‘Sally’ is an account of one woman tracing her roots to one of the most despicable and inhuman cultural contstructs in human history. Sensitively researched and written with the help of first-hand accounts of those who had contact with her or knew her personally, Sally’s previously unrecorded and largely unacknowledged life is given prominence and personal clarity through the genealogically inquisitive efforts of author, J. Schlenker. The content is absolutely enthralling and Schlenker succeeds in imparting a real sense of the depravity, injustices and prejudices surrounding segregation during Sally’s lifetime from the late 1850s until the middle 20th century.

I enjoyed reading Sally’s story as told by Sally herself to Alice. I lost interest when the story moved on to Alice’s granddaughter continuing the research. It seemed to lose meaning when not being told with Sally’s own “voice.”

Sally is an excellent book, and I love that the fictionalized life of 'Sally' is interwoven with the fictional life of Michelle, and all is based loosely on the known lives of Sally and J. Schlenker. This was a wonderful tribute to the life of Sally Barnes. It is also a tribute to the digging prowess of J. Schlenker. Even in a small, insular community finding details about the lives of persons three and four generations back is not guaranteed. All that was found and shared with us is remarkable, and Sally is a person we would all be pleased to find in our heritage.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel based on fact from Netgalley, J. Schlenker, and Binka Publishing LLC - BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Fabulous and amazing book! This is a story that is going to stick with you. Gain the insights from this story, and dive into Sally today!