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Southern Tides #1
Secret Tides
Trouble is brewing on the plantation. When the overseer's daughter, Camellia York, accidentally causes the death of the plantation's owner -- who is also the father of the man she plans to marry, Trenton Tessier -- life as she knows it will never be the same.
As Trenton begins to pull away from her, Camellia seeks solace from Josh Cain, an older relative with a quiet, but unshakable, faith. But when Cain's own wife dies tragically, the stage is set for Camellia to discover the truth about her family's past -- and her own destiny.
Set against the backdrop of the Old South on the eve of the Civil War, Secret Tides is a saga of passion, greed, romance, and faith that you will not soon forget.
As Trenton begins to pull away from her, Camellia seeks solace from Josh Cain, an older relative with a quiet, but unshakable, faith. But when Cain's own wife dies tragically, the stage is set for Camellia to discover the truth about her family's past -- and her own destiny.
Set against the backdrop of the Old South on the eve of the Civil War, Secret Tides is a saga of passion, greed, romance, and faith that you will not soon forget.
378 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2004
3 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Gary E. Parker
31 books17 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
The only current Southern Baptist pastor to have written 11 novels, 4 novellas and 4 non-fiction books in the last twelve years, prolific best-selling author Gary E. Parker has combined his love of history and the Civil War era to pen his latest historical novel, Secret Tides.
The first novel from Southern Tides (Parker’s latest trilogy of sweeping family sagas), Secret Tides paints a true and compelling portrait of love and forgiveness in a stunningly authentic historical setting.
Selected as a Crossing Book Club featured fiction writer and named a Christy Award finalist for his previous historical series writing, Parker has seen his novels soar up the best-seller charts.
As a boy, long before he became a Christian, Parker read The Robe. That book became an early whisper of the Spirit in his life, driving his interest in spiritual things along with a love for writing. Within a couple of weeks after conversion at 18 years old, Parker felt called to Christian ministry, receiving his Master of Divinity and later his Ph.D. in historical theology from Baylor University.
Referring to his fictional writing as “faith-informed fiction,” Parker feels that his writing makes him a better preacher, and preaching a sermon regularly makes him a better writer. His goal is to tell a quality story and let the message come through the story and character development naturally, rather than trying to make some theological point.
Parker and his wife, Melody reside in Decatur, Georgia with their two teenage daughters. He is Sr. pastor of the First Baptist Church of Decatur, and a frequent conference speaker at seminaries, university campuses, national conventions and convocations. He’s a regular contributor to national Christian publications, and is currently writing Fateful Journey, the second book in the Southern Tides trilogy, along with four new novellas. In his spare time, he enjoys distance biking, golfing, and reading.
The only current Southern Baptist pastor to have written 11 novels, 4 novellas and 4 non-fiction books in the last twelve years, prolific best-selling author Gary E. Parker has combined his love of history and the Civil War era to pen his latest historical novel, Secret Tides.
The first novel from Southern Tides (Parker’s latest trilogy of sweeping family sagas), Secret Tides paints a true and compelling portrait of love and forgiveness in a stunningly authentic historical setting.
Selected as a Crossing Book Club featured fiction writer and named a Christy Award finalist for his previous historical series writing, Parker has seen his novels soar up the best-seller charts.
As a boy, long before he became a Christian, Parker read The Robe. That book became an early whisper of the Spirit in his life, driving his interest in spiritual things along with a love for writing. Within a couple of weeks after conversion at 18 years old, Parker felt called to Christian ministry, receiving his Master of Divinity and later his Ph.D. in historical theology from Baylor University.
Referring to his fictional writing as “faith-informed fiction,” Parker feels that his writing makes him a better preacher, and preaching a sermon regularly makes him a better writer. His goal is to tell a quality story and let the message come through the story and character development naturally, rather than trying to make some theological point.
Parker and his wife, Melody reside in Decatur, Georgia with their two teenage daughters. He is Sr. pastor of the First Baptist Church of Decatur, and a frequent conference speaker at seminaries, university campuses, national conventions and convocations. He’s a regular contributor to national Christian publications, and is currently writing Fateful Journey, the second book in the Southern Tides trilogy, along with four new novellas. In his spare time, he enjoys distance biking, golfing, and reading.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
did-not-finish
May 28, 2022I got about 25% into this book but wasn't enjoying it.
Pretty much, this has a lot of the same elements you have in a lot of fiction about the south. Pretty much all the men are out to take advantage of the women, especially the slaves.
The book opens with an attempted rape (the guy never got past kissing the girl though)
While some aspects were interesting, I just didn't care enough to go on. I'm pretty wary of the stereotypes of southerners in fiction as always being racist people with the women always cruel to the slaves and servants and the men always out to rape those below them.
Yes, slavery was a tragedy that caused many people in slave-holding states to act like that. However, that wasn't everyone. Casting all people in the south in that mold is not an accurate reflection. Part of the reason slavery lasted so long as there were many good masters who never treated their slaves so badly. Yet, even those that treated their slaves "well" still were wrong for having slaves. It was/is tragic and wrong for anyone to own another, no matter how well they are treated.
I think the danger in showing only the horrific masters is that we fail to teach the value of life and the wrongness of slavery because it existed/exists. Instead, it makes sound evil only because of the heinous acts committed under the banner of slavery.
Pretty much, this has a lot of the same elements you have in a lot of fiction about the south. Pretty much all the men are out to take advantage of the women, especially the slaves.
The book opens with an attempted rape (the guy never got past kissing the girl though)
While some aspects were interesting, I just didn't care enough to go on. I'm pretty wary of the stereotypes of southerners in fiction as always being racist people with the women always cruel to the slaves and servants and the men always out to rape those below them.
Yes, slavery was a tragedy that caused many people in slave-holding states to act like that. However, that wasn't everyone. Casting all people in the south in that mold is not an accurate reflection. Part of the reason slavery lasted so long as there were many good masters who never treated their slaves so badly. Yet, even those that treated their slaves "well" still were wrong for having slaves. It was/is tragic and wrong for anyone to own another, no matter how well they are treated.
I think the danger in showing only the horrific masters is that we fail to teach the value of life and the wrongness of slavery because it existed/exists. Instead, it makes sound evil only because of the heinous acts committed under the banner of slavery.
June 19, 2021
Setting: The Oak, a rice plantation in South Carolina thirty miles from Beaufort and also near Charleston, begins in November 1858, and ends May 1861, after the beginning of the Civil War. Descriptions of the location and time period are rife, and the close proximity of the slave-run plantation to the Atlantic Ocean is often referenced. A couple of the main characters are older, and their pasts influence the present, and include their former roles in the Mexican War. The characters' speech, too, reflects well the time period, even including the now-offensive (but culturally normal) terms for those of darker skin color.
Characters: While it may be realistic, reading a book where many of the major characters are mostly unlikable--but have enough endearing traits to elicit sympathy--is a bit annoying. Especially with Christian fiction, when a redemption character arc is so common, I am always waiting for a certain character to become saved/learn a godly lesson/etc. In this particular book, I kept wondering if a couple of the characters would show this redemptive character arc, or if they are just bad villain characters. I know realistically, things aren't so black and white, but in a story, I would like to know which characters experience a character arc, ending up better than where they started. Instead, I spend a story hoping a "bad" character (but one for whom the main character has an affection) gets cured of at least some of his ills.
Plot: Unique in many aspects; the romance is a bit predictable, but somewhat clever in my opinion. There is, however, a significant amount of non-romantic plotline that is also engaging and mysterious. The characters procrastinate so much, though, and their actions are more of non-actions, so the story isn't particularly exciting. The passage of time also contributes to this, although I appreciate that the whole story doesn't take place in the span of two weeks.
Faith Content: The Christian perspective is prominent, and delineated clearly from the non-Christian characters (but sometimes Christian Perspective slips into an unsaved person's speech, so it's obvious the author is a Christian who doesn't know how to write a totally evil person).
Recommended for Christian readers of (pre-) Civil War fiction set in the South.
Characters: While it may be realistic, reading a book where many of the major characters are mostly unlikable--but have enough endearing traits to elicit sympathy--is a bit annoying. Especially with Christian fiction, when a redemption character arc is so common, I am always waiting for a certain character to become saved/learn a godly lesson/etc. In this particular book, I kept wondering if a couple of the characters would show this redemptive character arc, or if they are just bad villain characters. I know realistically, things aren't so black and white, but in a story, I would like to know which characters experience a character arc, ending up better than where they started. Instead, I spend a story hoping a "bad" character (but one for whom the main character has an affection) gets cured of at least some of his ills.
Plot: Unique in many aspects; the romance is a bit predictable, but somewhat clever in my opinion. There is, however, a significant amount of non-romantic plotline that is also engaging and mysterious. The characters procrastinate so much, though, and their actions are more of non-actions, so the story isn't particularly exciting. The passage of time also contributes to this, although I appreciate that the whole story doesn't take place in the span of two weeks.
Faith Content: The Christian perspective is prominent, and delineated clearly from the non-Christian characters (but sometimes Christian Perspective slips into an unsaved person's speech, so it's obvious the author is a Christian who doesn't know how to write a totally evil person).
Recommended for Christian readers of (pre-) Civil War fiction set in the South.
May 28, 2023
Secret Tides (Southern Tides Book 1)
First, the beginnings of this book is a letter from the author. As he explains, this book is set in the time right before the Civil War and right as it begins. While the worst of words aren't included, there are quite a few words from that time period which are. These words are derogatory and inflammatory. It is truly the worst of us.
On the flip side of that, there are also people of both races whom portray the best. Whom see each other through Christlike eyes and who only care above a person's goodness.
While I cringed during several scenes, I did really enjoy this book and am headed to read book 2.
First, the beginnings of this book is a letter from the author. As he explains, this book is set in the time right before the Civil War and right as it begins. While the worst of words aren't included, there are quite a few words from that time period which are. These words are derogatory and inflammatory. It is truly the worst of us.
On the flip side of that, there are also people of both races whom portray the best. Whom see each other through Christlike eyes and who only care above a person's goodness.
While I cringed during several scenes, I did really enjoy this book and am headed to read book 2.
January 25, 2023
Set right before the Civil war, this novel is a realistic depiction of social class mores, guilt and forgiveness, and faith, or the lack of it. Murders, thievery, slavery, gambling, and romantic choices provide the interest. The first in a series, I plan to read the other two; it will be interesting to see how York, Josh, Camilla, and Ruby fare as the Civil War divides the nation.
April 8, 2022
A sneak attack of a book! I didn’t expect it to be so good! Will definitely have to pick up book two!
November 18, 2012
Wow!
This was on great book!
I have never read a book by Gary E. Parker but he could easily become a favorite author.
I have always loved the Civil war, and will read almost any book I can get my hands on, concerning the Civil war. And Secret Tides did not disappoint!
There were quite a few plot twists, and very interesting characters.
This book is pre-Civil war. Its about the overseer of The Oaks plantation and his family.
It also talks about the plantation owners, and a few of the slaves.
When you start this book you are gonna want to have the second book in the series close by.
This book leaves off in quite a mixed up mess.
There is lots of mystery, some action, romance, and a bunch of controversy.
What more could you want?
I would definitely recommend this book!
This was on great book!
I have never read a book by Gary E. Parker but he could easily become a favorite author.
I have always loved the Civil war, and will read almost any book I can get my hands on, concerning the Civil war. And Secret Tides did not disappoint!
There were quite a few plot twists, and very interesting characters.
This book is pre-Civil war. Its about the overseer of The Oaks plantation and his family.
It also talks about the plantation owners, and a few of the slaves.
When you start this book you are gonna want to have the second book in the series close by.
This book leaves off in quite a mixed up mess.
There is lots of mystery, some action, romance, and a bunch of controversy.
What more could you want?
I would definitely recommend this book!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews