The Call of Zulina

Mom and I were listing again on eBay. We did surprisingly well last week with a $40 tablecloth and a pair of salt & pepper shakes that sold for $22.50 (and were only 2" tall!). I love collectibles, because part of the fun is trying to figure out what has value. Tablecloths are apparently a hot collectible right now, so as Mom was digging through our boxes (and boxes and entire rooms) of items to sell looking for more tablecloths, she came across some old feedsacks and a vintage tie. The tie had a label on the back, A Cutter Cravat Original, which always makes it easier to research. The feedsacks should sell fairly well, but we have high hopes for the tie. A similar tie sold last week on eBay for $63.00. Go ahead and pick your jaw back up (I had to!) and read it again: $63 for a vintage mens' tie. Mom's going to the thrift store tomorrow to see if she can find anymore! Would you pay $60 for this tie?

The Call of Zulina by Kay Marshall Strom is book one of the Grace in Africa series. Living in Africa in 1787, Grace Winslow has been raised with all of the finer things in life; education, beautiful clothing, and a luxurious home, but she's lacking the one thing that matters most: freedom. The daughter of an African princess and white slave trader, she's trapped between two worlds. In an attempt to escape from betrothal to a repugnant man, she flees the family compound only to be captured as used as a pawn between the tribes fighting for their freedom and her parents desire for wealth and power. Grace's growth throughout the story is truly amazing. She starts out as a young, naive woman convinced that just around the corner is someone who can rescue her, but after witnessing and experiencing unimaginable violence, she starts to become a strong, spirited woman of God. Strom perfectly renders the utter hopelessness of the slaves in the fortress of Zulina. There is no way out and no place to go if they could escape. The cover of the book is misleading as it looks like a standard historical romance, but this book is anything but with its unflinching depiction of slavery and the characters' fight for hope. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.