Testimony Paperback – June 1, 2003

Felicia Mason creates believable characters in this Christian based novel. Roger, the charismatic leader of the church choir hopes the choir tour will boost him to national prominence but while his singers produce wonderous music they all hide secrets that are breaking up the group. The setting too is realistic and is easily identified by one who lived to tidewater Virginia.

Clearly Testimony is an early work of Felicia's collection. It pales in comparison to Hidden Riches in writing skills. Her abilty to develop the flow, complexity and interface of scenarios and characters has improved tremendously. Now she is an outstanding writer and her work meets the standards that would satisfy a higher level of excellence. The testimony, simply stated does not. She should do a sequel and ressurect the story. It has potential.

The book was in great condition but the story was not consistent and I had difficulty staying attentive to the story.

The way things appear to be is not necessarily the way things are. Never has this been more apparent than in Testimony by Felicia Mason. This book made me exclaim several times "How did that happen?" and that's a good thing. The plot twists were so wonderfully woven throughout the book that I kept turning pages, excited to read what would happen next. Testimony is the story of a struggling choir, The Triumphant Voices of Praise, as they attempt to launch a CD tour. There are a number of mishaps along the way and things start to crumble and people start to unravel. Ms. Mason has done a wonderful job of character development so that each of the players tells parallel stories in their own voice.This version of the choir is another of Roger's brainchildren. He's gone through a myriad of choirs and ensembles to get to this point and just when things start to go forward; a tour has been lined up; CDs have been pressed disaster strikes. Choir members are facing uncertain futures - choir members fall ill; there is infighting, backbiting, and utter chaos. Certainly disaster looms. Recognizing the inadequateness in preparation, people are forced to examine themselves. Is this the right place for them to be? The relationships are complex enough that each character has value. I'm really impressed with the way Ms. Mason tells a story. So much so that I want to go back and read her previous works. I'm hoping the level of writing maturity she demonstrates in this book, isn't new. Each person has a testimony. Through a strange turn of events, you will find that you're caught up in the lives of at least 12 different people and though that sounds like a lot to keep track of, you'll be enthralled. This is a Christian Fiction category but it's not preachy. As a reader, you're not overpowered by religious overtones you're free to enjoy a story that recognizes that some other power has ultimate control and a sense of right and wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed Testimony, as it reminds us that things aren't always what they appear to be and everyone has a story to tell.

Felicia Mason took a quiet, hidden topic and creatively detailed the toils and triumphs of what it’s like to be in a secular position and to be viewed as a man of God. Too often we don’t take the time to see that the individual who has a title and position within the church is mere man, as we are and they will and are going to fall from grace. Roger struggled with demons that have plagued him for many years juts to have to man up and deal with the past problems he has ran from for so long. Roger puts you in the mind of Kirk Franklin, trying to be so much and uphold an image but the image soon begins to dim. This nicely crafted book covers marriage, betrayal, chronic health issues and allows you to see how other’s deal with them. Do they give into their issues or come out on top swinging? You have to read the book to find out.

The bags are packed and the Triumphant Voices of Praise are getting on the bus, ready to go on tour to sing the praises of the Lord. However, the choir members are fighting amongst themselves and with other demons that can ruin the tour, and prayer and counseling does not seem to work.The choir director, Roger, is having nightmares because of an accident that happened years ago and he keeps getting notes that make him believe his secret is no longer safe. His cousin and right hand man, Tyrone and his wife, are having marital problems and it seems Roger may be in the center of it all. Then there is high maintenance Margaret who has been with Roger since college. She is unhappy, lonely and lovesick.Reverend Vince is the counselor and spiritual advisor to the choir. He convinces Roger that it may be best to end the tour, and let the members return home and work on their problems. While the choir looks good, harmonizes well and sounds good, the blessings of God may not be upon them for this endeavor.The description of the choir is kind of how I felt about this book. The writing is good, the storyline is good but it lacked cohesiveness. It seems as if the ending was rushed. Since this was a relatively short book, I wished the author would have taken another 25 pages or so to give us some insight on things that were mentioned in the epilogue.Actually I rated this book a 3.5, but because I felt there was a need for more information, I could not raise the rating to a 4.JeanetteApooo bookclub