Balm by Dolen-Perkins Valdez

 
After the Civil War in the states, life was still very difficult. For two women, Madge and Sadie, this time of struggle became a way for them to give hope and healing to other suffering people. In Balm  by Dolen-Perkins Valdez, there is also Horse or Hemp as he is called by those who know him. His master of the Harrison family called him Horse. All of these people have a mission to fulfill in their lives. There is also Annie, the missing slave woman who belonged to Hemp and her daughter, Herod. There are other characters to meet along the way like Sadie's father, etc. No matter whom we meet throughout the novel there is the sweet fragrance of the Balm of Gilead. I sniffed it on each page of the novel.

Sadie is the white lady who lives in Chicago. Her concern is with the people who have lost people in the war. We would call her a spiritualist. A man's voice speaks through her. This seemed really strange to me, a bit spooky. I thought Sadie had lost her mind. However, it's a very real experience for Sadie.

Madge is the freeborn woman from Tennessee. She collects and gives herbs to the ailing and dying. Madge is raised by three woman. One of these women is her mother. Unfortunately, her mother's bond with the sister's is extremely tight. This will block Sarah from forming a close relationship to Madge, her baby. The bond of these two women intrigued me. Intricate is the word that comes to mind. I had a hard time digesting the fact that Sarah did not bond immediately with Madge. I wondered how a woman can keep going day after day knowing she's failed at achieving a close bond with her child.  

Then, there is Hemp. He is a man any woman would love to love. He is Annie's man. However, I became a bit angry with Hemp. For how long does a man's love run deep? If he loses one loved woman, Annie, how long before he reaches out for another? Maybe men only love who is within their grasp at the time. Maybe a man's memory is very short while a woman remembers for a much longer time.

Then, there is Hemp's time with Herod, Annie's daughter. What really happened there? Was a kiss just a kiss or did more than a kiss go down? I did not know how far to let my imagination rove in this forbidden field. Perhaps, it was the part of the novel kept secret. In other words, don't touch this.And that is the author's gift. She weaves her imagination around your finger, and it is impossible to let go.dolenperkinsvaldez