Title: Have No Shame
Author: Melissa Foster
First published April 11, 2013
304 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780989050845 (ISBN10: 098905084X)
Rating: 3.81
Overview
In Melissa Foster’s riveting tale, eighteen-year-old Alison Tillman is comfortable in her small hometown in Arkansas until she discovers the body of a victim of a hate crime. Suddenly, she is forced to confront the harsh realities of the deep South’s racial prejudice and her own beliefs.
As she finds herself falling in love with a young black man, Alison must choose between the life she has always known and the dangerous path her heart desires. Have No Shame is a poignant coming-of-age story that will resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to reconcile what they know to be true with societal expectations.
About the Author
If you’re a fan of bestselling and award-winning author Melissa Foster, you’ll never have to worry about missing a new release. Follow her on Amazon and sign up for her newsletter to stay up-to-date.
You can even start reading five of Melissa’s series for free in ebook format.
Melissa is known for writing emotionally compelling contemporary romance and women’s fiction with characters that will stay with you long after you finish the book. Her stories are always family-oriented, featuring loyal heroes, smart heroines, and relatable issues.
She’s written over 100 novels and is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author.
If you’re looking for something sweet, Melissa also writes romance under the pen name Addison Cole.
Don’t be shy! Melissa loves to hear from readers, so feel free to reach out to her by email or on social media. As author Jennie Shortridge says, Melissa is the real deal – a wonderful connector of readers and books, and a tireless advocate for women.
Give her books a try and see why so many readers are hooked.
Editoral Review
In Have No Shame, author Melissa Foster transports readers to the Deep South in the 1960s, a time when racial tensions were at their peak. First published in April 2013, this novel is a powerful story of love, loss, and sacrifice that will tug on readers’ heartstrings.
The novel centers around the life of Katie Rose, a young woman from a wealthy family who falls in love with Collin’s after meeting him at his family’s plantation. As a black man in the South, Collin’s has faced nothing but hardship his entire life, yet Katie Rose finds herself unable to resist his charm and intelligence.
Their love story plays out against a backdrop of escalating racial tension as the Civil Rights Movement gains momentum in the South. Foster’s writing style is evocative and lyrical, creating a vivid sensory experience for readers.
This novel delves deep into the character dynamics of each individual, allowing readers to get a clear picture of the struggles they face. The novel paints an unapologetic picture of the harsh realities of the Civil Rights Movement while still allowing readers to believe in the power of love to conquer hate.
One of this novel’s strongest points is its character development. The characters are well-drawn and multi-dimensional, each struggling with their own demons and desires.
Katherine Rose’s struggles to come to terms with her love for a black man in a racist society showcase how love ultimately prevails. Collin’s character development casts light on the everyday traumas and struggles of African Americans during this time period, highlighting how someone who’s wealth cannot protect them against oppression.
However, at times the plot feels predictable and the pacing can drag, which detracts from the overall experience. Foster’s decision to tell the story from multiple perspectives, while interesting at first, can become confusing and unclear, especially for the reader unfamiliar with the complexity of the social landscape.
Though the novel takes place in the 1960s, it remains pertinent today in light of current social and political challenges. Foster’s depiction of the harsh realities of racial segregation may be challenging to read, but it is a story that demands to be told in order to understand the repercussions of past actions today.
Ultimately, Have No Shame is a poignant novel that highlights the power of love to overcome social barriers. It delves deep into the complexities of human relationships and the struggles that people endured during this trying and painful time in history.
Foster has done a magnificent job in conveying a story that will resonate with readers both past and present. I recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a gripping story that is both historically and thematically relevant.
Rating: 4.5/5.
