Perfect Peace (Black) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
A high-spirited, compassionate look at everyone's longings for perfection, both inside and out.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution


Black effortlessly conveys Paul's agony over his inner shame and what the world sees on the outside. It's painful to see how his father also struggles to accept as a son the child he had once adored as a girl. For the Peace family, the end of Perfect is akin to the death of a loved one.
San Antonio Express-News


Black explores the fateful decision of Emma Jean Peace to raise her seventh son, Perfect, as the daughter she has always wanted.... While the rural South backdrop is overly familiar and the dialogue is painfully hoary, Black manages a nuanced exploration of sexual identity and social structures without elevating his characters to angels or martyrs.
Publishers Weekly


Black courageously delves into such sensitive issues such as sexuality, racism, and family dynamics and enchants readers with strong pacing and Southern imagery. Those who enjoy rich and complex works of literary fiction will be provoked to discuss this novel's many layers. —Lisa Jones, Birmingham P.L., AL
Library Journal


Black builds toward the point when Perfect discovers that she's a boy, but seems confused about what to do with his character after this astonishing revelation. At the same time, the author offers a nuanced portrait of an insular community's capacity to absorb difference, and it's a cold reader who will be unmoved by his depictions. Original and earnest, informed both by human limitation and human potential.
Kirkus Reviews