It’s 1954, and twenty-two-year-old Lucia Lafleur has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. While sock hops and poodle skirts occupy her classmates, she dreams of bacteria and broken bones-and the day she’ll finally fix them.¿After graduation, a letter arrives, and Lucia reads the words she’s labored a lifetime to earn-“we are pleased to offer you a position at the University of … of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.” But in the midst of her triumph, her fiancé delivers a crushing ultimatum: forego medical school, or forego marriage.¿With fractured hopes, she returns home to Louisiana, expecting nothing of the summer of ‘54 but sweet tea and gumbo while she agonizes over her impending choice. There, she unexpectedly befriends Nicholas, a dark-skinned poet whose dignity and intellect are a salve to her aching heart. Their bond, initially forged from a shared love of literature, soon blossoms into something as bewitching as it is forbidden.¿Yet her predicament deepens when a trivial misunderstanding between a local white woman and a black man results in a brutal lynching, and the peril of love across the color lines becomes chillingly real. Now, fulfilling her lifelong dream means relinquishing her heart-and escaping Louisiana alive.
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Spans time for women everywhere – what path do you choose and what are the consequences
By the Light of Embers is a haunting story which is based in the summer of 1954 in the south but it could very well be based in the present day and about a modern young woman. There are choices and consequences that the h, Gretchen, must make. These choices will impact her for the rest of her life and those around her, family, friends and loved ones. Some choices are thrust upon her – go to medical school and fulfill her dream but lose her fiance or get married and forgo her dreams to live what may become an unfilled life. The historical references and the way the author has captured the sub-context of what simmers very shallowly under the town and the people in it was extraordinary. The readers need to realize that even though this story is based less than 70 years ago there were so many fewer choices available to what were considered “lesser” people – women and people of color. There were not the rights and laws in place then and the social justice struggle had not started in earnest for either group until several years later.
Shaylin Gandhi has written a truly wonderful story with great characters, both main and secondary. There are a lot of things taking place throughout the book which impact the main plot. I would definitely recommend everyone read Light of Embers, especially young women. We may have “come a long way” but we are definitely not as far as we should be so far.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
—4.5 Stars—
This book tells a beautiful forbidden love story of two people that are caught in the wrong place and the wrong the time. Although this book is written in an elegant and graceful style, it does not hold back on the grim and revolting details of the tragedies these characters face.
I found myself emotionally caught up in the characters and cheering for both Lucia and Nicholas!!
It was not hard to connect and form an emotional bond with the main characters!! They were well-developed, relatable, and genuine.
Lucia is smart, strong, brave, caring, good-natured, and determined. She has dreams of becoming a doctor and following in her father’s footsteps. However, when her fiancé, Kip, gives her the ultimatum of being his wife or a doctor – her plans and dreams are turned upside down and she decides to return home to Louisiana for the summer with her Best Friend, Gretchen, to consider her options. Although, I personally want to think the spirited girl in Lucia wanted to just toss Kip to side right then and there for even making such a demand, but this was different times, this was the Deep South in 1954 and women rarely held professional jobs – they were expected to be homemaker’s. They were to marry, have kids, and stay at home. Lucia wanting to be a doctor was unheard of. And no “real” husband would want his wife out of the house all day. But Lucia wanted more out her life, she was driven, and that’s probably another reason I loved her and easily clicked with her.
I really enjoyed Nicholas and his story. He was sweet and gentle and the way he was with Lucia was precious. They were adorable together!!
I also liked Sebastian and appreciated how understanding, kind, considerate, patient, attentive, and respectful he is.
Unfortunately, what seems unimportant to me, but is a huge plot point and a big deal in the Deep South in the 1950’s is that Lucia was White and Nicholas was Black – therefore, this was a forbidden relationship. A relationship that if found-out could carry several different penalties – such as being ran out of town, jail, and/or death.
There is a particular troubling scene with a misunderstanding where a kind, Black gentleman is trying to return a woman’s handkerchief that she dropped, and he is actually lynched for inappropriately touching her when he was only trying to get her attention. It was highly taken out of context, but I don’t doubt something like that occurred back then. And it is utterly disturbingly to read about such terrible struggles that transpired during that era. Although we may not exactly be hanging Black men anymore, I’m not sure we’ve totally learned from history as we are still in many ways dealing with racism, discrimination, and hatred. And unfortunately, this bigotry is still very present in today’s political and criminal domain.
The author provided several thought-provoking and compelling passages throughout this book!
Mrs. Gandhi’s writing style is superb! She wrote so many passages with such powerful detail. Several times I found myself completely captivated in the story!
One particular passage really stuck with me:
“Maybe there is a God. I’ve never believed in one because I couldn’t reconcile myself to the idea that a loving deity would create a world filled with tragedy. But now I know that, if he does exist, suffering is his greatest gift to us. It’s the keen edge of loss that lends our lives such meaning…”(Gandhi 425).
Wow!! I think many of us have battled with how could a God put us through some of the toughest days of our lives or how could he take a loved one from us or why would he possibly allow 9/11 to have happened?? Most people usually answer it’s always a test and you’re never given more than you can handle. I was intrigued about this way of looking at tragedies as a gift and how loss gives us meaning in our lives. It is a fascinating take on this topic and it’s definitely something to explore and think more on.
I love the in-depth amount of research the author did while constructing this book. It was clear she was very familiar and well-versed on the culture, customs, and traditions of the Deep South in the 1950’s. The author provided so much detail and such vivid descriptions it made the scenes easy to picture.
Mrs. Gandhi went above and beyond in her research and it strongly shows in her writing. She was able to find a way to add significant historical references that provided an authentic ambience to the book.
At first, I honestly felt like there were some easily predictable scenes. However, I was pleasantly caught off guard as there were quite a few unexpected twists and turns that even I didn’t see coming!
Even though when you knew there was going to be heartbreak and tragedy around the corner, I still couldn’t stop turning the pages!!
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it! I think all historical woman’s fiction readers will like this book, too! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading – you won’t be disappointed!
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**
By the Light of Embers (A Powerful Novel) is a complex story with a climactic plot. The world building settings and descriptions are detailed and vivid. The writing style is compelling and the characters are fleshed out and maturity builds. The author captures the Era and history of the time and intricately weaved moments based on history.
Kimberly M. Wetherell narration vocally expressed the characters emotions and thoughts. Her inflection was smooth and easy listening. Her voice changed per character. Overall well done.
Audiobook Obsession
I’ve been putting off writing this review. I just hope I can give it the praise it deserves. This book is haunting me. Twelve hours since I finished it and I just broke out in tears again. Whew! The story takes place in 1954 in the south. A white girl falls for a black man and so much more. The author’s descriptive and emotional writing is spot on. The narrator deserves much praise, too. She did such an awesome job bringing out the emotions of the characters and the times. I was right there scared for the lives of the good people. I now have a new favorite book to tell my friends to read! I will be looking for more from both this author and narrator.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from story Origin.
This story takes you back in time in the 1950’s , Louisiana, where people were judged by their race and sex. Women were expected to stay home. Life was simpler or was it? The subject of Racial segregation is difficult and the norm in the south.When falling in love with a person of a different race is taboo. The author captures the beauty of the culture, and scenery of The bayou. The story is poignant, heartbreaking, beautiful, and very well written. The characters were very well developed throughout the story!
Kimberly M. Wetherell narration is very good and really brings the characters to life.
audiobookobsessionreviewer
The gorgeous cover of this novel attracted my attention first, and then the blurb sealed it. I can’t resist a story about forbidden love!
However, I found it difficult to root for the central couple as wholeheartedly as I was expecting to. They acknowledge that their relationship will have deadly consequences if anyone finds out…and then they proceed to make foolish, reckless choices again and again.
Nevertheless, Gandhi writes beautifully, and her descriptions have a magical quality that transported me back to Louisiana, where I lived for a year. It’s astounding that this novel isn’t by a mature author at the height of her career. Gandhi’s writing is so sophisticated and self-assured. She’s actually a young author at the beginning of her career. I eagerly anticipate her future novels!
Be sure to pick up a big box of tissues. This one hit particularly hard. When I was a kid the KKK came after us while my father was away. He helped someone they didn’t want helped. This level of anger and hate still simmers beneath the surface, sad to say. Well written, emotionally hard to read. All the signs of a great book.
Of the millions of writers in the world, only a few qualify as a word-painter: “a writer of vivid or graphic descriptive power” (Merriam-Webster). Ms. Gandhi has earned a place in this select group. Her highly descriptive brush strokes of people, places and time–liberally sprinkled with similes and metaphors–paint a vivid picture of the dark world of Louisiana’s racial bigotry in 1954. She pulls the reader right into that world, living every minute of the story with the characters. By the Light of Embers is much more than a book–it’s a heart-stopping, unforgettable experience. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and I’ve read thousands!
“That was when it came to me: life is pain. It’s what you do with that pain that’s important. You can either let it destroy you, or let it make you strong. ”
This was my first book to read by this author. It certainly won’t be my last. The beautiful way that Ms. Gandhi tells a story is worthy of being a one click author to me.
This story is set back in the 50’s. I admire Lucia and her willingness to see how things were so wrong. When things back then were clearly black or white. No mixing the two…ever. This would result in lynching and more horrifying, death.
Travel in time with the soon to be female doctor as she returns home to Louisiana for the summer before starting medical school. Her father a very successful doctor and her mother who is a very successful drinker. Back then women weren’t to be anything but a good wife, good cook and good housekeeper. Wanting to change the way females are regarded, Lucia wants so bad to follow in her father’s footsteps.
When she is home, she friends a wonderful poet who speaks so beautifully to Lucia. Something she has never felt when a man has talked to her previously. Nicholas is a very kind and loving man. But also very big and very scary to those who don’t know him. But for years, Nicholas has looked after Lucia. Its only now, that Lucia has stumbled into confronting Nicholas the conversations begin.
This story at times is very hard to read as it just upsets me how people were treated back then. I wanted at times to shank some people in this book! Absolutely loved the writing and will look for the next book written by this author!
I rarely give a 5-star rating. To me a 5-star rating only comes when a book is well-written, has well-defined characters, has a great storyline and leaves us with something after we turn the last page. That’s a pretty big order and yet this book delivers. There have been plenty of books I enjoyed but this was almost overwhelming. The only possible fault I could find was that I’m not sure its title represents what it’s about. I also don’t know if the title matters one bit. Having said that, to give you an idea what I think this book is about…the setting is in the South. The South at a time that races were still separated and young black children did not necessarily even have a school. A time many white people thought only white people were worthwhile. It’s about a young woman who wants to be a doctor when women were never doctors; they were supposed to stay at home and have babies. No questions asked. It’s also about love and caring and genuine kindness and horrid meanness. Maybe that’s a picture of life.
Ghandi built her characters to be perfectly picturable. Sounds like a silly word but what I mean is everyone involved, both the good and the bad characters, were ones I could visualize in my mind. So real I could create a picture. But it wasn’t just the characters that kept my attention so much. The storyline kept me turning the pages as fast as I could read.
My summary will not give this book as many kudos as it needs, but this is a beautifully written book that will hold your attention from cover to cover. It has action, happiness, and sadness and evokes thoughts we all should think on even today.
Beautifully written.
By the Light of the Embers is a story that enveloped me in a world unknown. Taking me back to 1954 in Louisiana, I found a world where women were expected to be housewives, and people of colour were seen as second-class citizens.
This was an amazing story that gripped me from the very beginning, with descriptions in such perfect detail, you have no trouble seeing what the author saw. Although this book details some harsh realities, there are moments of gentleness, which made it all the more poignant. Once Lucia went to Louisiana, it became obvious that there was a connection between Sebastian and herself. At the same time, it was also obvious that Nicholas and Lucia wouldn’t have the happy ending I was hoping for. Although I was sad at their ending, I also found it absolutely perfect, and am glad the author did it that way. It allows me to smile and imagine their HAE for myself.
Exceedingly well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted me, I thought this book was amazing. The characters change throughout the story, as their experiences change them, and yet each remain true to their core. A stunning book that I highly recommend.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books!