My review of Then Came Faith by Louise Gouge

From the Publisher: Juliana is back in New Orleans, a war-ravaged city, to help rebuild and minister to the people devastated after the Civil War. A strict abolitionist & part of the Underground Railroad, she seeks to help the South understand the transgressions of slavery.

My review: I'm impressed with this book. I'll tell you why. I remember growing up in the 1970s and watching several "mini-series" at that time. One was The Holocaust, and the other two were Roots and North & South. Remember those? I also read the books Roots and Queen by Alex Haley at the time. They were fabulous.

Then Came Faith brought all of those memories back and with them came the emotion that coexists with reflecting on such trying times. I loved Juliana and Andre. They made an interesting couple--especially because of their extremely conflicting beliefs--even though they were apart for the majority of the book. The author did a fabulous job showing the hearts of both abolitionists and confederates at the time of reconstruction in the deep south.

This story had some grit, yes, but it wasn't overly done. I especially loved it when Juliana went to confront the slimebag Dupris in his bawdy house and tried to help Gemma escape. That was priceless. Of course, the Civil War era books aren't realistic without a few Klan scenes. Those guys in the white hoods just make me sick, but without them the story doesn't feel as authentic. There was just enough to give you a sense of the internal and external conflict the characters experienced, but not enough to seem excessively dramatic.

I thoroughly enjoyed Then Came Faith and am looking forward to the next book in the series. This is one of those stories that you hate to have end. The faith element was very well done and the change of heart amongst many of the characters was heartwarming and sincere. I also must add that I really enjoyed getting to know Andre and experiencing the doubts regarding his culture and the way he grew up believing that "chattels" as he referred to them, were not equal to whites, yet he loved Cordell like a brother, so he saw the contradiction even within himself.

Then Came Faith was published by Emerald Point Books and released in September 2006.