A Color of Love

Rating:
Summary: Undeserving of a Rating Higher than 1
Review: A Color of Love follows the lives of John and Harriet starting from high school through old age. One would think there might be a lot of material covered in the book. Not! This book ended up being nothing more than a quick summary of a relationship as "read" by the author to the reader. It was one of the worst stories I've read thusfar. There was nothing there to maintain this reader's interest.

The story starts out with two people residing in the South who fall in love, but happen to be of different races. Like I said before, the author rushes through what should be a story, so there is no real story. If there is no substance, how can there be a climactic moment? Get my point?

One wouldn't even want to bother with this one. If I could rate it lower than the number 1, I would.

Rating:
Summary: More Than Black and White
Review: A COLOR OF LOVE is set in the sleepy southern town of Burton County, Georgia during the early 1970's. Burton County, like a lot of the South, had always played by its own set of rules and standards, and many particulars of southern life were merely "understood." Harriet, a beautiful black teenager, and John, a white high school football player, refused to follow these "understood" standards, but also realized it was necessary to keep their love a secret. Their secret is blown wide open when Harriet realizes she's pregnant, and soon after the two are torn apart by an ultimatum from John's racist father.

Time and distance does not hinder John and Harriet's love, and with the birth of their daughter Josephine, it only makes their bond stronger. The three are reunited and settle down to a new life in the very town that once shunned them. Harriet and John's love for one another helps them to get through just about anything, including death and betrayal.

A COLOR OF LOVE, Jannette Franklin's debut novel, is about the power of love and forgiveness that transcends any color barrier. Although the premise for this book was a good idea, the actual content and writing style were superficial and lacked depth. There were numerous grammatical errors, poor word choices, and an overall need for clearer writing structure. I believe if the author developed more of a plot and gave the story more substance, it would have been a better read.

Reviewed by Michelle Warren
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: This book is very romantic and expresses true values of racism of interracial couples. The story is a fantasy of what I would like for my life to be.