Fiction Friday – The Loom by Shella Gillus

Posted on: May 18, 2012

Once in a while a debut novel comes along that has that something extra that takes a story from a “good read” to a literary experience. There’s something special in the voice, the feeling, the imagery, the rhythm of the story. The Loom has it.

I love reading all kinds of books, from fluff romance to deep literary experiences, but when a story has that something extra, I’m all in. Instead of turning pages quickly, I savor.

I savored The Loom. It’s not a quick read, but it is a beautiful read. Some reviewers felt the Loom lacked in motion and believability. There were a few times I struggled to suspend reality, but that didn’t ruin the experience for me. I think we’re so steeped in the history of the Civil War Era and the atrocities of slavery, that we come to stories like these with preconceived notions about what is plausible, but Gillus‘s premise is unique and lends itself to a non-traditional storyline.

Thank you, Shella and Guideposts publishing. I’m not sure how I ended up on your list of reviewers to receive an advanced reader’s copy, but I’m glad I did.

Here’s the premise:

Lydia was a common slave with a common life until the day she entered a world no slave had gone before. Pale skin and deceit opened the door to wealth and a power she had only dreamed of. But what she didn’t count on was falling in love. What she didn’t realize was life was not always black or white.

Here’s more about this talented new novelist:

Shella Gillus fell in love with the arts as a child. By age ten, she wrote her first chapter book, a three-act play and performed in several theatrical shows. During her teenage years, she penned and performed in plays for her local church and organized a series of summer self-esteem workshops for underprivileged youth in South Tucson.

Shella earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Arizona and Screen Actor’s Guild membership while working in the film industry in Los Angeles. Under the tutelage of a skilled playwright, she honed her skills as a writer before becoming a professional actress for Childsplay, an award-winning theatre company. Shella was crowned Miss Black Heritage, 1st runner-up Miss Black Arizona, Miss Congeniality, Copper Bowl Princess and University of Arizona Homecoming Royalty. She has made two appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show. The Loom is her fiction debut. She lives with her husband, Stacey, and their two children, Spencer and Staci, in Dallas.