Review: Authentic Southern Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 29, 2012
I recently had the pleasure of reading Slave Auction, part one of a series of short stories from the Deep South by Katrina Parker Williams. Horatio is a four-year-old slave boy who doesn't understand why he's being ripped from his mother's side. He doesn't understand the cruelty and meanness of the people who are taking him away. All he knows is that his heart is breaking, and yours will too, when you read his story.No one gets to choose where or when they are born. "Slave Auction", set in the deep old American South, sends the reader back an era that many of us would like to forget. The real-life horrors that were acceptable at that time make today's popular crime fiction look tame. The glossy pictures painted of Southern plantation life often overlook the cruelty and heartache that hovered beneath the surface.  This is a well-written and well-researched story that reminded me of the importance of visiting and contemplating on our nation's history. Ms. Williams' characters have the ability to reach into the reader's heart and linger for awhile. I look forward to hearing more of her authentic Southern voices later in this series.