FREE for Kindle from amazon: Fireflies in December by Jennifer Erin Valent

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Fireflies in December
by Jennifer Erin Valent
http://www.amazon.com/Fireflies-in-D...7205563&sr=1-1
$FREE

Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Little does anyone realize that simple Christian charity will inflame the bigots and hatemongers in this small Virginia town. Escalating episodes of horrific violence ensue, including sexual attacks directed at 13-year-old Jessilyn Lassiter, the novel’s narrator, after her white family takes in her black best friend, Gemma, when she is orphaned by a tragic fire. Winner of the Christian Writers Guild’s 2007 Operation First Novel contest, Valent has created a darkly evocative historical novel that boldly explores the divisive effects of unreasoning hatred, greed, and fear on a community already struggling with the economic and racial tensions caused by the Depression and exacerbated by the Ku Klux Klan. As these forces impact one family, childhood innocence is lost, but Valent’s characters also experience the affirmation of a deeper, more lasting faith. --Lynne Welch

Review
"When her best friend Gemma's parents are killed in a house fire, Jessilyn Lassiter's parents take the girl in. Trouble is, the year is 1932, Gemma is black, the Lassiters are white, and they live in a small Virginia town. Spunky Jessilyn is 13 years old, but her story will appeal to readers of all ages. Winner of the Christian Writers Guild's 2007 Operation First Novel contest, Valent's debut is both heartwarming and hand-wringing as it shows how one family endured the threats small and large of a prejudiced community while maintaining moral integrity. The cast of characters is rich. Jessilyn's mother wrestles with the social cost of challenging convention, her father is a dream dad and the neighbor's wisdom is as spicy as her cake. Jessilyn's romantic interest and penchant for trouble keep the tone light while the plot reminds readers of the evil that ordinary human beings are capable of doing, even in the name of righteousness. The book stares down violence and terror, making its affirmation of surprising goodness believable." --Publishers Weekly, December 1, 2008, starred review

Little does anyone realize that simple Christian charity will inflame the bigots and hatemongers in this small Virginia town. Escalating episodes of horrific violence ensue, including sexual attacks directed at 13-year-old Jessilyn Lassiter, the novel's narrator, after her white family takes in her black best friend, Gemma, when she is orphaned by a tragic fire. Winner of the Christian Writers Guild's 2007 Operation First Novel contest, Valent has created a darkly evocative historical novel that boldly explores the divisive effects of unreasoning hatred, greed, and fear on a community already struggling with the economic and racial tensions caused by the Depression and exacerbated by the Ku Klux Klan. As these forces impact one family, childhood innocence is lost, but Valent's characters also experience the affirmation of a deeper, more lasting faith. --Booklist, December 1, 2008

“We’re proud of Jennifer, and you’re about to learn why. I envy your first look at this new talent. You won’t be disappointed.”--Jerry B. Jenkins, New York Times best-selling author and owner of the Christian Writers Guild

“Jennifer Erin Valent’s debut novel is as sweet and salty as the South itself. With a keen eye for detail and a pitch-perfect ear for dialect, Valent reminds us that all is not what it seems on the surface and that angels come in many forms.”--Jan Watson, award-winning author of the Troublesome Creek series

“Fireflies in December is an extraordinary first novel, a pure joy to read as Valent explores the emotions and confusion associated not only with coming of age, but with the greater challenge of having a friendship that’s a lonely light in a very dark time.”--Maureen Lang, author of The Oak Leaves