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 Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite
"The Dark Is in the Light" is the life story of Maurice Mayberry. He grows up in an abusive household with a drug addict for a father who continually abuses him verbally and physically. Together with his sister Janet, he has to watch helplessly as his good for nothing father does the same to their mother. As a teenager, he dreams of escaping from his family and does so when he is eighteen years old. At about the same time, his maternal uncle abuses him and he starts exploring his sexuality. He later married an older woman and begins a series of intimate encounters with church leaders. Feeling unloved and suffering from a low self esteem, he becomes a loner. Depressed and suicidal, he struggles to find peace and happiness.
In writing his memoirs, Maurice Mayberry puts on paper a life story that can be shocking to many people. Unloved as a child and then abused as a teenager, his life reflects the ills that are present in our society today and this is what makes the book interesting. The author openly admits to being gay and with brutal honesty, he exposes a world that is filled with hypocrisy and double standard. In marrying a woman, he tries to conform to society but ends up in misery. In being true to himself, he gets ridiculed and is cheated by gay pastors. I am frankly shocked that these men of God are behaving the way that they do. "The Dark Is in the Light" is a compelling story but I am uncomfortable with the author's writing style. I believe that all those LOL words and side comments in parentheses should not be included in a novel where the main protagonist ends up contemplating suicide. In the end, it is clear that Mayberry's intention in telling his memoirs is to find peace not only for himself but also for others who are in a similar situation in life.
