Mustard Seed: Yellow Crocus, Book 2

I loved Ms. Ibrahim's first novel,Yellow Crocus, but this book lacked the literary brilliance of that book. I'd still recommend it as it completed the first book and potentially sets us up for yet another sequence. What I loved about the first book was her skillful portrayal of the characters, this book was not as good about developing characters.The ability to portray the life and injustices of the former slaves is something that did not go unnoticed and it is sure to stir up strong feelings in the reader. For this alone, I still highly recommend the book with the caveat that the reader reads Yellow Crocus first.

I AM THERE. It’s difficult for me to describe my feelings right now, what is possessing my mind as I begin this novel. The characters, good or not-so-good, have in a few moments become intimate friends. And I am THERE, in 1868 America, experiencing the inner lives of former slaves, their children and families, and the inner lives of honest and caring people with no slavery background but life-forming connections.ALTERNATING FIRST PERSON, THIRD PERSON narration blends into an easy flow, keeping me present with the characters. I've rarely felt so much a part of folks like these and cheering for them, even praying for them. I know that sounds weird since they're fictitious; and if not fictional, they're no longer living. But yes, they are living in today's world and folks.CARING ABOUT THE CHARACTERS. Jordan Freedman, 19 years old, is a teacher in a racially diverse one-room elementary school. Her family'a heritage is being slaves. You got to love her and sympathize with her devotion to her students: “God, help me to be a worthy guide for these hearts, souls, and minds. Amen.”Lisbeth, 30-years-old, was born into the privileged class in the antebellum South fo slave-owners. Her beloved nurse from babyhood is Mattie, Jordan’s mother. All these women develop a bond deeper than just being friends. But that bond is tested when Lisbeth returns to her former home, a plantation in Virginia. There she faces smothering animosity from her Confederate family who feel she betrayed them by marrying an abolitionist.TENSE AND TENDER PLOT. So too Jordan and her mother Mattie return to their former home. They want to save their family who still are being oppressed by their former owners and other whites. Will young Jordan and Mattie be able to bring some liberation for their beloved family? This is both a tense and tender novel as both families seek to come to terms with the past and free themselves from lingering hatred and present fractures.The author writes from her in-depth research plus her own background as founder and director of Woolsey Children’s School. Both her heart and experience enrich this amazing story she shares. I’m sure this book's people will invade my emotions for many years to come, as it likely will yours. I look forward to reading more books by this very human and skilled author.

Mustard Seed is an emotional, captivating story of faith and family, and how those two things can help us through the darkest of times. The book takes place three years after the end of the Civil War, and it is a stirring account of what conditions were like for former slaves and their owners at that time. Three strong, brave, loving women are at the center of this story; women who left the South before the war began, women who believe that conditions have improved in Virginia, especially for the former slaves; but when they return they find that the same battles are being fought, that injustice and oppression are still being inflicted. These women and their families captured my heart, evoking emotions on every page. The story was so compelling, I read each page with my heart in my throat, and I stayed up very late last night reading til the end! This book continues the story of the author's previous book, Yellow Crocus, and I highly encourage you to read that book first.

I received this book through a Goodread's drawing. I will give it 4 stars, because the history of the post-war south needs to be told, but I would recommend this book to teens, or young adults, as it is a story that has been told multiple times, and ways, to those of us that are the older generation. The story itself is well written, and the characters are appealing.

I was anxious to read the Mustard Seed because the author Laila Ibrahim had written the Yellow Crocus, one of BEST novels that I had ever read. I still highly recommend it to individuals.This particular novel was not her best.Though she had a list of characters listed in the front of the book, in my opinion there were too many and about a third were insignificant.While reading, I often had to refer to her character list. Having to do this, often lost my train of thought and I had to go back and read the page before.The story itself was interesting and informative considering the novel was placed 3 years post Civil War. I was very surprised that "slavery" was still living and thriving in the south.Ibrahim had a great story to tell but could have done it with less characters.

This is a gripping story of life in the troubled South after the Civil War. It really portrays so many conflicts within families, slaves who are still on plantations fearful of their masters, yet not sure there is a free future elsewhere. Families have lost their homes, their livelihood as plantation owners as been reduced. Many families have experienced the loss of loved ones fighting in the war, and some families fought against one another depending whether choosing to fight for the North or for the South. Though "free", there are still problems with voting, with the law, and equality for all. Jordan, a former slave, is now a teacher and wants to become a suffragette, yet the plight of the South pulls her back.Though we are "familiar" with the Civil War, this personalizes the experience as a slave family returns South to search for loved ones separated by being sold to different plantations. Another family returns home, as Lisbeth's father is dying. She chose to leave plantation life, married to an abolitionist , now living in Ohio. Her children are being raised with an openness about the world needing kindness, education, freedom.

Just finished the book Mustard Seed. Just like the yellow crocus I could not put it down. The author has such a way of writing - conjuring up the feeling, emotions, the atmosphere between Ohio and Virginia, where even the ending of slavery, the South platation owners could not and would not change their views and any exslave still living on in their homes on the plantations were still treated as slaves even though they where technically free. These slaves were uneducated, those who were born on the plantations and mid aged to elderly people who were either too scared to leave and worried about how they would survive outside of the plantations. In places this book was harrowing, in others frustrated because Jordon, Matti and Samual could not get any information regarding Sarah's two girls who where taken from their Mum Sarah and sold on in Carolina. Elizabeth and Mattie regain the closeness they once shared and they all become stronger for it. I would say this book is just as good as Yellow Crocus and I would recommend reading both this book and Yellow Crocus. I have just pre-ordered the next book Golden Poppies which comes out in May 2020. These books give a good insight into how those who were slaves where treated and those who owned these enslaved people viewed them. and I believe there where worse plantation owners as well.

I did not enjoy this book! It is a beautifully written novel where the main characters are well developed and loveable. This book was hard to read but hard to put down. However I finished this book on 12 June 2020. A time when around the world demonstrations raged to pull down statutes of slave traders following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Southern American. Nothing has changed. Different time same racism.

4.5 starsThis book follows on from Yellow Crocus but is set a few years later, after the Civil War. Lisbeth decides to visit her family after a letter from her mother to tell her that her father is dying. Unknown to her, Mattie and her daughter Jordan visit at the same time, to try to persuade Sarah to leave. I found the book a little slower to engage me than Yellow Crocus but once it did, it was a great story. I had assumed that slavery stopped with the emancipation legislation. Plantation owners were their own law and they still bought and sold their workers. There were some exciting scenes in the book and it built to a great ending. Very worthwhile reading.

I read it as a sequel to Yellow Crocus so already familiar with the main characters. Without that background I would have struggled to understand the story. As it was I found that I needed to stop and think about who was who.Good story and told part of the reality of what was happening in the southern states after the emancipation of slavery - which apparently was not the freedom history teaches. Well done the writer!

Loved this book, meeting up once again with Mattie and Lisbeth from Yellow Crocus, reading how history evolved and affected their lives. Interesting to realise how slowly acceptance of the new laws imposed in the US following the civil war was with the southern states. Vivid descriptions of the cruelty of slavery, the deep love shared between the families and the risks taken to flee from oppression. Mattie's daughter, Jordan emerges as a tremendously strong character, I'm wondering if there will be another book in this series to follow her life story. Wonderful book.