“Black Sheep” by Donna Scuvotti

Luke could have been that sorry person most people pass quickly on the street, guiltily averting their eyes from the sight of someone else’s misfortune. Luke could have been that bitter person who makes everyone he comes in contact with feel uneasy and bad about themselves.

Luke could have been a failure.

And in a sense, he is. Even though he didn’t give up the countless times he could have dropped hope and sunk into oblivion, life kept throwing hardships at him. Even though he moved forward clinging to the tiny sliver of hope he somehow managed to keep intact in his soul, life continued its attempts to crush him.

Still, he has survived. If it can be said that Luke has thrived remains for every reader to determine themselves. Yet, one thing is absolutely certain. Luke has done something worthy with his life, despite it presenting him with more curveballs than even the strongest person could endure taking.

“Black Sheep” is a kind of ‘memoir’ of the character whom those who enjoyed the author’s books “Just Jonathan” and “Deadly Vendetta” fell in love with. Luke, in a way, ‘outshines’ the main character, making readers crave to learn more about him. I am one of those readers with whom Luke’s character resonated on many levels, so I am grateful to the author for writing his story.

Donna Scuvotti takes us on the journey of Luke’s life, which proves to be a voyage through stormy waters. With every chapter, as we navigate first through his grim childhood and then his tumultuous youth, the author tears piece after piece from our hearts. With every new episode of Luke’s life, we delve deeper into his soul, and soon, he becomes a human being rather than a book character.

 Along with desperately wishing Luke to succeed, find happiness and get rid of his demons, I contemplated what helped him to keep going. So many people give up after even one of the tremendous hardships Luke had to endure in his life. Yet, some don’t let the blows, no matter how harsh, destroy them. I think that the reason is an inner core built around decency and kindness. One is able to go through terrible things without losing hope, enthusiasm and interest in life if there is something that keeps one together. Hate, anger, and bitterness tear a person apart, while kindness helps heal the cracks.

“Black Sheep” by Donna Scuvotti addresses issues we as a society tend to overlook. It gets more pronounced as the progress pulls us out of the ‘herd’ and turns us into individualists. As the need for other people in our survival and well-being lessens, we become more prejudiced. Being wrapped up in our own ‘box,’ cosy and plentiful, with limitless entertainment (Internet, Netflix subscriptions, various apps, etc.), we are losing the ability to see beyond it. But the truth is that people don’t change as drastically with the progress which evolves around making our life more pleasant. We can’t miraculously get rid of addictions, mental health problems, and the necessity to love and feel loved. Thus, the book gently teaches us to be more attentive to people around us. They might be in dire need of help, or their, at first glance, ugly behaviour might stem from deep wounds they carry with them for years.

Although a real treat for everyone who loved Donna Scuvotti’s previous books, “Just Jonathan” and “Deadly Vendetta”, the book can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.