"
A Heart Divided" by
Cherie Bennett &
Jeff Gottesfeld --
Is the Confederate battle flag a racist symbol—or a proud reminder of Southern heritage?
When Kate’s liberal-minded family moves from the suburbs of New York City to a small town near Nashville, Kate is convinced her life is over. Redford lives up to Kate’s low expectations. The Confederate battle flag waves proudly in the sky, the local diner serves grits and sweet tea, and country music rules the airwaves. Then she meets Jackson Redford III, scion of the town and embodiment of everything Dixie. And dang if brilliant, gorgeous Jack doesn’t make Kate decide that maybe her new hometown isn’t so bad after all. But a petition to replace the school’s Confederate flag symbol is stirring up trouble. Kate dives right in, not afraid to attack what she sees as offensive. Getting involved means making enemies, though, and soon, Kate and Jack—and their families—find themselves pitted against each other in a bitter controversy: not just about the flag, but about what it means to be an American. [Taken from their website since it explained it a lot better then I could.]
4 out of 5 stars!
When I started this book, I will admit I had Kate's (the main character) original point-of-view, being that when I looked at anyone who would fly, have stickers and/or have paintings of the confederate flag ... I was amazed someone would still have them up since when I see it I immediately think of racism. You see I grew up in southern Maine and even though I might not have known much about history (since I was never was able to pay attention in history classes growing up), but I did know the basics ... the big things ... and I have plenty of different types of friends from either my high school, college years, or just as I got older that I feel I treat everyone the same as I would everyone else. Therefore, after I was married and moved to North Carolina it was something to get used to, to see all of the different people who have representations of the flag on so many things around them (an example would be the picture to the left of this paragraph - taken in Hertford, NC). However, I still didn't completely get it. Now,
even though I still think the same way that I did before reading this book (i.e. the confederate flag = racism), yet I feel I now have a better understanding as to why someone might still love the confederate flag, even if I don't agree with them.
It's a compelling story about believing your values. The way you read it at first, I didn't like it until I understood that it was kind of written to have a bird's eye view of everything to make the ending that much better. And it is!! I cried, laughed, and learned more then I expected to out of this book. I highly recommend it ... especially to those northerners, like me, who still don't get it, or at least I didn't before I read this book.
For more information on this book or any of Cherie & Jeff's other books, then please check out their amazon accounts
Cherie's acct &
Jeff's acct.
** Title is a quote from the book A Heart Divided by Cherie Bennett & Jeff Gottesfeld **
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