Tragedy uproots Iris and her sisters, all named after flowers, from the solid ground of middle-class life and plants them, unsupervised, in the rocky terrain of low-income housing. In a world where rain falls only on the privileged, Liam, a student who attends the elite private school directly across the street, proves refreshing as a summer gale, gushing joy into the sisters' lives. Further nurtured by Ma Moore, a church elder who sprinkles the Flower sisters with spiritual wisdom, Iris embraces her Heavenly Father with steadfast urgency.
But when a student takes a hopeless leap from the school roof, Iris withers under the scorching realization that everything she thought she knew about privilege—and God—lies crippled. Petrified Flowers is the anthem of one African-American girl straddling three worlds. It is a song of hope, a triumph of faith, and a resounding refrain of the Father’s eternal love.
More from Joiya Morrison-Efemini
Give us a little bit of behind the scenes of what inspired you to write Petrified Flowers?
My family and I watch a lot of documentaries. In early 2019 we watched Class Divide, a heartbreaking story, released in 2015, of an elite private school in New York City that sits directly across from public housing. The dichotomy portrayed in the film was painfully beautiful. We fell in love with the children featured – rich and poor, brown and white. Some of the cultural themes depicted were eye-opening to my four children. We laughed, and we shed tears. The day after watching that film, I began to create Iris and her sisters. I hope the conflict in Petrified Flowers mirrors the conflict in Class Divide.
What do you want readers to take away from this novel?
I want unsaved readers to come away from the book with a desire to know more about the God Iris meets. I pray He calls out to them and they answer the call.
About Joiya Morrison-Efemini
I am a wife, former attorney, current stay-at-home mom of four fantastic kiddos. We live in Marietta, Georgia, where my kids attend all three levels of schooling - elementary, middle and high. I began writing off and on in 2012 after I realized that returning to a law career wasn't conducive to happily raising four kids; for me. Other women do it brilliantly. In 2017 my first publication, a collection of short stories, The Notes They Played, was released. And, in 2019, my first novel, The Impossible, was published. I love to read, obviously. I try to read at least 40 books a year. And, yes, the books I read to my kids do count! I run socially, mostly as a way to connect with my close girlfriends. I've completed 2 marathons, and countless half marathon, 15K, 10K and 5K races.
Facebook: Joiya ME Writes
Twitter: @JoiyaE
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17162983.Joiya_Morrison_Efemini
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