This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Lynette Fowlston for Readers' Favorite
"Selective Discretion" by Mary F. Twitty is a fictional novel based on an actual happening from the year 1847-1848. The basic facts are true but most of the records were destroyed during the civil war.
When Carrie Matthews was born on the plantation, her father was John Matthews. Since Carrie was a mulatto she showed more of a white heritage than that of the colored. When she was twelve years old she was raped by her own father which resulted in a pregnancy and a daughter being born. Carrie lived all her life on the plantation except for a few short years when she became a wet nurse for Jacob Matthews Boys. Jacob had taught Carrie how to read and write and every summer when he returned from school he brought her more books which she had to keep hidden. Slaves were not allowed to learn how to read or write. She Raised her daughter along with Jacob’s two boys, and Jacob and his wife eventually adopted her daughter Precious and Carrie was no longer permitted to see her daughter. Although of colored heritage Precious could never be identified as a coloured girl. That’s when the beatings started by her master until she had enough and killed him with a hoe. After a year in the courts, Carrie was exonerated by the jury only to be hanged by the proclamation of the Governor.
This is a very interesting novel and one would think that one was reading the actual court proceedings. Before the civil war it seems dogs held a higher respect than the slaves. As I read the book I could feel the anguish that Carrie was going through, the pain inflicted on her, but her faith was strong. As I journeyed through the trial, the minds of the people in the courtroom and the lawyers, and how Carrie was treated while she was in jail, I was almost sure that she would be exonerated. I have always been interested in the history of the happenings before and during the civil war and so I looked this up on the internet and yes it actually did happen as portrayed in the book. The names have been changed but on September 22, 1848, Carrie who was assaulted and beaten from an early age was eventually led to the gallows. Note: The language is written as it would be spoken, and I sincerely feel that it has made the book better.
