Passing by Samaria by Sharon Ewell Foster

*STARRED REVIEW* Adult Fiction, General Fiction- 'Passing by Samariais a rarity in Christian fiction: it features an African American heroine in a kind of female Black Boy. As blacks die in France in World War I, a Mississippi high-school girl, Alena, discovers a schoolmate's lynched body.For her own protection, her parents send her to live with an aunt in Chicago. This unique addition to the Christian fiction genre is highly recommended for all collections. to live with an aunt in Chicago.In this first novel, Foster's poetic telling is soft enough to capture and sharp enough to cut. This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.įrom Library JournalGrowing up in Mississippi, Alena had been sheltered by parents who didn't want her to know how cruel the post-World War I world was to black people. This inspirational novel with believable characters and attention to detail will speak to readers throughout every page.'Ĭonnie Freeman, Ivy Tech State College, Fort Wayne, INĬopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Her style compares with Bebe Moore Campbell's in Your Blues Ain't Like Mine (Putnam, 1992). (Mar.From School Library JournalYA-'In this debut novel, Foster succeeds in showing readers that faith, hope, and love are still beliefs that people trust to weather the torrential storms that invade their lives. However, this novel generally offers the good writing and wise insights Foster is known for, and her fans will enjoy this story of love, prayer, and healing. A few structural troubles continue to dog the Christy Award–winning Foster, who includes some preachy passages and problematic names. There are some significant improvements over the novel's predecessor: the dark demonic angel is gone, and with the exception of some flashbacks, the time frame remains firmly in the present, creating a smoother read. 'It could be, baby, that what's going on in your life now is less about starting over than it is about finishing the race that you've started to run,' says the wise Mother Johnson. But first, Shirley must make peace with her past, which sends her on yet another quest. Shirley's old prom date, Tony Taylor, soon discovers she's in town, and romance seems imminent.

They detour to Tyler, Tex., to drop off Windy, a pregnant white teenage shoplifter they picked up along the way, and to visit Mother Johnson, who cared for Shirley as a child.

Shirley Ferris-Mills and her two children shake the red clay dust of Alabama off their feet and head for California, where the widowed Shirley hopes to craft a new life. In this much-improved sequel to Riding Through Shadows, Foster gives her loyal evangelical Christian audience glimpses of African-American life, faith and romance that helped forge her reputation in Passing by SamariaĪnd Ain't No River.

Passing by Samaria by Sharon Ewell Foster