My rating: 5/5
Oh, how I loved this story! The Road Before Me by Embassie Susberry is a memorable tale comprised of endearing characters and an enthralling plot that effortlessly keeps the reader engulfed in the story. Interlacing themes of family, love, and discovery, these elements are intricately weaved together creating a stellar novel.
An unsettling murder sets Adaline “Addie” Triplett on a journey to find the person responsible for killing her twin sister, Sarah ‘Sadie’ Triplett. With a lack of support in discovering the killer, Addie decides to identify as her sister Sadie and take her place working as a maid for the Pullman train Company. She is met with many challenges as she encounters the unpleasant ways in which her sister was regarded by her coworkers and learns the rigorous duties of the job. Her experiences on the job, and the shocking discoveries she makes during her quest, emphasize that although twins, they had vast differences and unknown secrets. Shortly after arriving on the train for her first assignment, she meets Mordecai ‘Cai’ Thorpe, the stoic lead Pullman porter whose physical attributes contrast his ruthless personality. Despite his menacing disposition and negative reputation amongst the porters, she is immediately drawn to his unapologetic confidence, intellect, and capabilities and discovers his kind heart, admirable artistic skills, and compassion. They soon discover that they are both on a quest for something significant and prove helpful to one another on their journeys.
With an excellent cast of characters, The Road Before Me is a fantastic novel, with elements of mystery, romance, and historical references. The story is crafted with not only great character development but descriptive settings that truthfully captured the lifestyle of Black Americans during the Jim Crow era, that endured much racism while working the laborious job servicing customers in the Pullman Company. This captivating story also included Christian faith content that included the depiction of the main characters praying, studying the Bible, and living purposeful lives unto the Lord. Undoubtedly, Embassie Susberry is one of my favorite authors. With each of her novels that I avidly read, she exhibits her skillful writing with prose that always conveys an inspiring Christian message, includes highly memorable characters, and unforgettable plots. Undeniably, I recommend this book to others.
#ChristianFiction #EmbassieSusberry #Blackauthors
