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6 Replies to “Comments”
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Esther Sandra October 7, 2025 at 6:37 pm
“Witness in the Dust” is one of those rare books that stays with you long after you have finished reading. Right from the first chapter, I felt like I was walking right beside the characters. I could almost smell the smoke in the air and hear the noise of the market. I felt the fear and also the hope that comes with surviving storms and starting over.
The writing is powerful, but it also feels deeply human. Lorrie C. Reed has a real gift for capturing the small details of life that make a story breathe. It could be a quiet family meal in Haiti, the chaos after a disaster, or the challenges of trying to build a new life in America. The characters, especially Celine and Gabriel, feel so real and relatable that I started caring for them like they were people I actually knew.
This isn’t just a story about tragedy. It’s about resilience, love, and the strength of the human spirit. It made me think, it made my heart ache, and in the end, it also gave me hope. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a moving, beautifully written story that will stick with you.
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Ephraim October 7, 2025 at 9:26 pm
This book captivated me from the first page. Lorrie’s descriptive writing is exceptional and very immersive I must admit. I was transported directly into the story, making me feel like I was standing beside the characters, living through each moment.
Her portrayal of the immigrant experience was absolutely excellent in my opinion. She carefully captured the steady undercurrent of oppression and fear that immigrants navigate daily. These are realities that often remain invisible to the host community. This perspective felt both eye-opening and deeply necessary.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for beautifully written fiction that challenges perspectives and fosters empathy.
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Charlotte Mirabel November 18, 2025 at 3:31 pm
Invitation & Reflection on Deep River Crossings
Dear Lorrie,
I’m Charlotte Mirabel, organizer of The Literary Circle Bookclub in Maryland, USA. Deep River Crossings immediately pulled me in with its profound emotional weight, its thoughtful examination of community trauma, and the courageous plea for healing across generational divides. The story’s grounding in both real-world historical wounds and contemporary social justice movements makes it not only relevant, but deeply resonant.What struck me most is how you weave sociological, spiritual, and theological threads into a narrative that feels both personal and communal. Hannah, Indigo, and Roberta’s pursuit of restoration within a fractured town, still echoing from the scars of urban renewal, racial injustice, and collective grie, creates a compelling exploration of how individuals and communities attempt to reclaim meaning and balance. The womanist theological foundation enriches the storytelling with nuance, empathy, and intellectual depth.
We would love to feature Deep River Crossings during our upcoming virtual author event on November 20, 2025. This gathering brings together passionate readers and authors who craft stories that challenge, illuminate, and inspire reflection that extends far beyond the final page.
The emotional atmosphere, moral clarity, and spiritual inquiry at the heart of your work are powerful. What inspired you to anchor this story in womanist theology, and how did you navigate the balance between the sociopolitical realities of racial trauma and the personal, interior journey toward healing and purpose?
Warm regards,
Charlotte Mirabel
Organizer, The Literary Circle Bookclub
Maryland, USA-
Lorrie Reed November 18, 2025 at 6:11 pm
Why I Wrote Deep River Crossings
Dear Charlotte,
Thank you for reaching out. While I will not be able to participate in your virtual forum, I value the opportunity to respond to your post and address some of your questions.
As a writer, I have been passionate about exploring justice and truth through the eyes of Black women. The womanist paradigm, as presented in Deep River Crossings, exposes the complex intersections of race, class, and gender primarily through the experiences of Hannah, a Black, educated, middle-class, spiritual woman navigating racial unrest in America. While many other womanist writings are set in the past, I chose to uplift the characteristics of strong, contemporary Black women who are concerned about the intergenerational survival of their families and communities.
Hannah encounters many barriers as “deep river crossings,” a phrase inspired by my reading of Langston Hughes’ poem. A deep river crossing might be a physical or imagined barrier that complicates one’s progress in challenging situations. These barriers might present psychological, sociological, or even theological impediments. At the same time, deep river crossings are more than barriers. They are also transitional spaces that bridge the wisdom of one’s past and the unknowns of one’s future. Hence, the intergenerational wisdom of Black women comes into play.
Crossing deep rivers is not a task to be encountered in isolation. Moving forward requires a blend of self-reflection, looking back at experiences, engaging in conversations with the community, and seeking guidance through spiritual reflection. Safe passage will involve searching within oneself, connecting with others, and reaching out to the Divine for support. Sociopolitical events in my own life inspired Hannah’s responses to racial trauma in the novel.
Unfortunately, my schedule does not permit me to participate in your upcoming virtual author event. I encourage you, however, to continue exploring the characters and situations in the novel through the lens of womanist theology.
Thank you for considering my work.
Regards,
Lorrie C. Reed, M.Div., Ph.D.
Author
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Nolan Onmah January 7, 2026 at 1:17 am
Hi Dr. Reed,
I hope this note reaches you at a gentle moment.
I came across Deep River Crossings, and I’ve been sitting with it longer than I expected—not just the story itself, but the way you’ve rooted it in womanist theology while allowing questions of race, class, gender, and spiritual equilibrium to breathe rather than resolve too neatly.
Lewis Town feels less like a setting and more like a wound that never quite closed. And Hannah’s journey—especially as a chaplain navigating grief, justice, and calling—carries a weight that isn’t performative. It feels lived.
That’s actually why I’m reaching out.
I spend time with authors whose work carries moral, spiritual, or sociological depth, and I’ve noticed something consistent: when a book holds this much meaning, its online presentation often doesn’t fully reflect the gravity or intention behind it. Interested readers arrive… but the invitation doesn’t always linger long enough.
When I looked at how Deep River Crossings is currently positioned online, I saw a few quiet opportunities to:
clarify the book’s promise immediately for values-driven readers
create stronger trust and resonance for those seeking justice-centered fiction
and give the book a digital home that mirrors its theological and ethical seriousness
Nothing flashy. Nothing commercialized. Just alignment.
I’m not writing to sell you anything here. I simply wanted to ask—if I shared one or two thoughtful observations specific to Deep River Crossings and its ideal readers, would you be open to seeing them?
If yes, I’ll send them and you can decide whether they’re useful.
If not, I completely understand and will respect your time.Thank you for the work you do—on the page and beyond it. Stories like this matter, especially in seasons where meaning feels fragile.
Warm regards,
Nolan -
Hello
My name is clndy and I help coordinate a cincinnatil book rotaract. Our community regularly selects books for discussion and highlights authors whose work resonates with our readers.
We would love to consider featuring your book in one authors whose work resonates with our readers.
We would love to consider featuring your book in one of our upcoming discussions. Our members enjoy discovering new voices and often purchase featured titles before or during the event to support the author.
If you’re open to it, we’d also be happy to include a short message, discussion guide, or optional virtual Q&A for our readers.
Please let me know if this is something you would be interested in, and I can share more details about the feature.
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