Book Review: Deed So by Katharine A. Russell

Deed So
Author:  Katharine A. Russell
Copyright 2010
RWWRA Publishing
428 pages (not incl. acknowledgments)


(from the back cover)" A young girl struggles to understand a tightening web of racial and generational tensions during the turbulent 1960's in the astonishing new novel, Deed So, by Katharine A. Russell.  All twelve-year-old Haddie Bashford wants is to leave the closed-minded world of Wicomico Corners behind, int he hopes that a brighter future awaits elsewhere.  But when she witnesses the brutal killing of a black teen, Haddie finds her family embroiled in turmoil fraught with racial tensions.  Tempers flare as the case goes to trial, but things are about to get even hotter when an arsonist suddenly begins to terrorize the town.  Can Haddie help save her town, and herself?

Gorgeously written and filled with warm, luminous characters, Deed So is both a snapshot of a tunultuous time and a moving coming-of-age story of a remarkable young girl."

This is a fascinating page-turner that takes one back in time to a small fictional town in Maryland, USA during the turbulent 1960s.  Slavery is abolished but schools are still segregated.  Many still hold to the racial bigotry of generations previous.  It's the story of 12-year old Haddie and her perspective on life in small town USA.  Haddie feels smothered, everyone knows eachother's business and she can't wait to grow up and move away.  When she witnesses the murder of a black youth, Haddie's life and the whole town becomes engulfed in the turmoil of the times. 

Deed So is not written as if a 12-year old wrote it, but is presented in the language of an adult with memories of that age.  Deed So is a moving, and, at times, on the edge of your seat, fictional work that spans several genres including drama, action/adventure, suspense, YA and adult.  All the characters are so extremely vivid in their description and behaviours that the reader comes to know them.  This is one of those lovely novels that involves the audience so that for it to end is a disappointment.  I wanted to continue to follow Haddie's life.  Her story could continue on and be more, perhaps a series of novels.  She is that strong of a character.  I don't know of many novels that span the years from childhood through adulthood in a serial format but perhaps this one could and should.

Rated 5/5

Just Received - From the Author

It's like Christmas for me all over again.  There, in my mailbox, were two novels for me to read and review.  This is a new venture for me, reviewing novels direct from the author, and I am excited about it!  Can you tell? Here is an introduction to Deed So and The Chinese Conspiracy.  I'm sure you'll find them as interesting as I.

Deed So by Katharine A. Russell

(from the back cover)  "A young girl struggles to understand a tightening web of racial and generational tensions during the turbulent 1960s in the astonishing new novel, Deed So by Katharine Russell.  All twelve-year-old Haddie Bashford wants is to leave the closed-minded world of Wicomico Corners behind, in the hopes that a brighter future awaits elsewhere.   But when she witnesses the brutal killing of a black teen, Haddie finds her family embroiled in turmoil fraught with racial tensions.  Tempers flare as the case goes to trial, but things are about to get even hotter when an arsonist suddenly begins to terrorize the town.  Can Haddie help save her town, and herself?

Gorgeously written and filled with warm, luminous characters, Deed So is both a snapshot of a tumultuous time and a moving coming-of-age story of a remarkable young girl."

The Chinese Conspiracy by John Mariotti

"Not since the Manchurian Candidate have I read such a compelling thriller about global conspiracy.  But Mariotti goes much further, linking his masterfully fast-paced narrative to the clear and present danger of total cyberwar.  This novel is a call to action that our society must answer now." - Richard S. Levick, President and CEO, Levick Strategic Communications

(From the release provided me) "Powell, OH - Jan 5, 2011 - Author John Mariotti announces his new cyberthriller, The Chinese Conspiracy. This fast paced thriller is based around today's headlines of cyber-terrorism.

Your office phone hasn't rung for some time, which is unusual. You pick it up, and you hear a
hissing sound. You grab your cell phone, punch in a number, and get an "all-circuits-busy".
Your computer monitor shows your home page, so you select a web site and get a "server not
responding" message. That's odd! You email your assistant, and ask, "Did if it go through?"


The answer is, "no". You turn back to see another "server not responding" notice.


The TV screen behind your desk is filled with snow-the cable is out. The radio doesn't work
either-just static hiss. If you go down to the ATM, it'll just spit your card back at you. Bank
transactions are dead. On Wall Street, trading has stopped amidst massive confusion. The ticker
is dead. The monitors are dead. Everything's dead-"silenced!"


At the airport, the lines are growing; people are restless and confused. No planes are landing or
taking off-or even taxiing-ATC is down and the airlines overhead monitors are full of snow.
Agents can't ticket passengers or issue boarding passes. Chaos reigns.

From the White House to Congress, the Pentagon to Parliament, nothing related to electronic
communications works. It's all completely SILENT. The only things not silent are the car horns
in the street outside. It's a veritable cacophony of horns blaring. This scenario is repeated across
the country. Nothing works. All electronic forms of communications and computer control
have been "shutdown"-TV/Radio, all kinds of phones, the Internet, Wall Street, banking,
Air Traffic Control, etc. But how? And by whom? And why?


This totally new form of terrorism-Cyber-Terrorism-potentially the most frightening of all."

Both are intriguing and could be bestsellers!  Return soon for my reviews of Deed So and The Chinese Conspiracy.
Note:  These novels are supplied to me by the authors.   I receive no payment for reading and presenting my reviews of these works.