Mustard Seed (Freedman/Johnson #2)
Published November 7th 2017 by Lake Union Publishing, Kindle Edition 282 pages
The bestselling author of Yellow Crocus returns with a haunting and tender story of three women returning to the plantation they once called home.
Oberlin, Ohio, 1868. Lisbeth Johnson was born into privilege in the antebellum South. Jordan Freedman was born a slave to Mattie, Lisbeth’s beloved nurse. The women have an unlikely bond deeper than friendship. Three years after the Civil War, Lisbeth and Mattie are tending their homes and families while Jordan, an aspiring suffragette, teaches at an integrated school.
When Lisbeth discovers that her father is dying, she’s summoned back to the Virginia plantation where she grew up. There she must face the Confederate family she betrayed by marrying an abolitionist. Jordan and Mattie return to Fair Oaks, too, to save the family they left behind, who still toil in oppression. For Lisbeth, it’s a time for reconciliation. For Jordan and Mattie, it’s time for liberation.
As the Johnsons and Freedmans confront the injustice that binds them, as well as the bitterness and violence that seethes at its heart, the women must find the courage to free their families—and themselves—from the past.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
I received this copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mustard seed is a wonderful novel that captured my heart. This story conveys how people had created disparities between their skin color and how the slavery in past America had created a harsh background for the dark skinned people.
The author has managed to express the strong bond between Lisbeth (fair skinned) and Mattie (dark skinned and Lisbeth's beloved nurse) and how they had overcome their obstacles by being together. The story coveys about the faith and belief that one should have in one's heart regardless of the skin color.
A lovely story.
Rating: really liked it
When Lisbeth Johnson was summoned by her mother to return to her home in Virginia as her father was dying, her thoughts were mixed. She had escaped her family home after refusing to marry the man her parents had readied for her – a cruel, brutal man – and in marrying Matthew had estranged her mother, father and brother Jack. But she felt it right to return to her father’s side and took her two children, six-year-old Sadie and nine-year-old Sammy to visit.
Meanwhile, also in Ohio, Mattie Freedman, who was Lisbeth’s much-loved nurse, plus Jordan and Samuel, Mattie’s children, were making their way to Virginia to bring Mattie’s sister Sarah back home with them. But Sarah refused to leave without her two daughters who had been taken from her three years prior, sold to another plantation, even though they were supposedly free. Ella and Sophia were out there somewhere, and Mattie was determined to find them so she could bring her sister and nieces home.
But there were still people in Virginia who wouldn’t respect the ways of the Negro, using and abusing them for their own benefit. What would happen when Lisbeth and Mattie joined forces to free their families from the horrors of the past?
Mustard Seed is the 2nd in the Yellow Crocus series by Laila Ibrahim and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author’s writing brings her surroundings to life; the echoes of slavery are still there wherever one looks; the mustard seeds – kept on each character’s person - are a symbol of hope to the families. I loved Yellow Crocus which I read last year and when I discovered #3 was due for release, I immediately bought
Mustard Seed to read before
Golden Poppies. A wonderful, heart wrenching novel,
Mustard Seed is one I highly recommend.
Rating: really liked it
I first read “Yellow Crocus” by Laila Ibrahim and absolutely enjoyed it. I just finished reading “Mustard Seed” by Ibrahim the second book in her series. I was not expecting it to be as good but I was wrong “Mustard Seed” is every bit as good as “Yellow Crocus”. I am now starting the third book in the series “Golden Poppies”. The way Ibrahim has written her books you do not have to read them in a series but happy that I am. I am completely confident “Golden Poppies” will be just as incredible as the other two.
Rating: really liked it
What an incredible book! And I mean that sincerely! I would give "Mustard Seed" 10 stars if I could. This book is so apropos to what is going on in our country today. It gave me a lot to think about personally and a huge amount of "uncomfortableness" (I know that's not a word) with the world I live in.
The story itself takes place in post Civil War in Ohio and Virginia thus showing the differences between North and South after the War. I will not go into specifics because I had none when I started and think it is well worth going in with no expectations.
I suggest reading the author's first book first, "Yellow Crocus." The characters and story will make much more sense. But it is a book everyone should read. It is a part of US history come to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.
Rating: really liked it
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the "Yellow Crocus", so when I realized that this book was continuation of the story I was really excited to read it; and I was not disappointed at all. I didn't realize how much I craved to hear the rest of the story and to follow the journey of all these fascinating characters.
Rating: really liked it
It was a good post-Civil War story of injustice, freedom and faith. Started slow and some parts of the plot didn't work for me but some parts were entertaining and nail biting. The first book,
Yellow Crocus was better imho.
Rating: really liked it
This is the second book in the series after Yellow Crocus. It's great to catch up with the family and how things are now. When Lisbeth Johnson,who was born into privilege in the antebellum South is called back home by her mother she must go,her father is dying. She is estranged from her family, their beliefs are not her own and she made a clean break when she married. Her family believes in slavery and all that entails and she knows it's wrong. Family is family though,blood is thicker than water and attend to her dying father she must . Her conscience won't let her deny her family. Once home she must face the Confederate family she betrayed by marrying an abolitionist. Characters we met in the first book Jordan and Mattie return to Fair Oaks, too, to save the family they left behind, who still toil in oppression. Family is not just family by blood,it's also by adoption and marriage. Oftentimes,as it's shown in this book the children,even the adult children don't comprehend or appreciate the hardships and sacrifices their parents have gone through to make sure their children have a better life than them.
Amazing book! I look forward to reading more by this author!
Pub Date 07 Nov 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Minority opinionClearly I am in the minority here. But for me the storyline and characters were overshadowed by the history particularly in the first half of the book. The era is history that hasn't gotten a lot of attention and I found the book informative in that way. I just was disappointed that portions of the book seemed focused on educating the reader on the history instead of blending the history into the storyline.
Rating: really liked it
Although a tough read sometimes, I loved Yellow Crocus, especially the relationship between Mattie and Lisbeth. In this next book, the reader gets to know what happens next to them and their families. Still a tough read at times, it was good to have them back.
Rating: really liked it
This is a time in history that I feel definitely deserves more written about it.
That being said, this book just wasn’t it. A second book was just not necessary. I enjoyed the first one and the characters, but this...the characters were forced and so overly... stereotypical? Fake? ...not sure the right word but it came across absurdly ridiculous.
The children were so out of context in their behavior for the time period that it was hard to bear their conversations. The adults too! It was like a children’s cartoon made specifically for school for teaching. Things were overly explained it felt forced down your throat when you had already made the realizations or connection on your own. The moments meant to tug at your heart or anger you instead played out like a bad actor over dramatizing a scene so much you forget the story and cringe at the bad acting. It was so unlike the writing of the first I’m not sure why it was done. I was sad it failed me so miserably as I do feel the time period and issues addressed are so very important to be aware of, and educated on, but this fell so very short of its potential.
Rating: really liked it
3.5/5. Interesting story about 3 women returning back to Richmond, Virginia, 3 years after the end of the Civil War. Lisbeth Johnson left her wealthy family and plantation behind 18 years earlier when she ended her family-endorsed engagement to another plantation owner to marry an abolitionist and fellow Virginian. She and her husband left her acrimonious family behind to move to Ohio where he fought under the Union flag and where they are bringing up their young children in a loving and peaceful environment, living and working in proximity with people of colour including former slaves such as her old nurse, Mattie Freedman and Mattie's family. With news of her father dying, Lisbeth takes her children back to visit her family after years of estrangement. Coincidentally, Mattie decides to take her two adult children back to Richmond to persuade her cousin to join them, as cousin Sally still remains on the plantation in oppressed servitude despite the supposed freedom to all slaves brought about by the end of the war. Through their eyes, we see that cruelty, racism and injustice remains long after the war, fueled by the resentment and anger of plantation owners who had lost money, loved ones and sometimes own limbs and physical health to the ravages of the war and who therefore sought to avenge their losses and pride on those 'slaves' remaining behind, too weak, too intimidated, too stunned to leave. And even when they had the courage to leave, the law did little to protect their proclaimed freedom, not when the law was meted out by white plantation owners themselves.
The history is fascinating, describing a horrible time not very frequently covered in stories. It is chilling to learn that the atrocities committed against slaves and former slaves in the South continued long after the Thirteenth Amendment was passed because there were no one to enforce the new law. While this book tells an important story, the tone of the book is too factual and unsentimental for a novel. Coupled this with some less than realistic plot twists, it makes for a somewhat uneven read. I don't think this book is classified as Christian Fiction, although it probably ought to be as there is a fair bit of references to faith and God.
Rating: really liked it
This is a sequel to Yellow Crocus, which was a deeply compelling read. It takes place a few years after the end of the Civil War, when both Lisbeth Johnson and Mattie Freedman need to return to Virginia for family reasons: Lisbeth’s father is dying and Mattie needs to convince her niece Sarah to return with her to Oberlin, Ohio where she will be truly free. Although the war is over, and theoretically the Blacks have been freed, not much has changed in Virginia. Whites attitude towards Blacks remain the same, and many Blacks are forced to work for free under intolerable conditions. Lisbeth’s family is still bitter about her marrying Matthew and moving North. They blame her for all the difficulties they have endured since.
Mattie and Lisbeth don’t know at first that the other is there, but once they do, they join forces to help each other save their families and their kith, as well as each other.
All the characters are wonderfully portrayed. You just get sucked into the story, which is well paced. I believe there is a third book in this series, and I am looking forward to reading it.
An absolute recommend.
Rating: really liked it
Mustard Seed is the story of two families intertwined by slavery. Laila Ibrahim has written such an incredible novel! I read the first book, Yellow Crocus, a few years ago but Mustard Seed can most certainly stand alone. I loved reading the journey of Jordan, Lisbeth and Mattie. The civil war may have ended but slavery was still rampant during these times. Highly recommend!!
Rating: really liked it
3.5 🌟 rounded up to 4
Rating: really liked it
Another wonderful book! Story of how blacks are free but Va is not recognizing it openly. Black and white with trust come together to defeat the angry black man.
Well written fast paced book. Now for the last is the series!
