"The Sanctum"

by Pamela King Cable

Description

On a November day in 1951 Neeley McPherson turned five ... and accidentally killed her parents. Thrown into the care of her scheming and alcoholic grandfather, she survives by her quick wit, and the watchful eye of an elderly black man, Gideon. In 1959, as equal rights heats up the South, authorities accuse Gideon of stealing a watch and using a Whites Only restroom. Neeley, now thirteen, determines to break him out of jail.

When the infamous Catfish Cole, Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon of the Carolinas, discovers their courageous escape, he pursues Neeley and Gideon into the frozen Blue Ridge Mountains to a wolf sanctuary. There Neeley crosses the bridge between the real and the supernatural. But will Neeley's actions lead to tragedy again? Or will she finally realize the desire of her heart?

Set during a volatile time in America, The Sanctum bestows sanctuary and invokes the power of second chances. 

Biography

Pamela is the author of the highly acclaimed collection of short stories, Southern Fried Women, a finalist in Fiction and Literature-Short Story, Best Books of 2006 Book Awards, USABookNews.com and a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year.

Born a coal miner's granddaughter and raised by a tribe of wild Pentecostals and storytellers, Pamela loves to write about religion and spirituality with mystical twists she unearths from her family's history. She has taught at many writing conferences, and speaks to book clubs, women's groups, national and local civic organizations, and at churches across the country.  

My thoughts ~

Pamela King Cable is a new author to me, but I will be following this impressive author in the future. Topics pivotal to this intense novel include physical and verbal abuse, alcoholism, racism, family and love. A young teen, Neeley suffered severe beatings from a grandfather who was a drunk and an abuser. Neeley was left to suffer her pain alone except for the compassion of Gideon, an elderly Black man. Gideon filled the role of caregiver since Neeley's parents died in a car accident. With the Ku Klux Klan alive and anxious to hang a Black man "just because," Gideon's life was in danger.

There are characters in The Sanctum who wrapped themselves around my heart. Others made me ill with disgust. This novel affected me so profoundly that I can't think of reading another book just yet. I'm still absorbing the powerful character development, scenic imagery and haunting themes that awakened my senses to the unchanging characteristics that label us as humans. We haven't changed, and possibly never will.

Composed with perception and artistry, I was swept into this painful yet magnificent portrayal of life in the south during the 1950s. The depth of Ms. Cable's creativity evoked emotions that reached deep within my soul. I highly recommend this compelling and powerful book!