Passing By Samaria

Rating:
Summary: A Christian Perspective on Racial Prejudice
Review: Accolades to Sharon Ewell Foster for her well written book. I liked the African-American style and I felt it was refreshing. The characters were believable. Foster did not try to make saints, just ordinary people dealing with major issues and critical times. The closest person to being a saint was Aunt Patrice with her 'sermons', but she was so down to earth, that her wisdom did not strike me as false. I liked how Foster showed different kinds of people dealing with the racial prejudice. A girl brought up on the ideals of truth has to try to make it meet with reality. A wife of a corrupt sheriff is caught between love , fear and the truth. (I really liked Miranda, she was the type of person I feel is not really examined in Christian literature) I appreciate how Foster did not rush the reconciliation and took care to consider the different feelings involved. I think the book could have been divided into two parts. The first part labeled Chicago or Alena, because it was mainly about Alena's struggle against her bitterness. The second part labeled Mississippi. After Alena's personal conflict, the book seems to move to the conflicts within the community of blacks and whites. The anonymity of the white people, "the one who always agreed" and the "green-eyed" one, was original and helped clear away the clutter of names. It made the issue more about everyone rather than Mrs. So and So. Good job, Sharon Ewells Foster.

Rating:
Summary: Passing by Samaria
Review: I wished I had the ability to really express how much I loved this book. It was beautifully written. It was so inspiring. It taught me or should I say, it reminded me of the true meaning of forgiveness. It was full of hope and faith and family. It showed the true strength of a people and what it means to turn the other cheek. Reading this book inspired me more than a year of Sunday's in church. It made me think. It made me proud. It made me want not only want to stop by Samaria, it made me want to stay awhile. Thanks, Sharon Ewell Rhodes for this gift of love and faith. It is indeed a story with "medicine for the heart and balm for the soul".

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Written!
Review: Mississippi is the setting for this inspiring, historical novel. Sharon Ewell Foster takes the opportunity to educate readers about the great migration of blacks from the south to the north through the eyes of the main character, Alena. Alena grew up in a happy home where her parents shielded her from much of the prejudice and ugliness around her in Mississippi. When Alena loses her best friend to a horrendous death, her innocent world falls apart.

Desperate to keep her safe from harm, her parents send Alena up north to Chicago to live with her aunt. While safe from harm, Alena still is not safe from the bitter spirit that overwhelms her. She eventually builds a wall around her heart that threatens to destroy her chance at true love.

This is a beautifully written debut novel that boldy uncovers the ugliness that existed between blacks and whites during this time period. The testimonial story of forgiveness unfolds in such a dramatic fashion, readers will never forget the ending.

Rating:
Summary: Something for Everyone
Review: Ms Foster's novel showed a great sense of time and place, but more importantly, though it touched on some very tough issues, a sense of hope and humanity as always underlying the conflict, both racial and romantic.

I normally don't read romance novels, but to my surprise, I found it to be a lot more than a story one can easily pigeonhole or file under a one-size-fits-all rubric.

This book isn't very long, yet it lays out and masterfully interweaves many different dramatic threads, which pull together to make the work ring true and resonate in one's mind and heart long after finishing the novel.

Still, I can't say I'd take a chance on other books of this genre--I think I got lucky. I'll definitely re-read this one a few years from now. By then, hopefully, Ms Foster will have another book in the stores.

Rating:
Summary: Nice inspiration story
Review: This was a nicely written book that many Christians and non practing will find inspirational. The power of God is exorted throughout the book. Forgiveness, faith, redemption is weaved throughout. I admit some parts were very hard to read and take in because of the issues of lynching, segregations, and racism. But this was 1919 and these things did in fact exist.

Alena's parents kept her from the ugliness of the Jim Crow south. She was happy living her everyday life until that day she found out just how cruel the world could be. Shipped off to Chicago to her aunt against her will caused her to rebel. She felt as if she was being treated like she was the culprit. She even wants to give up writing, something that she loves. Along her way to finding herself she meets a pullman porter that tries to sweep her off her feet, a young white sister and brother fighting for civil rights, and the man, a journalist, that she eventually fall in love with. But she does have to go back to Mississippi and make peace with her parents and the horror there.

Miss Foster lets us look into the hearts and minds of the evildoers. As I said it is kind of hard to take. I would recommend this book to young women of all colors as a book to read for inspirational romance as well as religious conviction.