In Spirit & Truth

This book was so great, it made me cry more than once. The story is so moving - I loved that Bobby and Mercy could have such a beautiful and understanding friendship throughout the years despite the racial tensions surrounding them. It's an unexpected story - not your typical and predictable "love story." This was a book I couldn't put down! I am excited to see what David Hopper will write next!

What a simple, moving story, told without a trace of cynicism! In Spirit & Truth would be a perfect selection for book club discussions of race, childhood innocence, and the nature of true friendship in difficult times.

One day, perhaps soon, when America will finally have arrived at truly being a post racial society , Dave Hopper's book may well be one of the the torches that lit the way. In Spirit & Truth is an effective narrative serving as much a catharsis for racism and classism as it does for the hope of redemption---secular and spiritual.

A coming of age story presented in the context of 30 years, from the 1960s to the late 1970s, In Spirit &Truth recounts the experiences of immensely engaging characters; the main characters are Bobby and Mercy, one is Caucasian the other African American. Bobby's immediate family are Michigan residents, transplants from Alabama where the larger family has lived for generations dating back to before the Civil War. Mercy lives on property once owned by Bobby's family and her family's history also extends to pre-Civil War times. During the course of their friendship--which comes about during one of the annual visits to Alabama Bobby's family takes--a difficult love develops between Bobby and Mercy, one that is heavily influenced by the social turmoil of the times. Ultimately both families are transformed by extraordinary events in their personal lives that mend deeply complex psychological and spiritual wounds.

As a colleague of the author, and as an African American male, I obviously brought baggage to this reading. Also, I have the added baggage of being a host of an internet based radio show (21st Century Ideas with Dr. Robert) where, among other things, I offer opinions about personal and professional relationship dynamics. That said, I believe there is enough professional objectivity in me to give In Spirit &Truth an honest assessment. My introductory statement offers a sizable chunk of that assessment. Here are some final chunks: get this book and read it. Make it the centerpiece of book club discussions. Make it a must reading in any serious discussions about race and diversity. Let these characters become for you what they became for me: stark reminders about how race in America still matters very much. And as you do, have fun reading it; it is as wonderfully rendered as it is sobering.