What do you think?
Rate this book
From Across the Divide
Freedman, Alabama--1963
With the charms of debauchery fading, Eric Montgomery travels home in search of a fresh start. Shadows of his past trail him to a place of division and desolation...and not only in his mind. The fractured faith of his youth is tested among the deeply-rooted prejudice of his neighbors and the lure of a beautiful black woman.
The return of her best friend is an answer to prayer in the most unexpected way. The boy Elie Brown knew is now a man--one whose kiss compels her to a choice forbidden by her family. They can't even sit together in the same restaurant. How can their love survive?
His old life might be too familiar and comfortable for Eric to leave it for an uncertain one with his childhood friend, and for Elie, a prudent option dressed in a handsome, dark-skinned package would be safer...
From Across the Divide is a contemporary interracial Christian romance with strong characters in an emotionally charged setting. Join Eric and Elie for an inspirational and turbulent ride of romance and redemption in 1963 Alabama.
With the charms of debauchery fading, Eric Montgomery travels home in search of a fresh start. Shadows of his past trail him to a place of division and desolation...and not only in his mind. The fractured faith of his youth is tested among the deeply-rooted prejudice of his neighbors and the lure of a beautiful black woman.
The return of her best friend is an answer to prayer in the most unexpected way. The boy Elie Brown knew is now a man--one whose kiss compels her to a choice forbidden by her family. They can't even sit together in the same restaurant. How can their love survive?
His old life might be too familiar and comfortable for Eric to leave it for an uncertain one with his childhood friend, and for Elie, a prudent option dressed in a handsome, dark-skinned package would be safer...
From Across the Divide is a contemporary interracial Christian romance with strong characters in an emotionally charged setting. Join Eric and Elie for an inspirational and turbulent ride of romance and redemption in 1963 Alabama.
284 pages, ebook
First published February 25, 2013
17 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
K. Victoria Chase
23 books151 followersK. Victoria Chase is the author of romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and paranormal romance with pen names including Eliza Ellis and Zoë Lane. She's a graduate of Drexel University's MFA in Creative Writing program (2024) and a former co-managing editor for Drexel’s graduate literary magazine, Paper Dragon. She loves editing, HGTV shows, true crime podcasts, and traveling.
Visit K. Victoria Chase at http://www.kvictoriachase.com
Visit K. Victoria Chase at http://www.kvictoriachase.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 12, 2013
This book was a real jewel--a lovely, honest, serendipitous surprise. The story and characters are so believable that you feel as if you are in Freeman Alabama in 1963. Before going further I should add that this book is a classic, beautifully written love story with several sensual but not sexual scenes. If you are looking for erotica you won't find any between these pages. (I applaud the author for remaining chaste and putting integrity before profit especially in a competitive book market that craves licentiousness and debauchery.) What you will find are two people who discover love against a back drop of hatred, segregation, and klan activity. To take the drama up a notch Elie is a bold Christian woman, while Eric's personal tragedy has caused him to lose his way. Can they overcome their religious differences? Can love conquer hatred? The suspense, the action, drama and passion do not feel contrived as they are in other novels. Also the protagonists are not merely two people who are physically attracted to each other or "in lust" which is what you find in most so called romance novels; instead they share a history and bond so deep it can easily be described as spiritual. The tension between the protagonists is one that I had with the book. These are people who are not supposed to love each other but who are somehow drawn together and I am an old cynic who's predisposed to not like romance novels, but the more I read the more I was drawn into the book, rooting for the characters, and hating the racism and societal conflicts that threatened to rip these young people apart. One caveat, when the book was over I felt a sense of loss that it was finished and a strong longing for more, so much so that I turned to the first pages of the book and begin reading it again!
K chase is a relatively new writer but her work is bold, simple, complex, beautiful and timeless.
K chase is a relatively new writer but her work is bold, simple, complex, beautiful and timeless.
March 3, 2016
K. Victoria Chase is the author of "From Across the Divide," an interracial romance that is set in Alabama during the 1960's. Besides differences in race, the couple in question must also traverse a divide in matters of faith.
Eric Montgomery has returned home after being away for five years. He's a bit of a prodigal, having lost faith in the Lord. He blames God for failing to save his mother from a fatal illness, and walked away from Him. In doing so, he stayed away from Alabama, not returning after he finished college, and went away to France for a few years. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to fill that God-shaped void with work, travel, or women. He decides to go home to assume responsibilities in his father's bank, a business that he will one day inherit.
Elnora (Elie) Brown is the best friend that Eric has left behind. She is delighted to have her childhood friend return, but is disturbed when she discovers that he has lost his faith. She wants to get her old Eric back, but besides seeing the differences in faith, it is becoming apparent that other things have changed between them: they are no longer children, and both are noticing a romantic attraction between a grown man and woman. Eric makes her heart race, but because he no longer believes, she must resist the temptation that he presents. Also, even if Eric believed, would he and Elie be able to have a romantic relationship in a society that won't accept one between a white man and a black woman?
I liked Elie. She is, in Eric's words, "feisty, passionate, (and) unyielding." She is earning a college degree so that she can become a teacher. She teaches at an unofficial school on the weekends to children who must work during the week in order to help support their families. She is involved in her church and in the equal rights movement. She's a law abiding citizen who loves the Lord.
Eric is, for lack of a better word, a rogue. He knows that Elie is attracted to him, and can't quite seem to stay away from her, even though she keeps turning him down. He's used to women falling down at his feet, so he's a bit out to sea as to how to court Elie. I didn't quite like it that he seemed to think that simply kissing her repeatedly to wear down her resistance was an acceptable mode of courting, but like I said, he's a rogue who needed to ask for advice from his father, Morgan, on what to do with his feelings for Elie. That was an interesting conversation. We discover that Morgan is all for Eric and Elie having a relationship, and that the Montgomery men have...egos when it comes to wooing women. Anyways, Eric gets it right; the biggest impediment between him and Elie is really his lack of faith.
I also found it interesting that while Morgan didn't have any problem with the idea of Eric and Elie being together, Elie's parents, Miss Hattie, the Montgomery's housekeeper, and Michael, one of Elie's "acceptable" suitors, did have issues with marrying out of one's race. They have their reasons, which seems to run the gamut of wanting to spare the younger people from prejudice and non-acceptance from both cultures, knowing what they perceive to "be their place," and from their own prejudices against the other culture. None of these reasons seemed to include one very significant thing which I suspect Morgan knows: that if something is of God, and if He wills it, He can make a way for it, even for something that people consider to be impossible, inconvenient, and offensive. This suspicion is because of something Morgan says to Eric when the son tells his father that the Browns don't approve of Eric as a suitor for Elie because he is white.
"I wasn't aware they felt this way about us."
"That I'm not good enough for their daughter?"
"No." The sadness in Morgan's eyes tore at Eric's heart. "That she isn't good enough for you."
When I read those lines, I was as surprised as Eric, who blinked in shock in the text. But then I realized that Morgan is right. Elie *is* good enough for Eric, but her parents want to protect her from the difficulties and prejudice that their union will bring, because we are talking about what society was like. At this point of the novel, they don't believe enough that if God has called Eric and Elie to be together, and that if Eric and Elie are firmly grounded in their identities as children of God, that they will be able to have a successful marriage in spite of any worldly opposition that may come their way.
I enjoyed reading this novel; I found it to be educational because of the history. I also found it to be romantic and fairly clean. I'm not sure if this novel is intended to be the start of a series, but if it is, I would love to find out what happens to Michael and Amanda, a woman who Eric turns away when he realizes that he wants Elie.
This review also appears on my blog at:
http://whatiscbreading.blogspot.ca
Eric Montgomery has returned home after being away for five years. He's a bit of a prodigal, having lost faith in the Lord. He blames God for failing to save his mother from a fatal illness, and walked away from Him. In doing so, he stayed away from Alabama, not returning after he finished college, and went away to France for a few years. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to fill that God-shaped void with work, travel, or women. He decides to go home to assume responsibilities in his father's bank, a business that he will one day inherit.
Elnora (Elie) Brown is the best friend that Eric has left behind. She is delighted to have her childhood friend return, but is disturbed when she discovers that he has lost his faith. She wants to get her old Eric back, but besides seeing the differences in faith, it is becoming apparent that other things have changed between them: they are no longer children, and both are noticing a romantic attraction between a grown man and woman. Eric makes her heart race, but because he no longer believes, she must resist the temptation that he presents. Also, even if Eric believed, would he and Elie be able to have a romantic relationship in a society that won't accept one between a white man and a black woman?
I liked Elie. She is, in Eric's words, "feisty, passionate, (and) unyielding." She is earning a college degree so that she can become a teacher. She teaches at an unofficial school on the weekends to children who must work during the week in order to help support their families. She is involved in her church and in the equal rights movement. She's a law abiding citizen who loves the Lord.
Eric is, for lack of a better word, a rogue. He knows that Elie is attracted to him, and can't quite seem to stay away from her, even though she keeps turning him down. He's used to women falling down at his feet, so he's a bit out to sea as to how to court Elie. I didn't quite like it that he seemed to think that simply kissing her repeatedly to wear down her resistance was an acceptable mode of courting, but like I said, he's a rogue who needed to ask for advice from his father, Morgan, on what to do with his feelings for Elie. That was an interesting conversation. We discover that Morgan is all for Eric and Elie having a relationship, and that the Montgomery men have...egos when it comes to wooing women. Anyways, Eric gets it right; the biggest impediment between him and Elie is really his lack of faith.
I also found it interesting that while Morgan didn't have any problem with the idea of Eric and Elie being together, Elie's parents, Miss Hattie, the Montgomery's housekeeper, and Michael, one of Elie's "acceptable" suitors, did have issues with marrying out of one's race. They have their reasons, which seems to run the gamut of wanting to spare the younger people from prejudice and non-acceptance from both cultures, knowing what they perceive to "be their place," and from their own prejudices against the other culture. None of these reasons seemed to include one very significant thing which I suspect Morgan knows: that if something is of God, and if He wills it, He can make a way for it, even for something that people consider to be impossible, inconvenient, and offensive. This suspicion is because of something Morgan says to Eric when the son tells his father that the Browns don't approve of Eric as a suitor for Elie because he is white.
"I wasn't aware they felt this way about us."
"That I'm not good enough for their daughter?"
"No." The sadness in Morgan's eyes tore at Eric's heart. "That she isn't good enough for you."
When I read those lines, I was as surprised as Eric, who blinked in shock in the text. But then I realized that Morgan is right. Elie *is* good enough for Eric, but her parents want to protect her from the difficulties and prejudice that their union will bring, because we are talking about what society was like. At this point of the novel, they don't believe enough that if God has called Eric and Elie to be together, and that if Eric and Elie are firmly grounded in their identities as children of God, that they will be able to have a successful marriage in spite of any worldly opposition that may come their way.
I enjoyed reading this novel; I found it to be educational because of the history. I also found it to be romantic and fairly clean. I'm not sure if this novel is intended to be the start of a series, but if it is, I would love to find out what happens to Michael and Amanda, a woman who Eric turns away when he realizes that he wants Elie.
This review also appears on my blog at:
http://whatiscbreading.blogspot.ca
March 3, 2013
This is the third book I have read by K. Victoria Chase and this is the best one so far. I love that there was more romance between the main characters and that the conflict between them was resolved fairly quite soon. There seems to be a difference in her writing since her first book and love that it had evolved.
November 12, 2018
I was very excited to read this book because interracial romance is one of my favorite genres, the plot is very interesting and the portraying of this difficult era is very well written. The romance was nice, BUT, some things in this book showed a little bit of an amateurish writing style, like focusing on the physical attraction between the two main characters.
February 28, 2016
This wonderful story takes place in the mid 60's in Alabama. Having grown up in that era I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I found a love story between two unlikely people. One had been hurt immensely by death. He returns home to his best friend and father and finds death all around.
Alabama was one of the last holdouts to integration. The town of Freeman was not far from Selma. Elnora is the heroine. She is near finishing her last year in college at Selma University. Her best friend has returned home, angry with God. She knows she has to help him find himself.
This book is an account that shows the hatred of segregation and the zealous efforts of those who want equality. Equality can be achieved even in love. Take the well written journey of healing, restoration, and love in these pages.
Great job Ms. Chase...
Alabama was one of the last holdouts to integration. The town of Freeman was not far from Selma. Elnora is the heroine. She is near finishing her last year in college at Selma University. Her best friend has returned home, angry with God. She knows she has to help him find himself.
This book is an account that shows the hatred of segregation and the zealous efforts of those who want equality. Equality can be achieved even in love. Take the well written journey of healing, restoration, and love in these pages.
Great job Ms. Chase...
May 4, 2013
This spectacular story will resonate with readers of all ages. Imbibed with the beauty and aura of the old South, Across the Divide delivers a suspenseful tale that harks back to a chaotic time in our nation’s history.
With her captivating voice, Ms. Chase skillfully weaves a beautiful love story -- between a plantation owner’s son and the daughter of the plantation horse trainer -- against the backdrop of the Klan-wary and oft-unyielding society in Freeman, Alabama in the tension-riddled 1960s. The author’s narrative sets the stage with such artifice you feel as though you’re in the middle of the action, holding your breath all the way. This page-turner kept me up late and hooked me from the very beginning. Five spectacular stars all the way.
With her captivating voice, Ms. Chase skillfully weaves a beautiful love story -- between a plantation owner’s son and the daughter of the plantation horse trainer -- against the backdrop of the Klan-wary and oft-unyielding society in Freeman, Alabama in the tension-riddled 1960s. The author’s narrative sets the stage with such artifice you feel as though you’re in the middle of the action, holding your breath all the way. This page-turner kept me up late and hooked me from the very beginning. Five spectacular stars all the way.
March 12, 2016
Surprising
First I very surprised by this book. The characters were believable. I found myself disliking the 3 brothers causing all the trouble in town and their father's cover up of their bad acts. This is not an easy book to read because it makes a person look at a very turbulent time in history. I grew up during this period. I do recommend this book. It is very well written.
First I very surprised by this book. The characters were believable. I found myself disliking the 3 brothers causing all the trouble in town and their father's cover up of their bad acts. This is not an easy book to read because it makes a person look at a very turbulent time in history. I grew up during this period. I do recommend this book. It is very well written.
March 10, 2016
A Real True To Life Read
Great characters battle against all odd as the plight of many are affected by the prejudice of those who place themselves above the law. A civil rights read full of love, hearts for Jesus, and the overcoming of great odds.
Great characters battle against all odd as the plight of many are affected by the prejudice of those who place themselves above the law. A civil rights read full of love, hearts for Jesus, and the overcoming of great odds.
July 15, 2014
A very sweet story, however the events that occur during the time the story is written(1960's) over shadow the romance.
May 3, 2015
Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Read it overnight, was so good. A well told, poignant love story amidst matters of race, faith and acceptance. VKC nailed this one for me.
August 21, 2017
The book kept me intrigued. I am giving four stars because there were some spelling and grammar mistakes and I personally did not care for the Morgan and Madeline romance storyline. Also I did not like that the book ended with Morgan and Madeline instead of Eric and Elie because, based on the description, that's who the book is mainly about. Nonetheless good read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews