Review of Never Lie Down

Never Lie Down

J. Carol Goodman

iUniverse 2011

ISBN 9781450255431

   This story takes place in the height of the depression. The minister's daughter, Theodora Davis and her best friend, Glorybe are determined to make money in order to put food on the table. Glorybe's father is ill and may lose his job and his life from the illness. Theodora has her first serious crush on him as she is coming of age. 

   Tensions rise between Theodora's parents because her mom is an activist for the "Colored" people. Her father wants equal rights for them; but he wants to change the hearts of people through the spirit of God and not by being an activist. He fears for their friends welfare despite her wanting to help.

   In amidst this turmoil, their friend Jeremiah is accused of murdering the owner of the yard where he is employed. Is he truly responsible for the man's murder?

   This is a short and fairly fast read. The story line was a bit slow for me and did not always flow smoothly. There were several times throughout that I was lost because the story seemed to jump onto something else and it took a while to figure out where they were and who they were talking about. Theodora and Glorybe were both lovable characters. They had a very unusual friendship when segregation was part of the normal everyday existence. Not only that, Theodora has a crush on Glorybe's father, who is not only old enough to be her father; but he is of the Indian heritage. Several suspect the crush, but no verbalizes their suspicions. During his illness, Theodora visits him often. This is very hard on her as she watches him fading away from his illness. To add to the drama, the sheriff and his deputies do everything in their power to prove that Jeremiah is guilty of the murder that he is accused of committing. This is resolved by Theodora's father who not only goes against his moral principals; but breaks the law in the process.

   Overall, this is not a bad read. If you want something for a short reading session, this will fit the bill. This is a story of friendship and a dark time in American history. It is a story of mystery, hatred, humanity, and will even give you a few laughs along the way.

   I was provided a copy for reading and reviewing purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. I was not compensated in any way except for receiving the book to review.

I give Never Lie Down 3 out of 5 stars