HAVE NO SHAME (When civil rights and forbidden love collide)

It takes a certain amount of courage to write in the first person but Melissa Foster is an accomplished writer and her latest book, Have No Shame, carries it off well. Eighteen year old Alison Tillman has lived in a small town in Arkansas all her life and has come to accept racial division, and the contempt that accompanies it, as the norm. But the gruesome discovery of a corpse; and her fiancé, Jimmy Lee’s intense racial hatred begins to open her eyes to a world radically different to her own. Melissa’s ability to accompany Alison through the slow metamorphosis is fascinating – especially to one, like myself, who was brought up in Apartheid South Africa and had to reach a similar awakening. The deterioration of Alison’s marriage and the indifferent nature of Jimmy Lee to anyone’s feelings beyond his own, bring Alison forcefully into the adult world. The tension, which held me until the climax, was that the reader becomes aware that Alison’s dark secret has an inevitable outcome. The unknown factor is how it will come to light. Have No Shame is a quick but intense read and will certainly meet with a well-earned response. Lyn J Pickering

When it comes to civil rights, I have to admit that this is something that really stirs my soul deep within me.  I never get tired of reading about it, watching films about it, or just studying it.  And no matter what, I am always newly horrified at the atrocities my race did to others only because of the color of their skin.  And Melissa Foster has written a fantastic novella that captures a time in our history that should never be forgotten. The story told within these pages is a rollercoaster of emotions, and I connected with the story on a very deep level.  The fact that the story is told in first person makes it even more involving.  The author has done something quite unique in that she has offered two versions of the story.  I read the first version without the Southern dialect, but there was the option to read it with the Southern dialect.  I did not attempt the second reading.  I am pretty sure I could have, but I can assure you that it would have taken me much longer to do so. I tried to think of any criticisms to record concerning this book, and I really have very little to say in this area.  There was some profanity, but  I am so grateful that the Lord's name was never used in an inappropriate fashion.  I am grateful that the author chose not to give any details of sexual encounters although they occurred.  I can't really fault the characters for being intimate outside marriage.  This is historical fiction, and I am sure those kinds of things went on.  There are derogatory terms used in the book, but these terms are historical in nature.  I honestly did not feel offended as I read this book, and that is a good sign. What did the author do right in the book?  Everything!  I almost couldn't put the story down, and you will find that the book ends sooner than you expected.  The characterization was outstanding, and I never struggled to keep any details within the book straight.  I hope to read more from this author in the future. I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

I’ve been following this author on twitter for a long time, and this is the first time I have read her writing. I am now a fan and will be reading everything she has written and writes in the future. Her style is phenomenal. This is an incredibly hard subject to write, read and especially to have lived. Even today people are still living this subject matter. Racism, murder, injustice - it is horrid, it is unbelievable, it hurts - and Foster has captured it through character, story line and vision. Alison Tillman faces several personal struggles and situations which strip her of the youthful beliefs we all cherish, until the world infringes with reality. She finds the body of a black man, floating on the river waters, and she knows he’s been murdered. She knows other things too, that change her world and challenger her views. Then she becomes friends with a young black man - in the early and mid 60’s - a time of race turmoil in America - which further imperils everything she knew about social justice, moral and ethical choices, and people. This is the kind of book that is hard to read because so much of it screams of how far we haven’t come from there, and it is painful; yet much of it speaks to how far we have endeavored to change, and it is important. Melissa Foster is an excellent writer. Have No Shame is definitely on my “You cannot borrow this, you have to get your own” list.

What happens when love changes your way of thinking... ....for Allison Tillman, her world changes when she sees a body floating in the river. Everything she has ever know, how blacks and whites lived separately and that was just fine...till it wasn't. This book is a good read and gives us some incite into life in 1967 Arkansas and tell the story of how falling in love and fighting for that love is a good thing.

Division is a street dividing the colored side of town from the white. And for all the years I’ve lived in the States, it never occurred to me that’s what the name might mean. Melissa Foster’s Have No Shame takes its characters across that line, first with accidental meetings, then clandestine plans, and then in a rush from danger to hope. The story’s told in two versions in this ebook—an intriguing and clever use of electronic format. One version includes dialect in the text while the other sticks to more conventional spellings and word endings. I chose to read the latter since I’m easily frustrated by needing to decipher words, but I skipped through the dialect version afterward and either would have been a good well-flowing read. Told in first person, the slightly formal tone gives a convincing feel of the protagonist’s separation from family and society. She’s soon to be married, and she doesn’t like to displease, but her fiancé engages in disturbing activities at night, and black farm laborers suffer at his hands. A dead body, unpleasant rumors, honest suspicion and an accidental meeting turn Alison’s thoughts on their head, but she continues trying to persuade herself to do what her family says is right. The reader will see the twist coming long before its culmination but the character’s blind adherence to convention and expectations is entirely plausible, and she doesn’t spare her danger a thought until it happens. Then there are lessons to be learned all around, and those who choose not to see might have to open their eyes after all. Set in a sadly convincing South during the Civil Rights Movement, and including an equally convincing trip to the North, Melissa Foster’s Have No Shame holds a candle to those dark corners where shame is simply a question of not looking, and invites us to see. It’s a fast-flowing, smoothly told story which brings the era and its people to life and shows the frail human steps that lead to hope. Disclosure: The author kindly gave me a free ecopy of her novel, even though I told her it would be a while before I could review it.

This is a wonderfully written book which tells a very compelling story.  I grew was a child in California in the 60's, so my view growing up of the civil rights movement was much different from other places in the country.  This story takes a realistic view of small town racial bigotry in 1967, in a time where our nation faced the conflicts of war, and conflicts of culture at home.  Sometimes the events of that time were gruesome, and the author paints these scenes accurately and realistically.  The author does a wonderful job of building characters that you are interested in, and also villainous characters that you hate.  You get to see the growth of several characters through their trials, and experiences of life.  All in all, this book earns four stars for me, as it is insightful, well written, and reflective.  Well done, Melissa!

I was lucky to be given the chance to read the ARC of "Have No Shame" and immediately from the start of reading it stepped into another time, country and society. It is filled with exellent historic detail and depth of the emotional struggle of a girl becoming a woman, who is attempting to understand intergenerational differences, and why some people will not change. I found it to be a fabulous read. I love the way it is written, the feelings of the protaganist and her personality are immediately picked up through the first few pages. Her anguish between right and wrong, loyalty and duty are painfully felt as we become Alison and feel every tormented emotion she carries with her. Brutally honest and eye opening, but lovingly told to show how strong the human soul is. Excellently done.

This is a book you must read. I couldn't put it down. An excellent read.

Great book

A courageous story of love that transcends racial inequality.

Great story of a young woman's life in a small southern town. Racially charged with the civil rights movement in the 60's. Characters are colorfully drawn and the emotions intensely descriptive

Could not put it down. Amazingly detailed. Definitely a must read. I loved it from page one.

Easy read impecable details

Well written and interesting.

I'm in a book club with some friends and this was one of the books, I didn't think I would like it, but really enjoyed it. Very good book, well written. Hope you like it as much as me

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. Great job Ms. Foster!

I highly recommend this book, it takes you in and you can't put it down. If you like books about civil rights you will love this one! I plan to read more of Melissa Fosters books.

Fast moving story. Coming of age, recognizing human rights make this a great book for all ages.

;)