Debut Author & Book Review: No Time To Hate

A personal friend of mine has published a book that he has put so much sweat and tears into making it real.  Please buy, read and leave a review on the following book sites: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Scribd, Tolino, 24symbols, Playster, OverDrive, Bibliotheca, and Baker Taylor


Book Description:
This is the journal of Lexius Henson Sr., one of the richest mulatto men in the Pre and Post-Civil War South. The son of a doctor from South Carolina, Lexius was a free man, often referred to as a "white man by day and a black man by night." He owned and operated one of the finest restaurants/saloons in the South, a three-story exquisite experience, serving the finest food, cigars, wine, ales and liquor.

Lexius' clientele consisted of great generals of the Civil War and statesmen from all regions and abroad, some of the richest men in the world, bankers, steel and oil moguls, whose descendants are still of the wealthiest class in modern society. Many of the South's secrets and worldly knowledge were divulged while under the influence of Lexius' intoxicating beverages and delicacies. These great men sought Lexius' advice for his infinite wisdom and Lexius changed the thoughts of many men to benefit all mankind.

About the Author:
Craig E. Rush is a world traveler.  He has served as a motivational speaker and mentor for the Detroit Metropolitan area and throughout the U.S.  A former diversity coach for major corporations, Rush is an entrepreneur, with restaurants and artist management companies to his credit.  Rush is also a published poet, lyricist, and songwriter, with a theatrical background.  He is currently raising three children and writing a series of books and plays.

My Review:

I started reading via my kindle app on June 6, 2021 and completed the book on July 27, 2021.  The following is my honest review.

My only request to fully understand this detailed genealogical journey, is to include a family tree diagram to reference while reading the ancestry lineage. I wrote the names down and the branches as I read it. Pictures would be an enhancement as well. The transcripts to the Georgia Supreme Court case in relativity to assets of Henson Sr., were hard to read, no blame on the author. I have low vision, and a magnifying glass doesn’t make matters better for me. However, I’m very interested in knowing the transfer of power, and injustice that took place.

I suggest reading this in a quite environment to keep track of the family connections. The chapters of Lexius Henson, Sr’s journal are the highlights of this ancestral history, and telling. It is reflecting of a righteous, educated, and a free thinking man. 

Where and how did the family discover his journal? The sentiments, thoughts, and reflections in Henson’s journal are pertinent to conversations today on systemic racism, concerns and realism. The visibility of skin color amongst our own race has always been a topic of discussion.  It is true that some Southerners are still divided by their beliefs as to the division of the north and the south, which caused the civil war. I live in the state of Alabama. plantation homes, the right to bear arms, the refusal to except the turmoil of the civil rights era, yesterday, and today. His insight on religion, and spirituality has revealed to me a reason why church going is so profound in the south. This was one of the freedoms given to slaves. I just watched the movie “Harriet”, abolitionist and activist freeing enslaved people. The teachings of the New Testament that urged slaves to be obedient, and found guidance in the Old Testament tales of deliverance. We as Blacks are still holding on tightly to faith, and hope in God.

I can also concur with the theory of my lineage of mulatto bloodlines, whereas my grandmother hailed from the Carolinas and my results from Ancestry.com shows an Irish, British, Welch decent. I believe she passed for white amid her very fair skin and long straight hair.  Henson’s thoughts on Polygenism is by definition, the doctrine or belief that existing human races have evolved from two or more distinct ancestral types. The laws created around the Declaration of Independence are still today under scrutiny for its true purpose, and definitely promotes separatism. Fortunately we are living on land that is part of a lifetime estate purchased in the 1800’s, in which conditions were made that the property can not be sold or transferred to individuals outside of the family.  We as a family are lacking in knowledge of the family legacy. Land rich, history poor. 

The book looks like a quick read (241 pages), but the contents require a slow and focused intake. Very historically accurate. I received a wealth of good tips, advice, outlook, and perspectives from Mr. Henson Sr.  It is astonishing how the author injects himself into the journal as the kin from another time. So, did the journals actually exist? Rush has done a fine job of enlightenment, however I wanted more of the family history put to pen and paper. Although I struggle with the question of what is fact and what is fiction in his book. The enlightenment is a fact. I look forward to reading his next book.