REVIEW OF WHAT THE BAYOU SAW by Patti Lacy

I met Patti Lacy on the run at the Minneapolis ACFW conference. In our five minute encounter, I knew I’d met a writer who sizzled with life, embracing it with joy and wonder. Soon after I read her debut novel, An Irishwoman’s Tale, and saw that same quality in her writing. She writes with abandon—exuberant prose with a magnetism aimed straight at the reader.

Patti’s second novel, What The Bayou Saw, is another compelling, page-turning read that recalls a tumultuous past, this time for Sally Stevens, a college professor. When one of her students, a gifted African-American girl, is brutally beaten, old memories that Sally has kept hidden for thirty years are stirred. As the layers are peeled back, Sally discovers not only the misdeeds of others, but also a blackness in her own soul that stemmed from an incident with her childhood friend, Ella.

Deeply honest, the prose sometimes stings with gritty reality about the prejudices of the South—from the swamps of Sally’s childhood to Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. Ultimately, it’s a story of faith, the sometimes twisty road to forgiveness, and God’s grace. The cost is great, but it is the sacrifice Sally must make if she is to preserve her marriage and her own integrity. I think you’ll be delighted with the detours in the scenery, as Sally and Ella wrap themselves around your heart.

Patti Lacy is a gifted storyteller, with a knack for drawing rich settings that linger long after the last page.

You can find out more about Patti here or order What The Bayou Saw here. Highly recommended!!