Scarlet Carnation by Laila Ibrahim tells the story of two women, May and Naomi, whose lives are connected through their grandmothers on a Virginia plantation prior to the Civil War. They live in Oakland, California, just after the turn of the century, but the themes of the book have a contemporary feel. May, a white woman, longs for an independent life but makes a mistake that sends her back to her own mother. Naomi, a black woman, achieves her dream of buying a house only to have her neighbors organize against her.

I don't think I realized this was fourth in a four-part part of a series, and I have all three of the others on my Kindle. I enjoyed this one enough to read the first one, Yellow Crocus.

The intention of this book, to teach about the racism endemic in American society was admirable, and I enjoyed most of the anecdotes used to present the information. The accompanying information as who this society deems disposable was also valuable. However, both the writing and the editing were sloppy and detracted from the whole of the book. The numerous characters were also confusing, but the main ideas were still well told. ( )

I never want this series to end! I have become so connected with the characters in her series that I will be very sad when it ends. These novels are so well written! Another amazing story following the Freedman and Wainwright families generations and a century later in California- the fight for women's right and suffrage and there is whispers of a war but can the next election change either of those current outcomes? May Wagner knows nothing other than how her mother and grandmother have raised her so far in Oakland, CA and she is on the brink of adulthood and new achievement with her college ambitions when one decision will change the course of her life forever. Naomi Smith has a lot to be thankful for, but there is still along way to go for coloreds and immigrants to have rights and to be "free". On the brink of women having voting rights, Naomi has fought hard for herself and her children to have what her parents and grandparents never had, yet they have worked hard to get where they have and the life they current live. Her being a nurse, her husband a decent job and the possibility of them owning their own house but war is not ever far from her mind and now they not only have the war they are fighting on their own soil there is a war starting in Europe. Will her family ever be safe and free? Thank you to Lake Union for the free ARC. This is one of my favorite series, I cannot see what the family faces next, although this was a bit of a tear jerker! ( )