Title: Strong Beginnings

Author: William Spivey

Publisher: TBA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StrongBeginningsaNovel/

Blog: https://enigmainblack.wordpress.com/

E-mail: wspiv001@aol.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/william.spivey1

Twitter: @wspiv001

This is the last book review of the year, and what a way to go out. Today’s review is a special one.

I’d like to welcome William Spivey, who frequently writes about politics and popular culture for the Inner-City News. Also, he writes under the name “Enigma in Black” about various socially significant topics, including politics, religion, and poetry. He is the creator of the Facebook sites Enigma in Black and Ordinary Citizen Forum. While attending Fisk University, William won the “The Importance of a Liberal Arts Education” Essay Contest, open to all students. He lives in Orlando, Florida, and graduated from Fisk with a B.A. in economics.

His goal now is to make his voice heard and make a difference, and he has given me the honor of advanced reading his soon-to-be-released Political Fiction/Romance novel Strong Beginnings.

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When Frederick Douglass Strong witnessed the murder of four African Americans on the Moore’s Ford Bridge in Covington Georgia in 1966, he set into motion a string of events that would influence his family’s actions for years to come. After all, Frederick wasn’t the only one to witness what would be known as The Moore’s Ford Bridge Four but so did Chris Lee Thomas, the teenage friend of his son Roosevelt and the son of one of the white men who just murdered the four.

Gripped with anxiety, Frederick goes home and is unable to sleep. With a thorough understanding of the time, he is drenched in fear of what could happen next. Neglecting to reveal the details to his pregnant wife, he suffers silently until a knock is heard on the door. It’s Chris Lee Thomas and he wants Frederick to step outside. Frederick does and is faced with a lynch mob. Meanwhile, his son Roosevelt is peeking through his bedroom window, watching as the men chase his father.

However, Chris also sees Roosevelt just as his father, and the family is panicked with a decision of a lifetime. After Frederick’s death, it is clear, they must leave Covington if Roosevelt is to survive.

The story follows the life of Roosevelt and his family fifty years after The Moore’s Ford Bridge Four in Orlando Florida. His daughter, Voncelle Strong is one of the foremost voices of the novel. She is a passionate teacher and blogger. We watch as she positively influences her students, battles the unfair school system, juggles relationships, and comes face to face with relatives she didn’t know she had.

As for the incident, can the Strong family outrun their beginnings? What will happen when they come face to face with their past?

I recommend Strong Beginnings to anyone passionate about the plight of African Americans, those concerned about education politics, and those with a love affair for strong families.

Ratings:

Plot Movement / Strength: 4/5

Entertainment Factor: 5/5

Characterization: 4/5

Authenticity / Believable: 5/5

Thought Provoking: 5/5

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Strong Beginnings is not yet available. Stay tuned.

Don’t forget to Follow this Author online!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StrongBeginningsaNovel/

Blog: https://enigmainblack.wordpress.com/

E-mail: wspiv001@aol.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/william.spivey1

Twitter: @wspiv001

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I have many more authors to come so be sure to return to The PBS Blog after the new year.