Seeking Forgiveness
Adult; General Fiction (including literary and historical); (Market)
The narrative memoir Seeking Forgiveness tells the story of interracial adoption in the United States today, from the perspective of a white mother who adopts a Black son, and finds she has no idea what the hell she is doing.
Rachel, the adoptive mother of Miles, receives a call from the police in the middle of the night informing her that her son has been arrested. She rushes to the police station to help Miles, consumed with worry that she has failed to protect her son from events beyond his control.
For the next eight hours, as Rachel desperately tries to get Miles out of jail, she recalls their life together and the events that have led them to their current situation. In so doing she questions her competence as a mother, the viability of interracial adoption, and whether her son will ever forgive her for the mistakes she made as his adoptive mother.
A rich commentary on motherhood, adoption, and race relations in America today, this suspenseful narrative memoir will linger long after the immediate tension of the novel has been resolved.
Quarter Finalist
Plot/Idea: 10 out of 10
Originality: 10 out of 10
Prose: 10 out of 10
Character/Execution: 10 out of 10
Overall: 10.00 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Rachel delivers a weighty and insightful work, with social commentary offered through a first-person narrative that is both fascinating and enlightening. The sensitive theme is handled with care and respect.
Prose: Through powerful and discerning writing, Rachel is able to prompt introspection and evoke emotion throughout the narrative.
Originality: There is no question that this is a unique and original novel, with a singular and profound narration.
Character Development/Execution: The subject of the work is Miles, but the true, in-depth exploration is really of Rachel, his mother, who examines her role and responsibility as a white mother to a Black son.
Blurb: Powerful and enlightening, Seeking Forgiveness is a thought-provoking examination of an interracial mother/son relationship.
Date Submitted: August 28, 2022
