5 Stars

Abiding Darkness is one of the best debut novels I have read and John Aubrey Anderson should take a bow then please, quickly write some more!

Life seems idyllic in the township surrounding Cat Lake. World War II is concluding, summer has arrived and three young children are doing what kids do~playing baseball until they drop. Missy Parker, a precocious seven year old, her older brother Bobby are spending the day with their best mate, Junior, the great-great-grandson of an African slave. They are unaware their world is about to be shattered by a pact made in the spiritual realm, their lives will hang in the balance and they will make promises which impact eternity.

Thus beings an evocative tale set in the deep south of America which will remain with you long after you have read the final page. John Aubrey Anderson writes with a gifted pen, his words bring to the life this southern town and describes the lives of the white and black folk living and working at the Parker Cotton Gin with such clarity that I felt I was walking alongside Missy, kicking stones in the dirt. I could feel the sweat trickling down Mose Washington’s face as he managed the Gin for Bobby Parker and my heart beat loudly as evil took on the face of French Bainbridge.

I was hooked the moment I read the line on the first page, “The summer of ’45 lied.” and Anderson does not disappoint in the remaining pages. He balances a wonderful story with glimpses of the spiritual powers at work, without making the characters pawns without purpose. He stays true to the realities of free will and the consequences resulting from the choices his characters make. The underlying message is clear without being overpowering. I certainly find myself pondering my response to this amazing book.

Despite this being one of the first books I have read in 2007, I feel confidant saying Abiding Darkness will be on my top ten list for the year………….although there is the sequel, Wedgewood Grey, releasing this month!!