My Review - What the Bayou Saw

WHAT THE BAYOU SAW by Patti Lacy is a haunting story of a woman who has spent her whole life trying to forget her past.

We see through the eyes of a young Sally Stevens the ugliness of racism in the South in the 1960s. She keeps secret the friendship she has formed with Ella because she knows her parents would forbid her spending time with her because she is black. So, she and Ella share a secret relationship and a secret meeting place deep in the nearby bayou. When Sally is physically attacked there, Ella comes to her rescue. Now, it’s not only their friendship they swear to keep secret, but the actions that will change their lives forever.

WHAT THE BAYOU SAW jumps back and forth between the young Sally and the older Sally, and shows us how choices she’s made impacts her everyday life. As she counsels a young, embittered black girl, who’s been raped on the campus where Sally teaches, she is forced to delve again into her past and struggles with the lies she has kept her entire life, even from her husband.

WHAT THE BAYOU SAW is a multi-faceted story, dealing with very real issues. But, at times I felt the story moved at too slow of a pace which lessened the dramatic impact of the story. The end was a bit anti-climatic in that I felt the issue that Sally struggled with throughout the story was dealt with so quickly at the end. But, overall, WHAT THE BAYOU SAW made for good reading.