Book Review for ‘In The Face Of The Sun’ by Denny S Bryce

In The Face Of The Sun
by Denny S Bryce

2 Star Review by Asia Weber

In this book we follow two African American women during present tense 1960s Chicago with flashbacks to 1920s Los Angeles California. We first meet Frankie and her Aunt Daisy in the present tense as Frankie is trying to leave her abusive husband and has called upon her estranged aunt Daisy for help. Throughout the story we get flashbacks to Daisy’s life in LA starting in her early twenties. Both women endure their own hardships and the fight for racial equality. They each must find a way to overcome their current circumstances while Daisy simultaneously decides to confront her past as well.

I gave this one 2 stars because while the overall story was a good one, the writing itself just felt rushed and there seemed to be so many details missing. I enjoyed the short chapters and the back and forth between the past and the future as well as the two different viewpoints of both women. There is strong female and racial empowerment throughout. Frankie gains herself a bit of confidence and confronts her abusive husband while Daisy silently comes to terms with mistakes she made in her past. We are also joined in the present tense by a caucasian man named Tobey, a friend of Daisies, who doesn’t seem to contribute much to the story other than being involved in a few interesting situations during their journey from Chicago to Los Angeles, that which his presence seems to have created. The story was alright until the middle and end when suddenly things were just happening without really an explanation or transition. Then the end comes rushing at you and suddenly it was just done. I also came across quite a few editorial mistakes. If I were to recommend this book it would be for a quick read to anyone who enjoys a bit of historical fiction.