What would you do if your mother raised your brother as a sister? Would you be angry, confused or both? Daniel Black’s “Perfect Peace” is a novel dedicated to the age-old question: Are we born into our gender or taught? This book explores gender identity and roles in this bizarre story.
Following the Peace family in rural Arkansas, the story falls on Emma Jean Peace, who has six sons and another baby on the way. After praying for a little girl, Emma Jean is horrified to discover that she has not given birth to a girl, but rather, a boy. She is disenchanted by the whole ordeal and decides to raise her baby son as a daughter, naming the child “Perfect.” Emma Jean’s secret is well-hidden, until one day, one of her sons — who is blind — discovers Perfect’s awful truth. As Perfect begins to age and house the expectations of any developing girl, the truth becomes awkwardly unavoidable. Emma Jean is faced with the dilemma of explaining to Perfect her true sex and eventually reveals the horrendous facts to the whole family. Perfect later changes his name to Paul and learns to grow into himself, his sexuality and the idea of what it truly means to be a man.
This mesmerizing tale is a must-read due to its subject matter, which may be considered a taboo in the black community. The story grips at any reader’s subconscious feelings of where anyone truly fits in society, especially in regards to gender roles. Although this book is quite a page-turner, the story does not resolve the outcome of the family, or of Perfect/Paul. Leaving the audience with hanging foreshadowing events, the book allows for speculation of a sequel.
“Perfect Peace” is available in bookstores, as well as on Kindle.
Daniel Black is a native of Kansas City, Kansas, yet spent the majority of his childhood years in Blackwell, Arkansas. He is an associate professor at his alma mater, Clark Atlanta University, where he now aims to provide an example to young Americans of the importance of self-knowledge and communal commitment. He is the author of “They Tell Me of a Home” and “The Sacred Place.”
Black will be visiting the Auburn Avenue Research Library, located at 101 Auburn Avenue NE Atlanta, GA 30303, next month.