Single Page – In Black and White

In Black and White

2023.09.13.4.137.BookBrushImage39291 copy

A white woman, a black man, and their forbidden love.

First Place Winner in Historical Fiction in the 2020 Christian Indie Book Awards Contest

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About the Book

Title: In Black and White
Author: MaryAnn Diorio
Series: None
Genres: Historical Fiction; Historical Romance
Publication Year: 2019
Publisher: TopNotch Press
ISBN: 978-0930037536
ASIN: B07YX9HFQ9

Summary

A white woman, a black man, and their forbidden love.

A white woman. A black man. And their forbidden love. Can endurance and faith sustain the love between a white woman and a black man, threatened by rejection, guilt, and racial injustice? Can love alone reconcile their starkly different worlds, lighting the way to a bright future together?When graduate student, Tori Pendola, a white American woman, and Jebuni Kalitsi, a Ghanaian exchange student and heir to his tribe’s chieftaincy, fall deeply in love, they must face not only their own inner demons of rejection and guilt but also the demons of societal hatred bent on destroying their relationship. Will their love survive the cruel and bitter attacks against them? Or will hatred and prejudice gain the upper hand?In Black and White is a deeply moving story of the power of God’s love to restore all that is broken in their lives.

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Discussion Questions for IN BLACK AND WHITE by MaryAnn Diorio

ENDORSEMENTS

Natalya

Forgiveness – love in action.

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2020

What a powerful story! There are very few books that have touched me deeply…this is one of them. I am reminded yet again that forgiveness is one of God’s most precious gifts. The story shows how deeply we can wound and hurt one another with our prejudices and false assumptions. But if we focus instead on serving our Lord, we’ll find the peace that surpasses all understanding.
“In Black and White” is a great example of true love. “Yes, love had a price. And Love Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, had paid that price.”
What are you waiting for? “God’s plan for your life is always better than your own.” And this story might change your life 🙂
I received a complimentary copy of this book; I was not required to write a favorable review. All opinions in this review are my own. – Natalya (Used by permission)

Pat Jeanne Davis

Powerful Story!

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2020

Rate 4.5 Stars

In the opening pages of this novel, we see Tori and Jeb meeting each other at an art exhibition in Philadelphia in 1959. She is an art student and of Italian heritage, and he is an exchange student from Ghana next in line to become chief of his tribe. As their love for each other quickly grows so does the tension between Tori and her father who has never showed his love for her and who dislikes all blacks. As a couple they confront racial hatred on their university campus, discrimination at work and in the wider community. When Jeb is summoned back to Ghana upon the death of his father, he will there also face the same racial prejudice from his family and tribe when he expresses his desire to marry a white woman. It’s apparent that the historical background for this story required much research on the part of MaryAnn Diorio. I was drawn into this couple’s struggles and their courage. I found myself cheering for them when all seemed lost and wanting them not to lose their faith in God and in each other. As a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, I’m familiar with many of the places mentioned in this novel that speaks to the destructive impact of racial prejudice and to the grace of God in bringing forgiveness and reconciliation. – Pat Jeanne Davis, Author of Fiction (Used by permission.)

Editorial Reviews

Review

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful StoryReviewed in the United States on March 2, 2020. I love when an author tackles a tough subject and writes a story that not only teaches us lessons but opens our heart up to God’s Word. The Bible says, “We are created in His image.” He doesn’t see color, only hearts. This story has been hard to read because I cried throughout the book. Everyday we hear about violence because of race or religion and I pray that someday that prejudice does not exist.

Tori is a young woman on the way to graduating college. She has felt unwanted and a mistake by her father all her life. I could feel her need to be accepted and God had a plan to show her that she was loved. We can’t help who we fall in love with. The heart wants what the heart wants. Finding your soul mate is something we all desire and for Tori she may have that dream come to pass.
I was especially intrigued by Jeb because of his heritage. The author has done a great job of researching customs from other nations. When Jeb and Tori meet you could sense a connection right away. As their relationship grows, they find theirselves in the midst of hatred among the community. It was sad to hear how many times they were verbally or physically attacked by people who were deceived by the enemy. Their troubles start with their parents and I was dismayed by the hatred that came from Tori’s father.

The story is set in 1959 when whites and blacks were not welcomed to interact with each other. As I read the book I can remember the day when a young man was beaten because people wanted to get revenge. Oh how I cried when I saw the riots in the streets and the pain that spread across a nation. Tori and Jeb will face many challenges and with their faith they will stand together and fight for what is right. It is a beautiful example of forgiveness and trust. I won’t give anything away but I will say the author writes a story that is prevalent even today. Will Jeb and Tori marry? Can love overcome hatred?

“With God all things are possible.”

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

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