Trust by Daines L. Reed (Book Review)
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“What kind of outfit is appropriate for the day that you go to court and stand before the judge to ask for your freedom papers?”
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Writing A New Narrative
One of the best ways to change a person’s mind is by giving them a great story. Take a subject that seems also impossible and place that impossibility within reach with thoughtful steps and descriptions. What makes this story different from say, science fiction or fantasy, is that the impossibility isn’t climate or famine. It’s money. It’s community wealth. It’s about retirements and college funds.
In her debut novel, Daines Reed found the perfect way to mix her work knowledge with her passion for writing. A dental hygienist by day, Reed put in the work to create a moving story of what happens when women in a small community take care of their own in more ways that one.
Trust follows Ruth as she learns to navigate a new life past the pain of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband. One of the things that keeps her going is the monthly book club she participates in with some women from work and neighborhood. When the newest member is appalled by the way the women are handling their finances, she convinces the group to read up on financial planning and building a financial trust. What the women learn from this group is bigger than how much money they stand to gain.
*****
A Win for Trust
I really enjoyed this book. It was an effortless read and got me thinking about my own financial future. If the author’s goals were to write a great story and leave you with a great message, she succeeded. This book is well-written, will run you through all of your emotions, and delivers at all the right moments. Reed’s writing opened all of my sense, allowing me to smell the smells or hear the action in ways some books only dream of.
The characters were not only relatable, but felt like people I knew from my own community. Ruth’s life-long friendship with Irene was moving and honest, leaving me full of joy having experienced this story wrapped in Black womanhood. I could recognize it as sisterhood on every page, with all the women, as they worked together to build the lives they wanted. All of the relationships felt real, and included a depth because each woman was not a plot point but a multifaceted character.
This story speaks to many of the ways we can build community and trust with the women (or people) in our lives. I wish it had been a little longer, coming in at just 163 pages. Honesty, this book could have been twice as long and I think I still would have loved it. Someone recommended Trust to me right as it arrived in my mailbox, so I had high expectations for this self-published book. Those expectations were met and I would highly recommend it.
*****
Do you Trust me to guide you to a good book? Pick up Reed’s novel today!
About the Author
Black & Bookish is the brainchild of Antoinette Scully, educator and lover of all things bookish. She is on a quest to fill your bookshelves with beloved authors of the African Diaspora. When she's not hanging out online, she's living it up as the mother of two rambunctious girls and wife of a local filmmaker.