays in life. Turning a blind eye to what happens to those in the quarters. What is allowed. It is terrible. It even shows how some plantations were far worse than others. I felt more connected to the characters the second time. I even cried a bit at the end. But I did notice some bad formatting with the amazon download. ...more

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Jan 18, 2020 Dem rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Yellow Crocus a novel by Laila Ibrahim. Bookclub read and the one will certainly make for a good discussion. I read this some years ago so knew I was in for a great good book second time around.

I am so glad I read this Novel as the saying goes “ Good goods come in small parcels”.

Yellow Crocus -is a flower that blooms in the most adverse conditions. What a great name for this Novel, makes you appreciate the thought the author put into this book.

This is a short novel and as I have been having a ...more

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Aug 31, 2013 Suze rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Yellow Crocus received such overwhelmingly good reviews on Goodreads, and I like historical fiction, especially tales set in early America. For example, I loved The Kitchen House, which also dealt with pre-Civil War slavery. So I was really looking forward to reading this book. My expansive local library doesn't have it, so I put in an inter-library loan request and received the book from a library in Oklahoma. All good so far. Then I started reading. And, boy, was I disappointed. What could hav ...more

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Feb 13, 2016 Becky rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016, politicalish, reviewed, the_south, black-lives-matter, audiobook, historical-fiction, disappointing, ebook_kindle, romance-y

It's so interesting to me sometimes how my brain works. I've seen this book on Goodreads for a while now, and yet I never gave it any thought at all, never showed even the slightest spark of interest in looking to see what it was about because of the cover:

To me, that just about screams "Christian Romance". Ick.

But then I saw the Kindle edition cover when browsing the Kindle Unlimited options, and THAT one spoke to me and said that this book might be one that could interest me.

So I picked it ...more

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Jun 09, 2019 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2014-release, read-on-kindle, debut, own-read

Mattie’s son Samuel was just three months old when Mattie became wet nurse to Elizabeth, brand new daughter at the big house. It was the 1800s and slavery was part of life. Mattie and her family knew no other way; she had last seen her mother when she’d been sold - her sister Rebecca, husband Emmanuel, son Samuel and Poppy were her family.

As Lisbeth grew, her love and devotion to Mattie strengthened. She would visit Mattie’s family at the slave’s quarters each week, becoming close to them all. B ...more

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Aug 16, 2017 Em Lost In Books rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-star, 2017, br-with-smitha, 2010-19, stand-alone-read

What could have been a beautiful story but turned into just a show of sugary affection because the author didn’t capture the relationship between master and the servant and the effect of slavery on it.

Yellow Crocus explores the relationship of Elizabeth, the white master, and Mattie, the black servant. When Elizabeth was born, she was handed to Mattie. It was Mattie’s job to see the needs of child, feeding and bathing etc. As the child grew up, the bond between these two also got stronger. Eliz What could have been a beautiful story but turned into just a show of sugary affection because the author didn’t capture the relationship between master and the servant and the effect of slavery on it.

Yellow Crocus explores the relationship of Elizabeth, the white master, and Mattie, the black servant. When Elizabeth was born, she was handed to Mattie. It was Mattie’s job to see the needs of child, feeding and bathing etc. As the child grew up, the bond between these two also got stronger. Elizabeth’s parents sell Mattie’s son to a neighboring plantation. The child could not survive there and escapes, never to be found again. Mattie was questioned and beaten, and soon was relieved from the duties as Elizabeth’s nanny. She too soon fled to Ohio to be with her son and her husband. And years later, fate brought both these women together.

This story is so simple. With such high ratings I expected so much from this considering the subject matter of the story. While reading the book I never felt the “sufferings” of poor slaves. Mattie was quite liked in the white household and well taken care of. She can’t blame her masters for mistreating her or beating her. Had she been working in fields, perhaps it would have been a different story. Escaping was her own decision.

As for Elizabeth, she was deeply attached to Mattie but she soon forgot about her once she started going to classes which groomed her in how to be a perfect lady and dance practices. Soon the only motive of her life was to be married off to a rich heir and be an heiress. She seemed so flimsy. One minute she wanted to be a heiress, the next she just ran away from everything. It never got well with me.

Both characters had no emotion that touched me. They felt flat and one dimensional to me. Moreover, the story didn’t do justice to the slavery in 1800s. for most part, it seemed like they were living like one big happy family. And perhaps that’s what author wanted to show in this story but it didn’t go well for me. When I think of slavery, I think of brutality, gore, selfishness, cruelty, helplessness, dejection, anger, but I didn’t get any of that here.

It just didn’t work for me. ...more

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Sep 28, 2020 Karen.J. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I was not expecting “Yellow Crocus” by Laila Ibrahim to be such a fantastic read. This book has been on my shelf for a few years now. Just shows how quickly we can pass by a jewel. I am now started reading “Mustard Seed” by Laila Ibrahim which is a sequel to “Yellow Crocus”.

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Feb 13, 2019 Libby rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, slavery, published-2014, abuse, audible, coming-of-age, family-saga, social-injustice, southern, read-in-2019

4.5 stars rounded up. ‘Yellow Crocus’ was a wonderful surprise of gifted storytelling by Laila Ibrahim. Richly detailed with lush, living, characters, I was immersed in the culture and times of mid-1800s Virginia. An interesting time to be sure, but horrific in its enslavement of African Americans. Born into slavery, Mattie, twenty years old, is a field hand, until the birth of her son, Samuel. Then, because Mrs. Wainwright has just had a baby girl, Mattie is taken from her own child to be a wet 4.5 stars rounded up. ‘Yellow Crocus’ was a wonderful surprise of gifted storytelling by Laila Ibrahim. Richly detailed with lush, living, characters, I was immersed in the culture and times of mid-1800s Virginia. An interesting time to be sure, but horrific in its enslavement of African Americans. Born into slavery, Mattie, twenty years old, is a field hand, until the birth of her son, Samuel. Then, because Mrs. Wainwright has just had a baby girl, Mattie is taken from her own child to be a wet nurse to the little white baby girl, Elisabeth. Although Mattie is heartbroken at not being able to be with her own child, she develops a bond with baby Lisbeth. Ibrahim’s attention to the details of childbirth and nursing children is enhanced by her experience as a birth doula as she states on her GR’s author page. Ibrahim’s story is about the bond that grows between this little white baby and her enslaved nurse; it feels tender and true. As an RN who worked in a newborn nursery for over twenty years, I attended many deliveries, so I appreciated the warmth and attention Ibrahim brought to this part of the story. My favorite part of my duties as a nursery nurse was after the hubbub of the delivery had died down and everyone had left except the parents, and I helped the infant attach to his / her mother’s breast for the first time. I could almost always feel it; the bond of attachment taking shape and growing.

This story will follow Lisbeth through her growing up years and her training as a genteel Southern lady. She is taught that women mind the home and that men are in charge and not to interfere with the decisions a man makes. The man is in charge of the slaves and the woman has little to no input. Mother tells her that the slaves are like children and that the system is for their own protection. Lisbeth’s love for Mattie, her nurse, causes her to question the way things are. When something happens that rocks Lisbeth's world, which point of view will predict her future? That of her parents, or that of her experience in life? That of her deepest bond?

Bahni Turpin narrates this audiobook, and she is magnificent. I was spellbound by her voice. An actress, born in Pontiac, Michigan, I was astonished by her intonation of a rich southern accent and the way she differentiates the characters by voice. Turpin enveloped me in the mellifluous atmosphere of southern life; the hard places of that life alive and aware within the marvelous richness of her silky voice.

Each year, Mattie and Lisbeth would search for the first sign of spring, a yellow crocus. They would celebrate by having a picnic. Celebrating new life, new beginnings, and the love that holds everything together, Laila Ibrahim, has created a wonderful story that I’m sure I will listen to again. There’s a treasure trove inside, not locked away, a story of profound and deep love. Come, and read it. ...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a book that I had never heard of, but really deserves more recognition. Set on the Tidewater plantation in Virginia, before the Civil War, it follows Mattie who is a slave and wet nurse and Elizabeth, the newborn daughter of the plantation. Wonderfully written, with many poignant moments, this novel is a brilliant read of time and place. I am so glad I was not born in that time, a time when women were told want to think, talk about, existed only to please a man and make an advantageous m ...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Carole rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2013, favorites, kindle, historical-fiction

Wow! Another favorite to add to my top all time best! I've had this book in my list of samples for nearly a year. I remembered I read the first chapter about a young, slave who was required to leave her own baby to nurse the newborn girl of the Mistress in the big house. The relationship between Mattie & Lisbeth is so full of love, I couldn't help but adore them. I read this in just 2 days, which is fast for me. I didn't want it to end, I absolutely loved it so!! If you liked The Help The Kitche ...more

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Oct 31, 2014 Jeanette rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This book had the bones of an excellent story, but the way the personalities were expressed, the language of the people, the mood of the setting- all together it just didn't mesh for me. Nor for slavery times under these conditions. It seems a kind of fairy tale, almost like a Hansel and Gretel level aspect of nasty downside and not that era's reality of nasty. Those women, but especially Mattie, just ran flat. It isn't that she couldn't have loved Elizabeth or vice-versa, it was just the though ...more

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Oct 30, 2014 Ruth Turner rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

This is the wonderful, heart-wrenching, but also heart-warming story of the relationship between a young white girl and her slave nanny.

Beautifully written and simply told. I finished it in one sitting.

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Apr 15, 2017 Gina *loves sunshine* rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, 2017

This was a very well written book - definitely grabs you and weaves a haunting story of life on the plantation. I highly recommend this if you enjoyed other popular stories about this era, and books that focus on relationships between slaves and their owners!

I'll give it an honest 3.5 stars. I kind of feel bad....as if that doesn't do it justice. It is just a reflection of my feelings and emotions about the book. It was VERY engaging, I just did not enjoy the content and connections with the ch ...more

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Dec 31, 2018 Stacey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this piece of historical fiction. It has been on my tbr for a long time and then I recently read a review that the audio was good. I listened to it and it was great.

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Jul 23, 2015 Pink rated it liked it · review of another edition

I completely used this book. I picked it solely because it fitted my A-Z challenge for a book starting with the letter Y. Then I noticed it was available on kindle unlimited, so I signed up for a month's free trial, read the book and cancelled my subscription.

Mind you, I feel this book does a fair amount of using itself. It certainly falls into that territory of playing with your heartstrings, making you feel good about humanity and giving you a happy ever after. Was it realistic? No. Did it ha ...more

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Feb 12, 2015 Ezinwanyi Chinyere rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Ezinwanyi by: Sunshine

Shelves: meet-greet-recs-completed, audiobook, historical-fiction

3.5 stars.

Why is the crocus purple when the book is called "Yellow" Crocus? The book was good, but everything was all nice and neat. This period was anything but sweet. I did like it though. ...more

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Feb 15, 2020 Sharon Metcalf rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020

First up thanks to Celia for suggesting Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim for our most recent Buddy Read. As always it was a pleasure discussing our thoughts on this book.

Yellow Crocus, set in 1837 Virginia, opens with twenty year old field slave Mattie's world being turned upside down. Stoically kissing her 3 month old son goodbye, not knowing how long she'll be gone, Mattie is accepting of her fate. Her mistress is about to deliver her first child and Mattie will assume the role of wetnurse to th First up thanks to Celia for suggesting Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim for our most recent Buddy Read. As always it was a pleasure discussing our thoughts on this book.

Yellow Crocus, set in 1837 Virginia, opens with twenty year old field slave Mattie's world being turned upside down. Stoically kissing her 3 month old son goodbye, not knowing how long she'll be gone, Mattie is accepting of her fate. Her mistress is about to deliver her first child and Mattie will assume the role of wetnurse to the newborn. Ultimately this meant moving away from her family and into the big house where she remained for years as Lisbeth's maid. Mattie and Lisbeth shared a closeness that Lisbeth never felt with her own mother and this somehow shaped the woman she was to become.

At different times this book brought to mind other books I've enjoyed. The Invention of Wings for the close relationship between slave and owner which sparked a flame for change and Chariot on the Mountain for its depiction of the Underground Railroad.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the way both Mattie and Lisbeth, at different times, decided to risk their lives to seek their freedom. Mattie from slavery by making her way to Ohio to be reunited with husband and son. Lisbeth from the constraints of polite society when she found she could no longer go along with the pretence that slavery was beneficial to the Negroes. Both required extraordinary courage to execute their plans. Their actions made me stop and think about the behaviours displayed and questioned how I would have behaved had I'd been raised in those days. Would I have had the strength of conviction to defy tradition and reject slavery? Maybe. Or would I have been persuaded by my elders that

" The world is not always kind, but every person has their place in it. Edward has his place, and the young slave has hers. You have yours. We may not choose our place, we may not enjoy it, but we must accept it.”

My inclination was to be judgemental and to dislike the white slave owners. However I gradually came to realise that my frame of reference is so entirely different from the norms of the day that I needed to take that into consideration. This passage between teenaged Lisbeth and a friend about contemporary author Jane Austen caught my attention. I realised I could have said exactly the same of Ibrahim's portrait of 19th Century Virginia.

“I find her portrait of British society so accurate, and yet so dreadful.”
“I agree. It must be awful to be so bound by what society expects,” Lisbeth answered. “I am so glad to have been born in America, where one has freedom.”

A great book and very thought provoking buddy read. ...more

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Jun 05, 2020 Kerrin P rated it liked it · review of another edition

Yellow Crocus (Yellow Crocus #1) by Laila Ibrahim starts with Mattie, a field slave, being forced to leave her infant son to be the wet nurse for newly born Lisbeth Wainwright. Lisbeth is born into wealth on the Tidewater Plantation in Virginia in 1834. I have very mixed feelings about this book. The writing was at times endearing and poignant, but at other times it was simplistic and prosaic.

Currently, America is in the midst of protests that were started after the death of George Floyd on May ...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Lori rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

All the publishers in NYC who took a pass on this novel should be kicking themselves. I can’t even find a website for the publisher that did publish this book which makes me think it was self-pub. I discovered this book as part of a free download promo on Amazon and the synopsis grabbed me. I enjoy reading books based in the south during this time period. There are paperback copies available on Amazon, but the easiest way to read is via kindle download. Right now it is $3.99 or free for Amazon P ...more

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Aug 24, 2014 Shannon rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-publisher

The description of this books sounds so captivating. Unfortunately, I had problems with it from the beginning. The dialect wasn’t quite right and even when present it didn’t feel authentic. The story didn’t feel like it was written of that time, which is partially attributable to verbiage that is from today. I had come to this conclusion even before one character used the words “laugh out loud” to describe her amusement.

Major spoilers follow!

There is a particularly fascinating series of events ...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Anna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: new-author, audiobook, historical-fiction, library-checkout

I listened to this as an audio book and truly enjoyed the voices of the reader. This is a beautifully narrated book about the bond between Lizbeth and Mattie. Mattie, forced to leave her own young son to become the wet nurse to the newly born Lizbeth, grows to care deeply for Lizbeth. Allowed only to visit her own son on a weekly basis for a few hours, it is Lizbeth she cares for daily. For Lizbeth it is to Mattie she turns to for comfort and care, spending little time with her mother or father. ...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Jessica rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, fiction

This book was strange. The first 20% of it was breastfeeding scenes. Not an exaggeration. Finding out the author is a doula was not particularly surprising. The book also suffers from White Savior Syndrome. The narrative is solid, but lacks depth. Overall, a half-decent quick read for fans of historical fiction.

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Apr 06, 2014 Elaine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

A wonderful, very emotional story about the strong lifelong bond that forms between Lisbeth, the white daughter of a southern state plantation owner and Mattie her wet nurse, from the moment of the first feed to adulthood. The book is extremely well written, the words just flow off the page and carry you along - a very easy story to read. The lead characters are both very likeable women and the bond between them is beautifully portrayed. You can certainly feel the love they have for each other y ...more

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Dec 18, 2014 Mandy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This story about the slave-owning society in the ante-bellum American South makes for a pleasant enough read, as it’s well-written and tells a gentle tale of love and loyalty. But what it doesn’t do is represent the true horror of slavery and simply glosses over the worst aspects of it. It opens with the slave woman Mattie being taken away from her baby son to care for the newly born daughter of her white masters. A close relationship develops between slave and child and the bond forged between ...more

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Jan 22, 2015 Kristie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, favorites, historical_fiction, netgalley

I absolutely loved this book. I'm so glad that I took the time to read it. I loved that the characters were all flawed enough to seem real and you really didn't know if things would turn out all right at any given moment. I actually worried about the characters as I was reading. I will definitely read more by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a copy to review. ...more

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Oct 29, 2018 Jules rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Jules by: Joseph - Relax And Read Reviews

Shelves: audiobooks, kindle-bought, historical-fiction, kindle-unlimited

Yellow Crocus is an emotional and thought provoking character led historical fiction. I really enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook, and really felt for the characters.

I bought this on Kindle quite some time ago, but recently decided to borrow it through Amazon Kindle Unlimited after discovering it was available as an audiobook.

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Nov 27, 2020 ☕Laura rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This book felt a bit hokey to me. The writing seemed simplistic and the characters lacked depth. There were some moments that touched me in a sappy way, but overall I felt it could have been done better.

Ratings:

Writing 2
Story line 3
Characters 2
Emotional impact 3

Overall rating: 2.5

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About Laila Ibrahim

Laila Ibrahim

1,540 followers

My education and experience in multiracial, developmental psychology and attachment theory provide ample fodder for my novels. My passion for early childhood education, child birth and religious education are reflected in my writing.

I was the founder and director of Woolsey Children's School where I had first hand experience loving children that were not my own. There are scenes in Yellow Crocus t My education and experience in multiracial, developmental psychology and attachment theory provide ample fodder for my novels. My passion for early childhood education, child birth and religious education are reflected in my writing.

I was the founder and director of Woolsey Children's School where I had first hand experience loving children that were not my own. There are scenes in Yellow Crocus that were largely influenced interactions I had with children from Woolsey.

As a birth doula I had the privilege of witnessing the intensity and joy of childbirth. You can see that my birth experiences are reflected in my novels.

Spiritual themes that cross over multiple religious traditions come directly from working as the Director of Children and Family Ministries at the First Unitarian Church in Oakland.

I live in a small co-housing community in Berkeley, California, with my wonderful wife, Rinda, our amazing children, Kalin and Maya, and our crazy dogs, Bella and Lucie.

I'm very grateful to be a full time writer starting in 2015.

I was surprised when the writing bug bit me. The idea for the story came to me in 1998, I was with a group of people talking about Tiger Woods. Someone mentioned that he identifies as much as an Asian person as an African-American person. I thought to myself, "Of course he does, his mother is Asian. You form your core identity in relationship to your primary caregivers. It's a basic part of the attachment process."

Then the image of Lisbeth, a white baby, breastfeeding in the loving arms of Mattie, an enslaved wetnurse came to me in a flash. I thought about what it would be like for Lisbeth to dearly love Mattie and then be taught by society that she wasn't a full person. I wondered how it would feel for Mattie to be forced to abandon Samuel, her own child, in the slave Quarters. Then I imagined what the experience would be like for Miss Anne, the birth mother, to have her own child twist away from her to get into Mattie's arms. These characters started to haunt me. Various scenes popped into my head. Though I had never written anything, I was being called to tell this story. For my fortieth birthday, I began the personal marathon of writing my first novel. I hope you will come to love these characters as much as I have.

At face value Living Right seems like a big leap from Yellow Crocus, but it deals with the same themes: a caregiver loving across a huge societal barrier.

I LOVED returning to Mattie, Lisbeth and Jordan for Mustard Seed. The story of finding faith in hopeless times really resonates for me. I plan to return to their families' ongoing journey after I finish my current novel-Paper Wife.

Paper Wife focuses on Mei Ling, a young Chinese woman immigrating to San Francisco through Angel Island a in the early 1920's. Reactionary anti-immigration laws in the United States and warfare in China caused people desperate for survival to be misleading about their identities so they could be united with family and have access to work. Mei Ling yearns to have a life of integrity though it was built on a foundation of lies.

Golden Poppies returns to the Freedman and Johnson families. It was fascinating to bring them to California, to look at the suffrage movement, and to see how they could keep their connection strong in spite of the very different social worlds they occupied. ...more