"She laid the gun down on her vanity and stroked her hair a few times with her expensive brush. It was time to get on with her mission."
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Black Days by Jean Brown Black Rose Writing
book review by Libby Grandy
The characters in Jean Brown's novel, Black Days, are struggling with the "curse of the Faulkners." When Robert Faulkner is told that he has leukemia, he must face emotional issues that he has been avoiding. Although he accepts the inevitability of his pending death, he feels that there is something he must do for his estranged, adult children before he dies, but is at a loss as to what that might be. As the days slip away, Robert reviews his life, the joys before what he terms "the dark day," and the sorrow afterwards.
The novel continues from the perspective of Robert's children and that of his caregiver, Judith, and it becomes clear to the reader why Robert and his children are estranged. Then something occurs that changes the dynamics of the story. While in the waiting room of his doctor's office, Robert lays his hands on a terminally ill young boy and discovers that he has healing powers. Robert's new ability dramatically changes his relationship with his family. The pace of the story becomes fast and intense as his healing of those around him brings negative circumstances into his life, namely a man from the Faulkner family's past, who has his own agenda.
There are flashbacks in Black Days, and readers must patiently follow the storyline to understand the intricate plot. Brown's novel is an interesting character study that keeps the reader turning the page until the unusual, surprise ending. Black Days is Book One of Brown's Faulkner's Curse Series.