BOAZ BROWN - Michelle Stimpson
Warner/Walk Worthy Press
June 2004
SYNOPSIS: Michelle debuts will a daring Christian novel takes a look at racism in the African-American psyche.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: (4) Tricia-Ann Blades
REVIEW: Michelle Stimpson creates impact in the minds of her readers in her debut novel BOAZ BROWN. This novel is well articulated and is based on sound biblical teaching giving the reader a fresh perspective on the word of God in relation to segregation and race relations and their impact on relationships within the church and in the community as a whole.
There are no boundaries of color or creed when one’s life is committed to serving God. BOAZ BROWN addresses this issue as its primary theme. “Traditions and idiosyncrasies that have been instilled in the main character LaShondra Smith from childhood” have molded and shaped the story line within this novel. Mrs. Stimpson compares the past experience of this character to mold and influence the thought process and the impact of this novel. She also outlines the importance of one’s relationship with God and allowing His Spirit to guide and shape you as a Christian.
Jesus as he prayed for believers in John 17:21 stated “that they all may be one as You Father are in Me and I in You that they also be one in us.” LaShondra Smith, the primary character of this novel, is grounded in the Word and listens to the guidance of the Holy Sprit. She opens her soul daily to being watered by the Word and therefore does nothing without pray. She knows what it means to impart into her students’ promise and work on the potential that dwells within them. In LaShondra exists the “old heart”; a heart controlled by the teachings of society, by the hurts of the black past and not by the love of God for people of every nation. Mrs. Stimpson, however, shows that God searches the heart and places situations in your path that if yielded to the Holy Spirit would pull down the strongholds and vain imaginings that can destroy Christians without them realizing it giving them a new heart that sees mankind as he does.
Often one would hear the saying, “be careful what you pray for,” a you just may get it. This phrase could be applied to LaShondra as she prayed for her Boaz. Little did she expect that the outside packaging would go against every belief system that operated within her life. Stelston Brown was a strong and committed man of God, who understood scripture and believed that as Christians there are no boundaries. Mrs. Stimpson uses this character to exemplify the love of God as it relates to mankind. Stelston walks in the understanding of the verse “for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus……..there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. {Galatians3:26,28} This character is used to break down the chains of racial discrimination that existed in the mind of LaShondra and her family. The chain of racial discrimination no longer held. Mrs. Stimpson shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that prayer can break that these chains even when it seems impossible. For nothing is impossible with God!
All other characters deal with the same issue of racial discrimination but on an entirely different level. Daddy Smith’s past is so filled with pain that he does not allow himself to see past the white. Peaches, only sees discrimination among her own ranks and believes that these ranks must pull together against the whites in society. Mama Smith is reading the same page as her daughter as the Holy Spirit deals with her discrimination.
This novel shows the contrast between black and white, obedience and disobedience of the Word, and between acceptance and rejection. The dialogue is rich and each character adds flavor to the novel, enabling Mrs. Stimpson to produce a novel that is no-nonsense, straight talking and has no qualms of showing the world that God wants us to operate in one accord, not divided for He sees us as one through the blood of His Son.
tricia@romanceincolor.com (25th February 2004)