Sacred Dust

by David Hill

Haunting, provocative, revelatory, Sacred Dust is a novel of two women who form an unlikely friendship as they help one another escape the agonizing ties that bind them to the past.

When Lily first moves next door to Rose of Sharon in the all-white community of Prince George County, Alabama, it looks as though the two women have nothing in common.  Lily is beautiful, the unhappy--and restless--wife of a man who politely refuses to join in with Rose of Sharon's husband and the other Klan members who carry on a tradition set by their daddies, and their daddies before them.  Lily objects to the entrenched way of life her new neighbors seem so comfortable with--a way of life Rose became numb to a long time ago.  But a brutal murder--and an impulse to better their own lives--set Rose and Lily off on an emotional journey of self-discovery that encompasses past and present and brings each of them face-to-face with frightening--and astounding--truths.

Sacred Dust is a tale of redemption, and the freedom that comes when one person dares to tell the truth.

Genres: Fiction

388 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 1996

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Mel Raschke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting debut novel. Slow start but then picked up.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

it took me a while to get into. but great read once it for going.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is disturbingly well written & it’s easy to visualize the events taking place. It is hard to believe the writer wasn’t there, living this as it happened, both in the more recent history and during the previous generation. Some might call this book fiction but I know the subject matter is very real & David Hill speaks truth. I pray that the South he speaks of is gone but my fear is it will never be gone.

[Jean Prior · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent read of true "southern literature". It is full of rage, racism but laced with forgiveness in the end. The characters, Rose & Lily draw you in & stay with you a long time. Southern writing (one of my favorites) at its finest.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful (and shameful) description of white supremacy and the evolution of civil rights in 20th Century South. The story unfolds through several characters of both races. Uncomfortably realistic...

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good civil rights story.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was a powerful statement about the awful racial injustice in the south not so long ago.

[Diandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to get into but ended up really enjoying it. Some passages are amazing quotes that really resonated. Recommend reading if you enjoyed Book of Negros and Any known blood

[Alex Mayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, but incredibly dark.