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Though Patti’s only been writing since 2005, she thinks her latest profession of capturing stories on paper (or computer files) will stick awhile.
The Still, Small Voice encouraged Patti to write after a brave Irish friend shared memories of betrayal and her decision to forgive. In 2008, An Irishwoman’s Tale was published by Kregel Publications. Patti’s second novel, What the Bayou Saw, draws on the memories of two young girls who refused to let segregation, a chain link fence, and a brutal rape come between them.
The secrets women keep and why they keep them continue to enliven Patti’s gray matter. A third book, My Name is Sheba, has been completed. Patti’s WIP, Recapturing Lily, documents a tug-of-war between a Harvard-educated doctor and an American pastor and his wife for a precious child and explores adoption issues, China’s “One Child” policy, and both Christian and secular views of sacrifice.
Patti also facilitates writing seminars in schools, libraries, and at conferences and has been called to present her testimony, “All the Broken Pieces,” at women’s retreats. She also leads a Beth Moore Bible study at her beloved Grace Church.
Patti and her husband Alan, an Illinois State faculty member, live in Normal with their handsome son Thomas, who attends Heartland Community College. On sunny evenings, you can catch the three strolling the streets of Normal with their dog Laura, whom they’ve dubbed a “Worchestershire Terrier” for her “little dab of this breed, a little dab of that breed.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Segregation and a chain link fence separated twelve-year-old Sally Flowers from her best friend, Ella Ward. Yet a brutal assault bound them together. Forever. Thirty-eight years later, Sally, a middle-aged Midwestern instructor, dredges up childhood secrets long buried beneath the waters of a Louisiana bayou in order to help her student, who has also been raped. Fragments of spirituals, gospel songs, and images of a Katrina-ravaged New Orleans are woven into the story.
The past can’t stay buried forever. Rising author Patti Lacy’s second novel exposes the life of Sally, set amid the shadows of prejudice in Louisiana.
Since leaving her home in the South, Sally Stevens has held the secrets of her past at bay, smothering them in a sunny disposition and sugar-coated lies. No one, not even her husband, has heard the truth about her childhood.
But when one of her students is violently raped, Sally’s memories quickly bubble to the surface unbidden, like a dead body in a bayou. As Sally’s story comes to light, the lies she’s told begin to catch up with her. And as her web of deceit unravels, she resolves to face the truth at last, whatever the consequences.
If you would like to read the first chapter of What The Bayou Saw, go HERE
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MY REVIEW: Patti Lacy writes with abandon—exuberant prose with a magnetism aimed straight at the reader. Her second novel is another compelling, page-turning read that recalls a tumultuous past, this time for Sally Stevens, a college professor. When one of her students, a gifted African-American girl, is brutally beaten, old memories that Sally has kept hidden for thirty years are stirred. As the layers are peeled back, Sally discovers not only the misdeeds of others, but also a blackness in her own soul that stemmed from an incident with her childhood friend, Ella.
Deeply honest, the prose sometimes stings with gritty reality about the prejudices of the South—from the swamps of Sally’s childhood to Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. Ultimately, it’s a story of faith, the sometimes twisty road to forgiveness, and God’s grace. The cost is great, but it is the sacrifice Sally must make if she is to preserve her marriage and her own integrity. I think you’ll be delighted with the detours in the scenery, as Sally and Ella wrap themselves around your heart.
Patti Lacy is a gifted storyteller, with a knack for drawing rich settings that linger long after the last page.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment with your contact info to be entered in the giveaway for What the Bayou Saw. Deadline: Monday, November 23 (noonish).
Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher to me for promotional purposes and to write an honest review. Your chances of winning are dependent on the number of entries. US residents only.