Customer Reviews

Perfect Peace

5 star:		(175)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am absolutely amazed right now. So much took place in the book. Emma Jean's bout of desperation, Perfect/Paul's struggle for freedom, Mister's secret love affair, Henrietta's revenge, Authorly's misguided notions of manhood, Woody's understanding of God, Blind Bartimaeus' intuitive sight, King Solomon's diligence in education, Gus and the Jordan, and last but not least, Sugar Baby, the seemingly drunken fool who knew everything from the beginning to the end. Daniel Black has somehow written about four or five novels and weaved them all together to give the World "Perfect Peace". Every character has a story, and every story lends itself to next. I laughed, I cried, and I had to walk away from the book a few times because of it's poignant intensity. I am officially a fan, and I cannot wait to read his pervious works, and hopefully many more to come.

When Emma Jean was a child, she was abused mentally and physically by her mean-spirited mother. She couldn't understand why her mother went to such great lengths to hate her but shamelessly showered her two older sisters with the love and the attention she craved.

Emma Jean marries Gustavus "Gus" Peace and from their union six sons are born. Pregnant with number seven, Emma Jean feels deep in her heart she will be blessed with a girl; a daughter she will love and cherish, unlike the way she was treated as a child. As fate will have it, she gives birth to a son; a beautiful son she will easily disguise as a girl and name Perfect. For eight years, sweet, adorable Perfect was the apple of her brothers' eyes and her parents' pride and joy. However, Emma Jean and Perfect's world is shattered when Perfect's true identity is discovered. Perfect's name is changed to Paul and he is forced to start living his life as a boy.

PERFECT PEACE grabs the reader in a tight hold and doesn't release them until the last page. Black's graphic writing allowed my mental images of the time and place in Swamp Creek, Arkansas flow through my mind with ease. The colorful, flawed characters and intricate story line caused my emotions to soar to different heights in various sections of the story; laughter, anger, happiness, and tears. PERFECT PEACE is a spectacular, soul-stirring literary gem!!!

Reviewed by Sharon Lewis

of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

PERFECT PEACE is a masterfully crafted novel whose cadence explores forgiveness, parenting, and growing up queer in the south. More than a novel, PERFECT PEACE is a message from some other realm, and it explicates the ways in which abused African Americans often transfer their personal pain and hurt to some other undeserving soul. Through PERFECT PEACE, Black carves a space for himself in this nation's long tradition of great literary masters. When you read it you will cry, you will sing, and you, too, will transform with the novel's characters. The novel's characters were so ingeniously conceived that one can easily find themselves and their personal experience in the novel's storyline. All things considered, PERFECT PEACE poses a number of questions which cause readers to closely examine the ways in which gender is not biologically determined but rather socially constructed.

When Emma Jean Peace decides to raise her seventh son as a girl, she sets in motion a series of events that she hopes will contribute unto her liberation. Sadly, her freedom results in the bondage of her daughter, Perfect. Though her sins are numerous, one sympathizes with Emma Jean while at the same time praying for Perfect's successful transition into manhood. Though the novel's issues are complex, Black presents these issues in a simplistic kind of way while simultaneously offering the avid reader a literary challenge. The book is a quick read, yet I left the experience transformed!

I just finished reading "Perfect Peace" by Daniel Black and was compelled to leave a review. I picked up this book on a whim, not knowing anything about the content or the author - just by reading the dust jacket and deciding to take a chance. I am SO glad that I did - this is one of the most moving stories I have ever read in my entire life (and I read constantly). The characters in this book are so authentic, and their stories are so dramatic; the reader is instantly and fully engaged in their lives. I experienced laughter, indignation, disgust, fear, pity, empathy and sorrow within these 341 pages. Rarely has my heart opened up in such a way for the main character of a fiction work. Compassion for Perfect/Paul moved me to tears while outrage for many of the other character's actions left me infuriated. Some of the events that took place in this story were downright despicable. Yet, despite how I felt about ANY of the characters or the things that they did, there is a common thread evident throughout: we are all human, thus we are all flawed. Take heed though, because Dr Black clearly demonstrates that the most grievous of all human transgressions is believing yourself to be better than someone else.

Overall this is a book about love, true beauty, the ties that bind, and perseverance of the human spirit. It may be a work of fiction, but the emotions you will experience as you read this novel are genuine indeed.

Perfect Peace was a very interesting tale. However, there were points in the book that left me perplexed. I will not spoil the read with specifics. That being said, as you read the book, there are just some things that are a little quirky. For example, the book stated that Perfect's behind had started to round out and that he/she had thick legs. How is that possible for a boy of 8 years old? How are these things possible for A BOY? A pretty boy, sure, but a round behind and thick legs for a boy? I was left with a lot of questions. I am still not sure if Perfect found his/her "Peace". The ending of the book was disappointing; it seemed more of a way to finish the book instead of completing the story. The book just kind of fizzled out. Started with a bang and ended with a disappointing dud!

I just finished "Perfect Peace", this is my first book by this author but not my last. This books was OUTSTANDING!!! It makes me question every book I've ever gave 5 stars to because this book was so ridicuolously good I am speechless!!! There is no rating for this book. "Perfect Peace" is a MASTERPIECE in my opinion!!!

In this addictive page turner we travel to the 1930's and 1940's in Swamp Creek, Arkansas. There's not much in Swamp Creek but the mighty Jordan river and a host of colorful African Americans that seem so real they leap off the pages and into your soul!!!

The Peace family, headed by Gustavus "Gus" Peace and his wife Emma Jean are the proud parents of 6 boys. James Earl is the oldest, but he is "slow" and doesn't say too much. Authorly is the second oldest and pretty much the boss of all the brothers. Woody Peace is the 3rd boy and fancies himself to be a comedian. King Solomon Peace loves going to school and boy can King Sol sang! Blind Bartimaeus Peace is the sweet Peace brother who was born blind. Mister Peace is the 6th son of Gus and Emma Jean. Emma Jean has always desired a daughter to nurture and love; her own mother treated her badly and favored her two sisters over her. So when Emma Jean is in labor with her 7th child, she is hoping that this one is a girl. But she has another boy. With the assistance of midwife Henrietta, Emma Jean decides that her 7th son will be the girl she wanted. Emma Jean forces the midwife to go along with her twisted scheme.

Emma Jean creates "Perfect Peace" her daughter, who is really a son. For 8 years Emma Jean loves Perfect like the daughter she has tricked everyone into believing he/she is. Then it all falls apart. Emma Jean tells Perfect she is a boy, cuts her/his hair, dresses him in overalls and Gus promptly renames Perfect Paul. The next few years are painful and horrid for Perfect/Paul. Torment, ridicule and laughter follows Paul everywhere he goes. People look at him as a freak; an abomination and call him "sissy" to his face. This novel makes me believe that feminine and masculine traits are not there at birth, but rather they are developed by our enviornment and how we are treated. My heart ached for Perfect/Paul and tears came to my eyes as the poor boy was treated worse than dirt. Sugar Baby and Miss Mamie kept me laughing though. The language was so real it was like I could hear these country folks speaking!

This novel truly touched me and this is one of the best books I ever read, hands down!!!

I heard about Perfect Peace while in Atlanta at the National Book Club Conference as a must read. They were correct. I met Gus & Emma Jean Peace of Swamp Creek Ark and their sons.I have never read a story line like this. I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters even Emma Jean I don't agree with what she did but I understand. After having six boys and she wanted a girl to love so bad after her loveless childhood. When the seventh boy was born she got caught up and just lost it.Perfect was a beautiful child with a head full of hair and looked like a girl,so she had her wish for eight years. Perfect Peace has drama,suspense,secrets and just enough humor to make you want to sometimes laugh and cry.A father that made sure whatever happened they would always be a family.

So many of my friends recommended Perfect Peace to me that when I started to read it I expected a really great read. Unfortunately, that was not meant to be. Perfect Peace is a good book that lets Mr. Black's wonderful way with words get in the way of a good story. He spent so much time and effort setting up Perfect's family life and the manner in which Perfect came to be that he rushed the ending. It seems like he ran out of things to say and had to wrap it up somehow. Every son of Gus and Emma Jean Peace received a real resolution to their story except the main protagonist. I feel cheated.

Bad ending aside, I love the world that Daniel Black created, so similar to my own growing up in the rural south. I can almost see the church, the river, the fields, the people. I hope that Mr. Black does right by Perfect and give him another book - I'd love to see what his life was like once he left his home and went out into the world - his loves, his hardships, his successes. He's left enough material for a sequel, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

This is the first time I have read one of Daniel Black books and I was not disappointed. From the first time I saw the cover and until I turned and read the last page, I was drawn in. Daniel Black takes you on an emotional journey through the lives of his characters while leaving no rock unturned to get his point across. This is a story that will leave you with feelings of courage, strength, survival, and love. Yet, the reality of the story will leave you speechless. I give the author a thumbs up and a definite five star rating. Perfect Peace is a book that you will never forget.

I liked that the subject matter was different than the norm and I liked the ironic twist, but I wasn't as enthralled as I'd hoped to be with this story. At times I found it hard to stay focused and I was only able to become invested in one minor character, Sol. Part of the problem, for me, is that I loved this author's first book so much that I'm looking to experience those same feelings in his other works and it just hasn't happened. Not fair, I know, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. This is still a good read and worth a purchase.