"Engraved on the Heart" by Tara Johnson Book Review And Q and A

 The opening scene of Chapter 1 begins with Keziah, the main character of the novel,  at a society ball dancing with a young man.  But she is distracted by  a secret. If anyone at the ball found out, her family would be a scarlet lettered forever.  Meanwhile, she tries to act as if everything is fine. She is dancing around the ball room when she suddenly passes out. Someone yells to the crowd "Is there a doctor here'? A young man named Micah appears. Her childhood friend. Someone lies her on a sofa. Micah asses her. She opens up to Micah how she feels  and tells him she is more worried about her mothers reaction than how she feels. She says her epilepsy has caused her family embarrassment. Especially  her mother who is more worried about her image and how her friends see her and the town  than her daughter's health.  Later, Micah asks Keizah if she wants to attend an Underground slave meeting. She accepts. While at the meeting a former  slave named Amos, shows his ripped apart, shredded,  knotted, back to the crowd. Someone in the crowd thinks this is fake,
it wasn't. Amos's response is "I'm sorry you had to see that, but  I ain't the only one who's suffered."  "There are still folks trapped just like I was, with no hope for them or their babies." I'm a man."  "I'm a man made in God's image." "A man Jesus died for."  "The whites tell everybody the Negroes are stupid."  "No different  than animals."   "But it's only because those same whites denied us a chance to learn , to read, to make something of ourselves." "You know what I'm reading ."  "The Good book, And now I read for myself how much Jesus loves me."  (Page-27). 

Amos is right  he was not the only one treated like property being a slave during the Civil War. When a person is stripped of their freedom it does something to their psychological mind-set. They resign themselves to the fact that they will never get out. This life as a slave will be all they know forever.  The whites know they had the upper hand because they provided  food, shelter, and work for the slaves. Controlling them made the whites feel powerful.   When Amos the powerful point that Jesus loves me, it does not matter to Jesus what color a person's skin is, it is more important what is in their heart. I think Amos wanted the crowd to see his back ripped up back because he wanted to know what are they going to do to stop it?   Keziah feels ignorant because she had no idea whippings like that really going on in real life.  Ms. Johnson is a very talented author. She tells  the story of Keziah with grace, and it keeps me wanting more. I plan to be a reader of hers for life.

Disclaimer-"I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher through the Tyndale Blog Network free book review program, which requires an honest though not necessarily positive review. The opinions I have expressed are mine, I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC, Title 16 Part 255, "Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."




Q and A with Ms. Tara Johnson via Skype


1. What inspired Ms. Johnson to write?

"I was actually a Christian songwriter and singer for several years."  When I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis" - a condition that affects the normal spontaneous movement of the muscles in a person's stomach which does not work properly and it does not empty. It can interfere with normal digestion, cause nausea and vomiting and cause problems with blood sugar levels and nutrition.  "that prevented me(Tara) from singing."  "I began writing more  and more then, I discovered I enjoyed it and learning about it."


2. What inspired Ms. Johnson to have a young woman character with epilepsy?

"She grew up with epilepsy." I had a high fever when I was 5 or 6 years old."

She has not had a seizure since she was 17.


3. Is it taboo to write about a character with epilepsy?

"I don't  think so (today)"  "Back in the Civil War times it was taboo."  "They put people with epilepsy in institutions."

4. Why does Keziah's mother shame her for having epilepsy?

"I think her mom is focused on outward appearance that's how she receives praise." "About being seen in a positive light by everybody."

5. Do you think it is timely that you wrote about race relations?

"I never wrote it with that intention." "My only statement is God loves all people." I live in the south, So it is prevalent." God loves all people." Race, gender,intelligence, social standing, or country it makes no difference."

6. You wrote Keziah's voice as timid, worried about what others think of her, Because of her epilepsy why?

"She's lived her life not to be the center of attention." "She is a people pleaser." She wants to win her parents approval."


7. In chapter 3, on page 26-27, There is a scene where Keziah is in attendance at a Underground Free Slavery Meeting, when a free slave named Amos "stood slowly and unbuttoned his white shirt turning his back to the audience, allowing the fabric to fall to the floor, Keziah felt the blood lech from her face as murmurs of utter shock punctuated the air."  A woman released a cry."  "His back was nothing but a hard crisscross of thick, grisly scars, knotted tissue punctuated over scars, some as thick as two fingers pinched together."

Why was this scene so important in the book?

" It was a punch in the stomach." This is the truth."  The truth is very hard."

8. What impact do you hope the readers of "Engraved on the Heart have?

"First, I pray readers will understand just like Keziah that they have tremendous worth in the eyes of God." "Second, secret abolitionist meetings were common in this time period and I thought it would be a good way to shake up Kesziah's old view of how the world worked."  "That meeting was turning point for her, she couldn't erase the images from her mind."  So it forced her to step past her comfortable world into the unknown".

9. What are you working on next?

"A Civil War novel  "Where Dandelions Bloom."