Journey of a Cotton Blossom

Book excerpt: A historical novel containing the interwoven stories of a father and son, each wrestling with his identity at a different time in a world full of hatred. Born amid the bigotry of the Deep South, mixed-race Joseph is a slave in all but name. Separated from his mother at birth, he yearns to run away from his loveless home and find her. It’s a journey that will take him from plantation to plantation and hardship to hardship, yielding joy, sorrow, and love along the way. Years later, Joseph’s son, Isaiah, faces his own journey: coming to terms with his homosexuality. But society is still slow to accept change, and Isaiah fears rejection from even those closest to his heart. From 1940s Mississippi to the civil rights era of the ’60s and the push for LGBT equality, the story follows three generations of a family fighting for liberation. J. C. Villegas paints an eye-opening story that will inspire readers to open their hearts to love. Though her characters face different types of discrimination, they all draw strength from love and from their faith in God. Can Joseph find the mother he has never met? Can Isaiah survive injustice and adversity? And can they each learn to love themselves in the face of a world that challenges their right to exist? “This Southern tale is filled with charm and is a beautiful journey . . . The reader constantly feels a connection to the main characters, who are fighting not only for their lives but, just as importantly, their dignity.” —Robin McGhee, co-founder and former co-director of GetEQUAL “A riveting tale of man’s struggle with identity and survival.” —PopSugar