Salvatore is able to present grisly details of abuses, made to preserve the status quo of segregationists, with a reality and authenticity as if the readers were listening to stories passed down by our own family members. At the same time, he is gives precious insight into what it meant to be black during that time-- a lesson all of us need to be reminded of no matter what color of our skin. At the heart of survival here was the beat of the blues, the cadence of black, Sanctified preachers, and the pulse of black gospel music. C. L. Franklin himself had a powerful singing voice, a gift he gave to his daughter Aretha. Her early gospel work was deeply influenced by his voice and the passion and safety of the black church.

         Using extensive research from Jeff Todd Titon, an ethnomusicologist at Brown University, and interviews with Erma Franklin, C. L.'s oldest daughter, Salvatore liberally sprinkles interview quotes, sermon excerpts, and personal family insights throughout the work. It is an impressive piece of scholarship that reads easily and reflects the heart and soul of its subject, C. L. Franklin.