by Camille Eide
He stroked his thumb across her cheek. “You still can understand her point of view.”
“How?”
“Millie once told me that anyone—including ourselves—can enslave us, but only if we let them. And that true freedom and equality are found in the One who created each and every one of us. In Him, you’ll find neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female. In Christ, we’re all equal.”
The wind carried his words across the grassy knoll.
“Equal,” she said, trying to grasp it. “No one group of people ruling over another, no one kept down simply because of race or gender or class. Do you really believe that?”
John nodded. “I do, but it will take time, prayer, and hard work. You must keep writing, Eliza. Keep making your voice heard.”
Eliza stared at Millie’s name. “She found a way to speak the truth with grace and forgiveness in the face of tyranny. I don’t know how she did it.”
“I think you do.”
“Well, yes, but she had great faith.”
“And you don’t?”
Eliza glanced up at him. “I don’t know about great faith, but … let’s just say that, since I met you, I’ve seen what trusting God in the face of difficulty can do. Now, if I could just learn to handle everything as calmly and gracefully as you do.”
John’s brows rose. “I’m calm?”
She smiled. “Well, graceful, anyway.”
He slipped an arm around Eliza and tugged her closer. “Millie often said grace takes far more strength than hate does.”
“Why is that?”
“Because grace isn’t given based on what’s fair or deserved. It’s an undeserved gift, given deliberately. Maybe that’s why it’s easier for people to dole out justice than grace. And maybe that’s why some of us find grace so difficult to accept.”
Eliza looked up.
John’s eyes shone with love and something else. Gratitude.
She turned and wrapped her arms around him. “That’s quite profound. I wish I’d said it. Can I use it in my book?”
He tilted her chin up and studied her. “You can do anything you want, Mrs. Vincent.” The warmth of his smile sent a thrill through her.
“You sure do have a way with words, Mr. Vincent,” she said lightly. “Anyone ever tell you you’re a charmer?”
John shook his head. “Not this lug. What you see is what you get.”
She sighed. “Promise?”
He opened his mouth as if to speak, then hesitated.
“What? I’m not kidding,” she said. “Your transparency is one of the many things I love about you.”
His expression sobered.
“What’s wrong?”
“Not a thing.” With a sigh, John looked deep into her eyes and smiled. “It’s just going to take some getting used to, that’s all.”
“What’s that?”
He leaned down and brushed her lips with a light kiss, then held her tight. “Love. No illusions. Just love.”
Author’s Note:
Senator McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)
In February of 1950, in an attempt to ensure his re-election, Senator Joe McCarthy claimed he had a list of more than 200 people in the State Department who were known members of the Communist Party USA. This came at a time when a wave of hysteria known as the “Red Scare” rolled through the nation, fueled by the perceived threat of communists living in the USA.
McCarthy took advantage of the public’s fear and established himself as the chairman of the Government Committee on Operations of the Senate. He used his position to widen the scope of the committee to investigate anyone he suspected of being “subversive” or a “dissenter,” and eventually became the person most known for heading up the reckless anti-communist crusade known as “McCarthyism.” Using hearsay and intimidation, he charged anyone who disagreed with his political views of being communist, including celebrities and film industry professionals, costing many people their jobs and reputations. Government employees, intellectuals, and anyone suspected of being a social or political agitator were scrutinized to determine whether they were sufficiently loyal to the government.
The “Hollywood Ten” was a group of directors and screenwriters who were cited for contempt of Congress and blacklisted after refusing to answer HUAC questions about their alleged involvement with the Communist Party. This led to more than 320 film industry professionals being “blacklisted” and prevented from working in the entertainment industry. People were called to appear before the HUAC to answer questions not only about their own suspected political beliefs, but also to “name names” of friends and colleagues. Panic about these witch-hunts rose, adding to the public’s fear of communism.
McCarthy’s downfall began in October of 1953 when he began to investigate his suspicions of communist infiltration in the military. Critics countered his accusations and began exposing McCarthy’s coercive tactics and his inability to substantiate his claims. McCarthy’s reign of terror ended when Senate Committee colleagues formally reprimanded him in 1954. The media quickly lost interest in his accusations, stripping McCarthy of his power. He continued to serve as senator until his death in 1957.
In 1969, the HUAC was renamed the Internal Security Committee. In 1975, the Committee was abolished.
Acknowledgments
This book would still be a half-baked mess if not for my author friend and mentor, Leslie Gould, and her nudges to keep sending new chapters each week. Her encouragement and enthusiasm pulled me past crippling doubt and motivated me to keep pressing forward. Thank you!
Also, I am forever indebted to:
My agent, Rachelle Gardner, for believing in Johnny.
My husband, Dan, and my publisher, Ashberry Lane, for believing in me.
Screenwriting consultant Michael Hauge for his advice on writing a fictional story set in Hollywood.
Author and agency-mate Pastor Bill Giovanetti for his early critique and encouragement.
Authors and agency-mates Sarah Sundin and Keli Gwyn for their insight on the history and geography of Northern California.
The Western Railway Museum.
JoAn (Mom) Montgomery, my favorite fashionista of the ’50s.
Carla Stewart, for her steadfast voice of literary wisdom and advice.
And Cary Grant, Clark Gable, and Gregory Peck, for just being themselves.
Most of all, I am grateful to my Lord and Savior, Jesus, for His steadfast love, His deliberate grace, and His shame-cleansing forgiveness, for the dream that inspired this story, and for His help to write it.
Author Bio
Camille Eide lives near the Oregon Cascades. She is wife, mom, grammy, church administrator, bassist and loves Jesus, muscle cars, oldies rock, and the subtle irony of Jane Austen.
She blogs about God’s amazing grace at Along the Banks, (www.camilleeide.wordpress.com) reviews books and inspirational TV/Film at Extreme Keyboarding, (www.camilleeide.blogspot.com) and writes faith-inspiring love stories sprinkled with bits of wisdom and wit.
Camille’s Other Books:
Savanna’s Gift (White Rose)
Like There’s No Tomorrow (Ashberry Lane)
Like a Love Song (Ashberry Lane)
Discussion Questions
1. How close have you come to meeting a celebrity, and how did you react? If you were in Eliza’s shoes when meeting the infamous Johnny Devine, how might you have reacted?
2. Eliza’s parents raised her to be capable and intelligent, and yet she struggled with a sense of insignificance. Why do you think she felt this way?
3. Was Eliza’s desire to be a complete person in her own right realistic for a woman in that era? What, if anything, could she have done differently in her marriage?
4. What did John really hope to accomplish by following Eliza to the gate after her discovery in his journal? Would he have been better off allowing her to believe she’d misunderstood his feelings for her?
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p; 5. Since telling the truth can often cause distress or complications, is it ever justifiable to lie or allow others to believe what isn’t true? What about when the truth would injure someone like young Judy?
6. Eliza believed her hatred for Ralph destroyed the goodness her parents had instilled in her and that such hatred was unforgivable. Is silent hate dangerous? Why?
7. John wants to tell his story but struggles with reliving shameful details. When are the sordid details of past mistakes helpful to others, and when might they best be kept private?
8. To Eliza, Millie had an unusual attitude about her lot in life. On what did she base her contentment? Have you ever struggled to be content in unsatisfactory circumstances outside your control? What effect did Millie’s outlook have on Eliza?
9. Did John’s faith in God change the way Eliza chose to face opposition in her own life? Do you see her able to move toward a faith in God of her own that includes trusting Him to see her through future hardship?
10. Millie and Eliza agreed that social injustices and prejudices needed to be abolished, but each one had a different approach to achieve that end. Compare both attitudes and methods. If you had lived in this era and wanted to see change, would you act more as Eliza did, or Millie?
11. Why was John so determined to make sure people knew he wasn’t trying to make excuses for his reckless behavior? How did that conflict with his desire for people to understand how hopeless he’d become?
12. Eliza struggled to understand how an immoral person might have more hope of heaven than a moral person might. Did you sympathize with her? What do you think about the Bible’s claim that eternity in heaven is gained by faith in Christ alone, and not in any amount of goodness or righteous things we do? Do you find this difficult to accept, or comforting?
13. John tells his story from the viewpoint of a changed man. But how changed is he? Does he continue to change during the composing of his memoir?
14. John entered the war with a death wish, but just as he found a reason to live, his life was placed in danger. Have you ever been challenged to let go of things you cling to?
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