A Story That Grabs Your Heart and Doesn’t Let Go
From the very first chapter, this story is a gripping and deeply moving experience. It centers on Lealia, a student trying to redirect her path from Tuskegee Institute to Howard University, and Milton, a compassionate classmate, whose lives are changed at the Shiloh Baptist Convention.
This narrative immediately thrusts you into a terrifying and traumatic church stampede where panic breaks out. The author places you right in the middle of the confusion, making you feel the heartbreak and urgency. Milton’s quick action saves the badly injured Lealia, along with many others. His subsequent weeks long dedication to helping the injured, sets the stage for a relationship built on shared trauma, and deep respect. The depiction of Milton’s hidden PTSD adds a layer of struggle that is well-handled.
As Milton and Lealia spend weeks healing and helping, their story changes into a compelling mystery, with two major threads: the shooting of a beloved store owner, and the puzzle of the missing money at Shiloh. The blend of emotional recovery, budding romance, and clue-finding is great. As they grow closer, the looming question of their future–Lealia’s move, and Milton finishing his degree–creates a heartbreaking situation.
I particularly loved the inclusion of the character’s faith in response to the tragedy, and to life. This isn’t just a romance or a mystery; it’s a story about finding purpose, love, and light after the worst kind of darkness. Do not miss this book; it’s a five-star read that will keep you captivated from the first page to the last.
Thanks to Barbour Books, for providing Tickmenot with a complimentary copy of, The Daughter of Shiloh,” by Terri J. Haynes, for the purpose of review. Opinions are my own.
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