Nightlights Book

"Night Come Swiftly" spans the years from childhood through adulthood for both Tilly and Meri.

Meredith's father's fiance Agatha hatches the idea of sending Meredith to his sister's house so as to sell Meredith's slave-friend Tilly while Meri is away. In retaliation for something that she perceived to have been caused by Meri years ago, Agatha spreads a vicious rumor about her, inciting two tragic events in one day to bring great distress to Meri and others. Also causing tongues to wag hurtfully, without most knowing what truly occurred.

What a rude awakening for a young black boy just off the boat from Africa when in America he's told not to look a white person in the eye. His mother is left to explain to him how to survive in their new surroundings, which includes watching for "whites only" signs.

An interesting aspect is the lack of work these men seem to be involved in, leading me to wonder how they are supporting themselves and their families. If not for the unexpected twists, the two romances that take up a good part of the book, would have made this story more of a fairy tale.

Since 1/2 stars are not available, I give it 2, opting for a lower rating instead of the higher.