Review: "Necessary Sins" by Elizabeth Bell

Necessary Sins, the first novel in the Lazare family saga by Elizabeth Bell, is a page turner and I was hooked from the start. This epic tale starts with Rene Lazare’s birth to a slave in Saint-Domingue in 1789. His grandmother is determined he will not grow up in bondage and whisks him away to Charleston, South Carolina. He becomes a doctor and no one suspects his unpropitious beginnings. It follows his life and the lives of his three children, centering on Joseph, an astute Catholic lad who becomes a priest. He struggles to come to terms with his mixed heritage which has been kept a secret and his strong feelings for a lovely Irish lass who he encounters after he has taken his vows.

This story is told in the narrative style. This allows the author to fill the pages with colorful descriptions of the adventures of the characters. You are drawn into their lives and become invested in the outcomes. You rejoice in their triumphs and mourn their tragedies.

I found this book very intriguing and I can’t wait for the next novel in the series. However, because it covers a brutal time period in the history of Saint-Domingue and Charleston, South Carolina, I recommend this book for teenage to adult readers. Slavery was the way of life in both places and the author’s rendition stays true to life and does not sugar coat any of the gruesome details.