Black Purse

by Stephanie M. Sellers

As one woman's story of overcoming unfolds, so do the pages of the Underground Railroad. North Carolina's Lumbee Indian heritage is explored and finally examined when a written document is handed to the rightful heir. But not before Exilee Sheffield learns through real life experiences that fate sometimes rides a hot horse.
BLACK PURSE is comparable to The Shack for message. To The Doctor’s Wife for understanding how the past, seemingly in the past, is triggered to consume
sanity.

300 pages, Nook

First published August 13, 2011

About the author

With a history in Language Arts, pottery, sculpture, and military service, Stephanie has a diverse view. As a writer she interprets the world around her.
Her works include short stories, full length fiction and non. She enjoys researching human behavior, sociolinguistics and psychohistory. Aside from writing for her children she has written stories for the non profit group, Wild Horse Rescue Center which is assisted by the environmental non profit, The Abraham Foundation.
Visit her website, Fiction on Fact with Stephanie M. Sellers.

Reviews

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Black Purse
Author: Stephanie Sellers
Reviewed by Fran Lewis

Heritage, lineage, culture and traditions we all hold dear to our pasts as well as what comprises our present. The Native American Indian withstood much against the White Man, the Government and many others that took their land, killed them or refused to allow them to exist forcing them to move to reservations run by the government. Exile Sheffield was proud of her Indian heritage and background. She is one young lady who is defined by who she is and let’s the world knows it. From the moment you meet her you realize that she is smart, sassy and opinionated but she knows her way around difficult situations. Exilee has been fired from her job at the college. Upset, angry, fired up at losing her position she is traveling full speed to her new job as a horse trainer and farm hand a far cry from being a horticulturalist at a college. But, she needs to work and to survive. Listening to her rants and raves as she drives her truck, recounts stories out loud about her mixed heritage and background, you know that she is one force to be reckoned with and one determined young lady. Proud of who she is and where she has come from she assimilates quickly into the routines needed to train these horses, works hard and exhibits her own special brand of love taking care of the horses. It’s as if they can read her mind, understand her commands and her wishes and her kindness. Added to that she gives one special horse an Indian name and the author relates the history behind her choose the name Misun for this special horse. Working together with the owner’s son Kenneth they soon develop as special rhythm of their own and she begins to enjoy working with the horses, helping out at the carnivals and dealing with the people.

Getting to know her and her past the author recounts in a dreamlike fashion why she was fired, the prejudice she faced from many growing up and the struggles she still faces in the present. Her feelings for people and her attitude towards them comes through loud and clear, her pride in her family, her dealings with CD her brother in law and her sister Glennie and his fried food invention making them quite wealthy. Her love of riding, and much more as she comes face to face with a blood covered body of a man she has come to hate.

Exilee goes on a ride with Kenneth only to learn more about her and him during the entire experience. The author brings race, prejudice and cultural difference into play in most of the discussion along their adventure. As Ken brings out his feelings for her and tries to help her embrace not only her Indian heritage but her Black/Negro heritage too you can feel Exilee’s emotions as she expresses how she feels about herself, her family, background and their relationship. Both begin of mixed backgrounds Ken does not see why things cannot work out. The author relates much of the difficulties both Black People and Indians have endured not just in the past but in the present too. She seems fixed on these issues and even relates them in every situation that comes up throughout the novel. The primary theme focuses on the injustices that have fallen on the Indians, her family and her feelings towards white people and what they have taken from both the blacks and the Indians. This is a really powerful topic and story. Yet, throughout the novel as you get to know Kenneth you hear his voice loud and clear hoping to help Exilee defuse some of her anger and hostilities.

Seeing Jake covered in blood, helping him and then the author moves ahead to Exilee and her sister Glennie. Telling the reader that she is about to have a child with Ken and she brings in the Black Purse belonging to Ginger her late mother’s nurse hoping she will be her child’s nanny. But, Ken tries to help her deal with her heritage on all sides making her understand that in order to move ahead she needs to really understand who she is. Marrying him just might open up new worlds to her but that still remains to be seen, as Exilee has not dealt with her Black side since her mother’s death. As Exilee meets with Jake’s family she hopes to help him find his way back to life and to come to grips with what happened to him. A serious attack on him as related by the author and his parent’s revelation that he is gay sparking it. How sad that we cannot accept others for whom they are which is another issue brought to light by this author. Hoping to have Jake come to the farm would hopefully restore some of his confidence in himself, riding Misun who saved his life and help him find his own freedom.

Each character seems lost in their past, their presents haunted by what happened before and the need for everyone to move ahead and embrace who they are, their heritages and what Mother Earth has to offer. But, the best has yet to come as Exilee, Jake, Ken, Robin and everyone gather to have dinner and learn that the Underground Railroad was part of their home. Think about these white, Indian and African American girls raised by an authentic child of former slaves learning that a secret passage of the Underground Railroad was in their basement. Wouldn’t you want to explore it and find out more? Well drunk as skunks and much more they did. Explaining their honest feelings about the time period, the people and their perception of white people and how they treated both blacks and Indians this book stirs up quite a bit of controversy about the time, honest feelings expressed and much history noted. But, not everyone feels that Exilee. Ken explained that many white people did try to abolish slavery and the Indians did help too. As Ken tells them more about the history while down in the tunnel Robin expresses that the area found was an ancient burial ground and they should not be there.

The part that hits really hard is when they find Ginger in the nursing home and what endears me to Glennie and Exilee is that they are going to take her out and have her live with them. The conditions described I have seen before and the end result of anyone in these places I do know which I why I never would even consider that when my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She was home with help and of course me.

Family secrets are hard to withhold and what Exilee learns about hers will rock the inner core of not only her life but others too. Jake has many secrets too and the reason behind his attack will shock the reader and bring all of the events to together as one. Why was Glennie so hateful? What happened between her and CD that changed everything? Who did she feel caused her pain and why? What happened that made her this way and resentful to others? As the author relates Exilee’s childhood and the underlying causes of many of feelings she expertly relates Jake’s past too linking them closely together. But, the ending will give you chills and the end result will surprise the reader. Who was behind the attack and several killings? How will this all play out for everyone? You need to read this book and find out just what was in those black purse papers that explained it all to both Exilee and Glennie. An ending you definitely won’t see coming and courage beyond belief human and animal. This is one book that will keep you talking and discussing the issues brought to light for a very long time. Why can’t people accept others for who they are? Why is there so much hate and prejudice in the world? Why can’t everyone get along? This is one book that might help answer some of those questions and help you look deep within yourself for the rest. Loyalties, trusts, betrayals, deceits and one family that will definitely not be the same.

Fran Lewis: Reviewer

[Ruth Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I approached the author to review this book, I have to admit that I had no idea what to expect. I am a big fan of historical fiction, and I knew that was partially what this book was. I also knew it had something to do with native Americans. I also figured this would be a step outside my comfort zone, and I was certainly right about that.

The first third of the book was very difficult for me to read. I have not ever been a fan of books written in the present tense. That is honestly just a personal preference, but as I went on, I got used to it. I didn't even notice this issue by the time I was two third into it.

The other thing that made the first third of the book difficult for me was that the style of writing was reminiscent of another great author who is not a favorite of mine. "Streams of consciousness" is a style of writing that was popularized by William Faulkner, and I would say that Stephanie Sellers tends to write along those lines. Again, it is just a personal preference of mine. I prefer to read a book that tells a story in a very straightforward manner and does not go back and forth between present, past, and future. That is what streams of consciousness is. But enough of a literary lesson.

By the time I was more than halfway through the book, I did find myself finally caring for the characters and quite interested in the story. And it seems as though the writing improved. It was as though the first style of writing was left behind, and I could finally grasp the story line.

Speaking of the story line, the story in this novel is one that needs to be told. I have not ever read much about Native American prejudice, and I applaud the author for tackling this topic in a wonderful way. She also tackled other issues such as hate crimes against homosexuals and the struggles of those with mixed racial blood. Even in this day and age. I don't think I realized until reading this book how much these things still exist and are sometimes even acceptable in some societies.

I would say that this book would appeal to young adults more than mature adult women like me. I struggled through the "overdone" romance scenes (I suppose I have become jaded in my older years), but I was grateful that there were no intimate details. I also appreciated the fact that the profanity was extremely limited--much better than most books I have read in recent times. I could have done without the big drinking scene, but again, that is just personal preference. I appreciated the history in the book concerning Native Americans and the Underground Railroad.

Overall, I give this book a 3-star rating. While I did not always enjoy the style in which the book was written, the story itself is one that very few author would tackle. It is a story with lots of twists and turns, and it is told with real heart. Even though I cannot say it was my favorite book, I appreciated the story, and I believe that other people would as well.

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100 percent mine.

[Dana Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is seriously a hard book for me to review. I think I'll start with the technical marks. Ms Sellers writes very well. The book is written in first person, present tense which can be a hard go for both reader and author. Actually, whenever I start an indie book and discover it is written from this point of view, I start to worry. Kudos to Stephanie Sellers, though, she pulls it off beautifully! A huge pet peeve for me is when writers inadvertently change POV as they write so it is something I watch carefully for. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find one slip up in 'Black Purse'.

It's possible the 4/5 I gave for readability/flow is a little chincy. It should likely be higher. The pages fly by. The interaction between the character is fast, smart and often funny. Strangely enough, here is where I first ran into trouble. There seems to be some kind of cultural gap between the characters in the novel (and so, likely the author) and me. There are some terms I was totally unfamiliar with. Not that I didn't understand the words, I just couldn' figure out the meaning of the words in the context of the conversation. I'm assuming they were colloquialisms of some sort that I was unfamiliar with. It also took me aback when the breasts of all of the female characters, became characters in the story in their own right. This doesn't just happen once, it continues. So whenever 'the girls' are mentioned, it is breasts that are referred to. For a book that is not one of the steamy hot romances out there, it was strange to me that ALL of the female characters were so breast obsessed.

Which brings us to the characters. I liked the beginning of the book which throws the reader right into the action. No explanation or character development to begin with, but it grabs you and drags you right in. Unfortunately for the character development, Stephanie Sellers doesn't take time out of the action to do much in the line of character development as the story progresses either. The growth of the characters is obvious as the story progresses but I didn't get to know any of them well enough to connect with them. I wanted to be Exilee's friend but I always felt like the nerdy, awkward girl trying to get the cool kids to notice me.

Basically, I would say that this is a very good book - one I could envision winning many awards - but not a book I particularily enjoyed. I felt like I was at a great party with some fascinating people, but everyone knew each other and I was left out of all the inside jokes. I was also excited to get into the part of the story that dealt with the underground railway, but that part of the story didn't show up until 200+ pages into the 331 pages of the book. When I finished the last page, I was left feeling ... OK. Not supremely excited or overly satisfied, just OK.

[Pat (graceinaz) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black Purse
By Ms Stephanie M Sellers
• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (August 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1466250895
• ISBN-13: 978-1466250895
This is a fiction book based on fact. It has romance, suspense, mystery as well as tackling a couple of difficult social and cultural issues. The main character, Exilee, is a child of mixed races – part American Indian mixed with black and part white. She identifies with her Indian heritage most and battles cultural stigmas in all areas of her life. All of her life she has understood animals to the point that she felt the could talk to her. This insight is pivotal toward the end of the book. At the same time she finds and is about to marry the man of her dreams, she lands right in the middle of a homosexual hate crime and soon after, discovers her soon-to-be inlaws’ home hides part of the Underground Railroad. Exilee comes across as a very strong woman who had a few stellar role models in her life. She also dealt with some major pain and sadness in her life.
I thought this book was difficult to read and to review, but a good story all the same. I had a hard time following from the end of a chapter to the beginning of the next chapter. The author left too much hanging at the end of one chapter and jumped right into the next event without letting the reader know how we got there. Nevertheless, as I said before, the story grabbed me and I had to keep reading. There were some references to body parts that I feel could have been omitted, and the drunkenness was a bit overdone. It was also difficult to understand what was evidently a slang used by the Native Americans in that area.
The story shed light on two cultural and social issues that are even today not understood. I could feel disgust and anger at the slurs and ugly comments made to Exilee regarding her heritage and to Jake regarding his homosexuality. The author did a good job of championing their causes. It reflects well that 'Black Purse' is in all NC's state capital libraries. I would recommend this book as a good thriller that leaves you guessing right up to the end. I rate it a 3 out of 5.
The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Stephanie Sellers website: FictiononFact, https://sites.google.com/site/fiction...

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complex characters inhabit a very real contemporary world in Stephanie M Sellers’ Black Purse. Good farmers care for horses just as well as if they were people, and in the process, animals ease the pain of humans who learn to earn their trust. Under the surface, though, there’s a wealth of human history, family and national, waiting to be scratched and brought to light.

Part-American-Indian, Part-African-American, and wholly herself, belonging in no box, young Exilee is angry and maybe rightly rebellious. But the gentle family that gives her space and a job soon becomes part of her life. And their son—well, maybe he’s always been part of her dreams, though she’s not sure she wants to settle down.

Quiet romance grows awkwardly in the first third of this novel, with deep questions of race and pride discussed at length in the beauty of a long horse-ride. But the story comes of age and finds its footing when the young victim of modern prejudice enters the family’s lives. Animals and nature weave their magic to strengthen and heal, and evidence of historical cruelties weave into present-day mystery and suspense.

There’s a genuine honesty and faith in the protagonists of this tale—wounded people, generous and ready to forgive, facing others whose greed and anger cause only more hurts. There’s a wonderful respect for individuality too, and those boxes we place each other in cannot hold our neighbors anymore than a box holds the grown-up Exilee. The story’s not an easy read, partly for its content and partly for style. Leisurely, sometimes awkward and unedited, not quite fitting any box or genre, it might not flow the way the reader might expect. But the book’s well worth reading and leaves a haunted feeling of history belonging to more than just people or land, and lessons well-learned.



Disclosure: I received a free ecopy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest review.