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Passing By Samaria
An inspirational read of racism, romance and religious conviction
382 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1999
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December 18, 2021
Evangelical Christian author Sharon Ewell Foster became the first (and so far only) African-American writer to win the Christy Award for this powerful historical novel, set just after World War I in rural Jim Crow MIssissippi and in Chicago (also not a paradise of racial brotherhood). In a plot that's set mainly from the late spring to the early fall of 1919 (the final chapter takes place in the following year) the lives of the author's fictional characters unfold against a real-life background of rampant lynching of blacks and of the racial riots during what history would remember as the "Red Summer."
Obviously, racial relations and attitudes are at the heart of this novel. Foster casts an unsparing floodlight on the whole mentality of racial hatred and white supremacy, and the starkly ugly ways in which it expresses itself. And while some things have obviously changed for the better in the more than a century that has elapsed since the time re-created here, sadly, in a great many minds and hearts there hasn't been much if any change. :-( So protagonist Alena's world in 1919 here remains very relevant to ours in the 2020s. But this is not a propaganda piece aiming to stoke the fires of angry racial grievance and reverse racism. Rather, it's a call to the white community for repentance and self-examination, to the black community to cultivate forgiveness without condoning wrong, and to everybody to extend our borders of love to the whole human community. I was struck by the basic attitudinal similarity between the stances of some of the black characters here and those of Martin Luther King (though unlike MLK, they don't necessarily take a totally pacifist position). The call here is uncompromisingly for racial reconciliation and brotherhood.
Closely related to this (as it was closely related in Dr. King's ministry) is an explicit presentation of the Christian gospel, with its recognition of all humans as equally loved by their Creator, but equally in need of personal repentance from sin and moral and spiritual transformation through the saving grace that Christ's sacrifice brings to humanity. That transformation is seen as the one power that can enlighten and strengthen us for the hard work, on our own hearts and on our society, that reconciliation and brotherhood require. Non-Christian readers, contemplating a Christian novel, may ask suspiciously, "Is it preachy?" Well, in this case, I'd have to say, yes, it most certainly is "preachy." (Even the title comes from an apt Biblical allusion.) But the preachiness arises naturally as part and parcel of the situation these characters find themselves in, here in a very flawed world, and as an expression of their identity as people of faith, or who have been exposed to faith. (Aunt Patrice's Bread of Life Mission is a key setting here, and a white preacher will play an important role.)
Penetrating psychological insight and realistic, nuanced depictions of very human characters, both white and black, is one of the strong points of this novel. Alena in particular is a dynamic, rather than static, protagonist; but several characters here are also dynamic, and serious spiritual and moral crossroads moments fall to the lot of many. Foster dissects, with deep insight, the ways in which sinful patterns of thought and behavior are passed on and validated by parental example, and how hard it is to risk social disapproval to take a stand for the right, while it's conversely so easy and tempting not to rock the boat. (But she also doesn't negate the power of conscience backed up by grace!) She turns her eye as well to more aspects of human behavior than just race relations, including the whole dysfunctional psychology of exploitive gender relations. (Race relations here are seen as part of the total way we treat all others, in all relationships.) Historical accuracy (which is crucially important in this genre!) is impeccable here, but the factual information never felt like an info-dump. A plot strand of clean romance enhances, but doesn't smother, the story being told.
All historical fiction fans would benefit from reading this book. But I'd recommend it as well to general readers who don't necessarily seek out that genre; it has a worthwhile message for all of us.
Obviously, racial relations and attitudes are at the heart of this novel. Foster casts an unsparing floodlight on the whole mentality of racial hatred and white supremacy, and the starkly ugly ways in which it expresses itself. And while some things have obviously changed for the better in the more than a century that has elapsed since the time re-created here, sadly, in a great many minds and hearts there hasn't been much if any change. :-( So protagonist Alena's world in 1919 here remains very relevant to ours in the 2020s. But this is not a propaganda piece aiming to stoke the fires of angry racial grievance and reverse racism. Rather, it's a call to the white community for repentance and self-examination, to the black community to cultivate forgiveness without condoning wrong, and to everybody to extend our borders of love to the whole human community. I was struck by the basic attitudinal similarity between the stances of some of the black characters here and those of Martin Luther King (though unlike MLK, they don't necessarily take a totally pacifist position). The call here is uncompromisingly for racial reconciliation and brotherhood.
Closely related to this (as it was closely related in Dr. King's ministry) is an explicit presentation of the Christian gospel, with its recognition of all humans as equally loved by their Creator, but equally in need of personal repentance from sin and moral and spiritual transformation through the saving grace that Christ's sacrifice brings to humanity. That transformation is seen as the one power that can enlighten and strengthen us for the hard work, on our own hearts and on our society, that reconciliation and brotherhood require. Non-Christian readers, contemplating a Christian novel, may ask suspiciously, "Is it preachy?" Well, in this case, I'd have to say, yes, it most certainly is "preachy." (Even the title comes from an apt Biblical allusion.) But the preachiness arises naturally as part and parcel of the situation these characters find themselves in, here in a very flawed world, and as an expression of their identity as people of faith, or who have been exposed to faith. (Aunt Patrice's Bread of Life Mission is a key setting here, and a white preacher will play an important role.)
Penetrating psychological insight and realistic, nuanced depictions of very human characters, both white and black, is one of the strong points of this novel. Alena in particular is a dynamic, rather than static, protagonist; but several characters here are also dynamic, and serious spiritual and moral crossroads moments fall to the lot of many. Foster dissects, with deep insight, the ways in which sinful patterns of thought and behavior are passed on and validated by parental example, and how hard it is to risk social disapproval to take a stand for the right, while it's conversely so easy and tempting not to rock the boat. (But she also doesn't negate the power of conscience backed up by grace!) She turns her eye as well to more aspects of human behavior than just race relations, including the whole dysfunctional psychology of exploitive gender relations. (Race relations here are seen as part of the total way we treat all others, in all relationships.) Historical accuracy (which is crucially important in this genre!) is impeccable here, but the factual information never felt like an info-dump. A plot strand of clean romance enhances, but doesn't smother, the story being told.
All historical fiction fans would benefit from reading this book. But I'd recommend it as well to general readers who don't necessarily seek out that genre; it has a worthwhile message for all of us.
December 25, 2016
WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.
Guys, I don't even really know how to start.
In the spring in Mississippi there were perfect days. They were storybook days.
I picked up this book off my library's sale rack a while ago. I flipped through the first couple of chapters and put it on my shelf, thinking I'd get around to it eventually but not having any clear plans as to when.
Well.
Two nights ago (or rather, technically, it was very very early yesterday morning), I was feeling drained. There had been some really difficult situations going on the previous day that were still weighing on me, and I had had a weird sleep schedule for the past number of nights, and I had just seen a movie that was much sadder than I thought it would be. All in all, I was not in the best frame of mind, and even though it was high time to be in bed, I knew I would just lie there awake. So, I decided to pick up a book and try to read a bit. This one caught my eye. The author's dedication on the front page indicate a desire for the book to be a balm for hurting hearts (not quite in those words), and though I seemed to remember having some complaints about the writing from my previous scan of it, I also seemed to remember a "wholesome quality" to it, shall we say. I asked God to use the book to speak some comfort and some healing, to help me get what He wanted me to get out of it, and I started it.
GUYS. IT WAS SO GOOD.
Oh, it's not perfect. I mean, really, is any book ever perfect? (DON'T say the Bible. You know what I meant.) I still had a few (a very few) complaints. But it didn't take long to realize that the good pretty clearly outstrips the bad.
The story takes place in 1919 and centers around a young black woman named Alena, whose near-fairytale life in Mississippi is shattered by a gruesome discovery. This discovery catapults her from her gentle, rural Mississippi home to the modern and bustling Chicago. There she has to come to grips with the new harsh realities that have been forced upon her, and to process for herself questions of racism, bitterness, forgiveness, redemption, family, faith, etc. I can't say a whole lot more than that because #spoilers, but -- just go read it. Just do yourself that favor.
Sharon Ewell Foster weaves a tale that's atmospheric, unflinching and uncompromising in its depiction of human depravity, yet gentle, light-filled, and not gratuitous. The writing is perhaps too "feeling" at times -- sometimes characters' emotional responses seem somewhat implausible, too soon, too naïve, etc. -- but the book shies away from the cloying clichés of some of the rest of Christian fiction. (Now, there is a romance, of course, and that romance does start out love-hate on one participant's part, but there are extenuating circumstances leading to that love-hate.) Sometimes characters' dialogue or thought processes also seemed repetitive, but that didn't bother me too much. The characters are still fleshed out, believable, unbelievable, likable, dislikable -- Alena, Deac, Pearl, Amos, Miranda, James, Dinah, Bates, Patrice, Evelyn, Jonathan . . . all (uncomfortably, at times) reminiscent of oneself.
The book deals with some very weighty content matter. It contains racism that will make you nauseous, descriptions of the Klan-like practices of "upstanding" town citizens, lynchings, burning, assaults, distorting of God's Word to support barbarism, etc. It contains moral dilemmas that will make you ache for the character because of how many times you've felt that same sense of entrapment. It contains happiness that will make you happy, anger that will make you angry, sorrow that will make you sorry. It contains redemption that will make you want to weep and to smile at the same time. It contains forgiveness that will challenge you and uplift you. It's good, people. In dealing with forgiveness in the face of the (humanly) unforgivable, it deals with one of the most difficult issues to discuss, but which desperately needs to be addressed. One thing I found especially impressive was how Ms. Foster didn't make all the racism/wrong one-sided. Herself a black lady, she doesn't mince words about how racism is wrong, no questions asked, no excuses holding. And it's wrong no matter which ethnicity nurtures it towards which other ethnicity.
The side stories of Deac and Pearl, and of Miranda and Bates (I guess that's less of a side story, though) are excellent. At first, I felt kind of irritated by Deac's and Pearl's constant reappearance in the story, because it seemed distracting, but in the end, it was well-done. MIRANDA AND BATES. WHAAAAAA. I felt bad for Miranda and had difficulty feeling bad for Bates (I know, I KNOW THAT WAS THE POINT, but one is human). And referring to Miranda's and Bates' cohorts as "the one with blue eyes," "the one with grey eyes," "the one who was always afraid," "the one who always agreed", and so forth? Brilliant.
OH, oh, and guys, CHAPTER 35. WHAT ON EARTH. *SPOILERS!* They came to his funeral and they sang "Amazing Grace." And then some of the others joined them and they formed the circle --just w.o.w. I had to read that part twice because GAHH.
Okay, I should leave you. But guys, I just want you to know, this book is worth reading. It's not the best thing you'll ever read in your life (at least, not from a technical standpoint), but it has some of the best lessons and truth in it that you'll ever read in a fictional book, I think.
The dedication says: ". . . I lift this book up to God. . . . May it be everything You want it to be. May it be medicine, food, sweets to Your people, to those who are isolated." Well, for me at least, it was. Oh, it was.
Guys, I don't even really know how to start.
In the spring in Mississippi there were perfect days. They were storybook days.
I picked up this book off my library's sale rack a while ago. I flipped through the first couple of chapters and put it on my shelf, thinking I'd get around to it eventually but not having any clear plans as to when.
Well.
Two nights ago (or rather, technically, it was very very early yesterday morning), I was feeling drained. There had been some really difficult situations going on the previous day that were still weighing on me, and I had had a weird sleep schedule for the past number of nights, and I had just seen a movie that was much sadder than I thought it would be. All in all, I was not in the best frame of mind, and even though it was high time to be in bed, I knew I would just lie there awake. So, I decided to pick up a book and try to read a bit. This one caught my eye. The author's dedication on the front page indicate a desire for the book to be a balm for hurting hearts (not quite in those words), and though I seemed to remember having some complaints about the writing from my previous scan of it, I also seemed to remember a "wholesome quality" to it, shall we say. I asked God to use the book to speak some comfort and some healing, to help me get what He wanted me to get out of it, and I started it.
GUYS. IT WAS SO GOOD.
Oh, it's not perfect. I mean, really, is any book ever perfect? (DON'T say the Bible. You know what I meant.) I still had a few (a very few) complaints. But it didn't take long to realize that the good pretty clearly outstrips the bad.
The story takes place in 1919 and centers around a young black woman named Alena, whose near-fairytale life in Mississippi is shattered by a gruesome discovery. This discovery catapults her from her gentle, rural Mississippi home to the modern and bustling Chicago. There she has to come to grips with the new harsh realities that have been forced upon her, and to process for herself questions of racism, bitterness, forgiveness, redemption, family, faith, etc. I can't say a whole lot more than that because #spoilers, but -- just go read it. Just do yourself that favor.
Sharon Ewell Foster weaves a tale that's atmospheric, unflinching and uncompromising in its depiction of human depravity, yet gentle, light-filled, and not gratuitous. The writing is perhaps too "feeling" at times -- sometimes characters' emotional responses seem somewhat implausible, too soon, too naïve, etc. -- but the book shies away from the cloying clichés of some of the rest of Christian fiction. (Now, there is a romance, of course, and that romance does start out love-hate on one participant's part, but there are extenuating circumstances leading to that love-hate.) Sometimes characters' dialogue or thought processes also seemed repetitive, but that didn't bother me too much. The characters are still fleshed out, believable, unbelievable, likable, dislikable -- Alena, Deac, Pearl, Amos, Miranda, James, Dinah, Bates, Patrice, Evelyn, Jonathan . . . all (uncomfortably, at times) reminiscent of oneself.
The book deals with some very weighty content matter. It contains racism that will make you nauseous, descriptions of the Klan-like practices of "upstanding" town citizens, lynchings, burning, assaults, distorting of God's Word to support barbarism, etc. It contains moral dilemmas that will make you ache for the character because of how many times you've felt that same sense of entrapment. It contains happiness that will make you happy, anger that will make you angry, sorrow that will make you sorry. It contains redemption that will make you want to weep and to smile at the same time. It contains forgiveness that will challenge you and uplift you. It's good, people. In dealing with forgiveness in the face of the (humanly) unforgivable, it deals with one of the most difficult issues to discuss, but which desperately needs to be addressed. One thing I found especially impressive was how Ms. Foster didn't make all the racism/wrong one-sided. Herself a black lady, she doesn't mince words about how racism is wrong, no questions asked, no excuses holding. And it's wrong no matter which ethnicity nurtures it towards which other ethnicity.
The side stories of Deac and Pearl, and of Miranda and Bates (I guess that's less of a side story, though) are excellent. At first, I felt kind of irritated by Deac's and Pearl's constant reappearance in the story, because it seemed distracting, but in the end, it was well-done. MIRANDA AND BATES. WHAAAAAA. I felt bad for Miranda and had difficulty feeling bad for Bates (I know, I KNOW THAT WAS THE POINT, but one is human). And referring to Miranda's and Bates' cohorts as "the one with blue eyes," "the one with grey eyes," "the one who was always afraid," "the one who always agreed", and so forth? Brilliant.
OH, oh, and guys, CHAPTER 35. WHAT ON EARTH. *SPOILERS!* They came to his funeral and they sang "Amazing Grace." And then some of the others joined them and they formed the circle --just w.o.w. I had to read that part twice because GAHH.
Okay, I should leave you. But guys, I just want you to know, this book is worth reading. It's not the best thing you'll ever read in your life (at least, not from a technical standpoint), but it has some of the best lessons and truth in it that you'll ever read in a fictional book, I think.
The dedication says: ". . . I lift this book up to God. . . . May it be everything You want it to be. May it be medicine, food, sweets to Your people, to those who are isolated." Well, for me at least, it was. Oh, it was.
March 6, 2015
This is an amazing book! The setting is 1919-20 in Mississippi and Chicago--A period of violent unrest in our country. I actually had a difficult time reading through the atrocities that were committed against Blacks and there were times I had to put the book down. But I also could not keep from reading it. The book is beautifully-written, almost in a prose style, and is full of symbolism. Understanding the Biblical text of John 4:4 will add meaning to this book. There were so many characters to fall in love with . . . Aunt Patrice, Evelyn, Amos, James, Jonathan, Alena, Deac, etc. I cannot say enough good about this book, but it does not need defending or persuasion, especially by me. This author has been uniquely blessed by God to write such an inspiring story.
February 18, 2026
Wow, what a ride this story was! This was such a well written and immersive experience I really felt the time and place the author was writing about. And such a long book – it felt like it should wrap up after the dramatic events in July, but the story continued with more twists and turns. I had to set it down and take some deep breaths towards the end because I was unsure of just what was going to happen. While I would probably quibble with some of the theology the overarching message of the book was powerful and the characters were believable and likable. Though the main character was very angry and bitter, making her unlikable for much of the story, you kept reading to see her find redemption.
I picked this up secondhand shopping and I will keep my eye out for more from this author.
I am pretty sure I borrowed this from the library when I was a young teenager, but if I read anything, it was only the first few pages. Being a sensitive reader I’m glad I did not read it until I was very firmly an adult. This is Christian fiction, and never gets overly graphic or explicit, but does deal with very heavy real topics.
I picked this up secondhand shopping and I will keep my eye out for more from this author.
I am pretty sure I borrowed this from the library when I was a young teenager, but if I read anything, it was only the first few pages. Being a sensitive reader I’m glad I did not read it until I was very firmly an adult. This is Christian fiction, and never gets overly graphic or explicit, but does deal with very heavy real topics.
June 20, 2019
Decent story about race issues in 1919-1920. Kind of average and didn't keep my interest as well as the author's other books.
April 1, 2014
First time reading a book by this author. I stumbled upon it while browsing through the library shelves and something about the title caught my attention. I'm SO very glad that it did. This is a very heartwarming story showing the strength of the human spirit when God is first in your life. It takes place in the deep south...Mississippi to be exact. It details the story of a young girl and her coming to terms with love, loss, growth and forgiveness. There are parts of this book that will make you giggle but many more parts that touch your heart and yes, even make you cry. I look forward to reading more by this author. She really touched me with this one.
April 29, 2013
A young woman felt only hatred in her small town and left for Chicago to help her Aunt in a Mission. Her hatred continued affecting everyone. Her new friends prayed for her to take away her bitterness. She was tempted by a stranger on the train for a new life. She hated her present life. The prayers of many took over her life and changed her attitude. She found the right man in her life and he was sincere and wanted to marry her. God had his way of keeping her safe and the town safe from the corrupt sheriff.
January 31, 2010
Beauty as well as a tragedy--man hating man because of the color of his skin. A story of redemptive grace. Love. Hate. Pain. Healing.
September 30, 2011
Love the concept, but some of the protagonist's actions and beliefs are hard to believe, given the climate and the times.
March 31, 2021
***Copied from my Facebook
“Passing by Samaria” by Sharon Ewell Foster
I usually don’t write book reviews, but I must share this book with yall! To quote an entirely different book, “Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” Besides the Bible, Passing by Samaria is that book for me. I knew by chapter 3 that I was going to read a book that would touch my heart and I would remember for years to come.
The book is about a young black woman, Alena in 1919 Mississippi who is being torn from her parents and the home she loves after tragedy strikes and changes her young life. For her safety she is uprooted from her home and forced to move into her Aunt’s home in Chicago. Unfortunately, Alena will not escape tragedy in her place of “refuge”. She must come to terms with the harsh realities of her life as she struggles to understand racism, bitterness, forgiveness, redemption, obedience, Love, family and faith.
This book had me crying by the beginning of chapter 2and I cried many times throughout the book. It reminds me a lot of Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help”. From an emotional standpoint the book is hard to read as it illustrates real racism, prejudice, and violence. The book deals with some heavy and graphic content. It contains racism that will make you nauseous, descriptions of the Klan-like practices, lynching’s, burning, assaults, referring to men and women as “animals”, distorting of God's Word to support savagery, etc. I cried through the lessons the author tries to teach its readers about God’s word and the depiction of such hatred and injustice. This book tore at my heart. The book is so beautifully written. The author uses this story to share biblical truths and share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ in a way that flows so well with the story. Before you think to Judge the book as having a one-sided agenda, it’s not. The author writes so well and from the perspective of black and white. I tried to contact the author via email but have yet to hear back from her. (fingers crossed)
Spoiler: In the book you are taken to the scene of the Chicago race riot of 1919. The Chicago race riot of 1919 was a violent racial conflict started by white Americans against black Americans that began on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, on July 27 and ended on August 3, 1919. While reading I pondered the sad fact that it has been 102 years since those riots and the battle against racism is still being fought today. 102 years later we still our rioting in the streets, looting businesses, burning homes, hating, killing our brothers in cold blood and leaving them to die in the streets, OVER THE COLOR OF SKIN.
To anyone on my friends list who may be hiding their ugly prejudice against black folks or any folks, I hope my review of this book encourages you to read this book and maybe Jesus will touch your heart and help you understand the wrong in your heart, the sin in your heart. God didn’t create us to be brother against brother.
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 36:26
“Passing by Samaria” by Sharon Ewell Foster
I usually don’t write book reviews, but I must share this book with yall! To quote an entirely different book, “Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” Besides the Bible, Passing by Samaria is that book for me. I knew by chapter 3 that I was going to read a book that would touch my heart and I would remember for years to come.
The book is about a young black woman, Alena in 1919 Mississippi who is being torn from her parents and the home she loves after tragedy strikes and changes her young life. For her safety she is uprooted from her home and forced to move into her Aunt’s home in Chicago. Unfortunately, Alena will not escape tragedy in her place of “refuge”. She must come to terms with the harsh realities of her life as she struggles to understand racism, bitterness, forgiveness, redemption, obedience, Love, family and faith.
This book had me crying by the beginning of chapter 2and I cried many times throughout the book. It reminds me a lot of Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help”. From an emotional standpoint the book is hard to read as it illustrates real racism, prejudice, and violence. The book deals with some heavy and graphic content. It contains racism that will make you nauseous, descriptions of the Klan-like practices, lynching’s, burning, assaults, referring to men and women as “animals”, distorting of God's Word to support savagery, etc. I cried through the lessons the author tries to teach its readers about God’s word and the depiction of such hatred and injustice. This book tore at my heart. The book is so beautifully written. The author uses this story to share biblical truths and share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ in a way that flows so well with the story. Before you think to Judge the book as having a one-sided agenda, it’s not. The author writes so well and from the perspective of black and white. I tried to contact the author via email but have yet to hear back from her. (fingers crossed)
Spoiler: In the book you are taken to the scene of the Chicago race riot of 1919. The Chicago race riot of 1919 was a violent racial conflict started by white Americans against black Americans that began on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, on July 27 and ended on August 3, 1919. While reading I pondered the sad fact that it has been 102 years since those riots and the battle against racism is still being fought today. 102 years later we still our rioting in the streets, looting businesses, burning homes, hating, killing our brothers in cold blood and leaving them to die in the streets, OVER THE COLOR OF SKIN.
To anyone on my friends list who may be hiding their ugly prejudice against black folks or any folks, I hope my review of this book encourages you to read this book and maybe Jesus will touch your heart and help you understand the wrong in your heart, the sin in your heart. God didn’t create us to be brother against brother.
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 36:26
July 27, 2017
I seem to be in a season of reading serendipity whereby multiple books with similar themes seem to pass through my hands out of nowhere. This go round the randomly discovered themes revolve around Black history, racial relations, and white privilege. Passing By Samaria tells the story of a young black girl from Mississippi, Alena, whose parents send her Chicago shortly after a young man is lynched. The year is 1919 and it was quite interesting historical, even instructive of the race struggles and riots going on in that time and place. I am ever eager to learn and to understand more of what it means and what it meant to be a person of color. What I did not enjoy was the rather heavy didactic nature on the discussions of religion, prayer and forgiveness. All good and important subjects, I do not disagree with a word said but holy moly the discussions/conversations did go on and were sufficiently one sided that they felt more like lectures than "discussions." It took quite awhile for the plot to get rolling or interesting and by then you could see the end coming like a train chugging down the track. Not bad but not particularly good either.
September 12, 2017
This book had me duplicitous. I was able to appreciate the lengthy description and dialogue, and was able to see the literary merit. However, when it's excessive like this, it's not my preference, because it reads more like classic literature.
When it comes down to it, if you choose this book you will find the Black vernacular either whiny or appropriate in it's excess. The story doesn't really get going until about 25% through. Also it's more of a story unfolding, than a story with a plotline. What shines most in this story is the characterization, some of these patches were real page turners; they were like character sketches.
People who enjoy straight literature, or a good African- American historical fiction will love this book. My preferences aside, I cannot deny that this novel has great redeeming quality and addresses a number of racially sensitive issues in an amazing way.
When it comes down to it, if you choose this book you will find the Black vernacular either whiny or appropriate in it's excess. The story doesn't really get going until about 25% through. Also it's more of a story unfolding, than a story with a plotline. What shines most in this story is the characterization, some of these patches were real page turners; they were like character sketches.
People who enjoy straight literature, or a good African- American historical fiction will love this book. My preferences aside, I cannot deny that this novel has great redeeming quality and addresses a number of racially sensitive issues in an amazing way.
December 22, 2020
An historical novel about lynching in Mississippi in 1919 wouldn't ordinarily grab my attention. This one was a gift from a family member that I stuck on my shelf at least ten years ago. Recently I discovered it and I'm glad I did. It is the most riveting novel I read this year.
The main characters are well-drawn. The horrors of lynching are presented realistically, but not in a way that exalts the cruelty. And the satisfying ending created by the faith of the main characters in this first novel, written by Afro-American Sharon Ewell Foster, give medicine to the heart and balm for the soul.
Hope Irvin Marston, award-winning author of THE WALL HAVE EARS: A BLACK SPY IN THE CONFEDERATE WHITE HOUSE, a Charlotte Award 2021 Nominee.
The main characters are well-drawn. The horrors of lynching are presented realistically, but not in a way that exalts the cruelty. And the satisfying ending created by the faith of the main characters in this first novel, written by Afro-American Sharon Ewell Foster, give medicine to the heart and balm for the soul.
Hope Irvin Marston, award-winning author of THE WALL HAVE EARS: A BLACK SPY IN THE CONFEDERATE WHITE HOUSE, a Charlotte Award 2021 Nominee.
June 23, 2019
Passing by Samaria has a good message, and I find it enlightening to read about prejudice from the viewpoint of someone who is a different race than I am. However, I almost abandoned the book a couple of times. The dialect is true to what you might hear in the south around 1920, but I found it hard to read at times. I did end up feeling glad that I finished it.
February 5, 2026
This book is powerful. It deals with death, grief, hope, betrayal, forgiveness and moving forward. Its not something light little romance, in fact, the romance lays second fiddle to the over laying message of God's love for human kind no matter what their race may be. I found this book very encouraging.
July 6, 2018
Vivid writing - could imagine the frustration and hopelessness the characters felt that turned to faith & hope. Lots of discussion in parts that was good but also long knocked a star off the rating.
December 27, 2021
Beautiful historical fiction. I love Sharon Ewell Foster's voice and miss it. I've read all her books and this is her best by far. I've also met Sharon personally and can say she is a very kind lady as well.
October 4, 2022
This boom just could not hold my attention. Not bad writing or plot but I just did t find it interesting. I realized about half-way through that I have read it before but couldn't remember much. I finally quit almost to the end.
July 3, 2017
Beautifully written. A message of what it means to love and forgive to all--both believers and non believers. Well worth the time to read.
February 2, 2020
This was such a great book, but you have to be patient with it. Foster brings it full circle with a magnificent ending. Such an inspirational tale.
April 18, 2021
Long on the preaching, short on the story.
October 4, 2021
Set shortly after World War 1in the American South, it's a story about love and race changes. Very inspiring.
December 21, 2022
A tale of family, love, and hatred that tears and ruins lives. Time for healing among people and its still needed now.
October 14, 2023
I don’t know how anyone of us could endure life without the Lord.
September 15, 2021
A very touching story that helps to enlighten those who are not aware of how difficult things were for the black people in the early part of the 20th century. It is a true shame that there is still hatred today though not nearly as bad as it was in earlier years.
The one thing I had trouble with in the story was when the author didn't give names to many of the characters. Just used their eye color or a key to their personality. I found it a bit unusual and, for me, it took away from the story a bit.
I would recommend this book for anyone who needs to understand the history of our country and the race divide.
The one thing I had trouble with in the story was when the author didn't give names to many of the characters. Just used their eye color or a key to their personality. I found it a bit unusual and, for me, it took away from the story a bit.
I would recommend this book for anyone who needs to understand the history of our country and the race divide.
January 3, 2022
There were some parts where I got more into the story and I would give those parts three or four stars, but most of the book was just okay for me. At first the writing style seemed unique and I liked some of the creative things the author did, like anthropomorphizing emotions, but the further I read the more the choppy and repetitive writing style annoyed me and pulled me out of the story. Plus for most of the book many of the characters, including the main character, were generally dislikable and the story is very depressing. I also felt like certain things wrapped up a little too quickly and easily toward the end of the book. I ended up skimming through the last third or so. I would have given up if I wasn't reading the book as part of a group read.
June 7, 2020
Set in 1919 MS, this novel features a wonderful romance as well as shows the plight of black sharecroppers who still face racism, lynchings and poverty! So the protagonist in this book moved to Chicago after witnessing her fiancée’s lynching by soon finds herself in the midst of Chicago’s Red Summer of 1919 era of racial unrest! Will she find peace and happiness?
Rating: 5 stars
Recommend: for older readers
Reading interest level : totally absorbing and unstoppable
Warning: the protagonist witnesses a lynching and is also the subject of catcalls while walking through downtown Chicago
Rating: 5 stars
Recommend: for older readers
Reading interest level : totally absorbing and unstoppable
Warning: the protagonist witnesses a lynching and is also the subject of catcalls while walking through downtown Chicago
October 15, 2009
We live in a world among "others". Some are nations of people we know little of, others are ethnicities we think we know about, many are neighbors and relatives we have not shared time with. Our human shortcomings and experiences often causes this ignorance to become distrust, then fear, then anger. We can "over protect" our children from these "others". This sort of child-rearing, that appears loving and caring on the surface, can produce disatrous results. This is the turning point of the novel.
Samaria is a real place on the map in the middle east. The ancient people who replaced the exiled Hebrews there when the country was conquered were despised by the nearby Hebrews because these people were "the other". When traveling from place to place the Hebrews always passed by or avoided Samaria.
Sharon Foster has done an excellent job, using this theme, to show how hurtful it can be to a child, raised over-protectivly, by loving parents, when she is confronted with the "real world" and her parents response to it.
Samaria is a real place on the map in the middle east. The ancient people who replaced the exiled Hebrews there when the country was conquered were despised by the nearby Hebrews because these people were "the other". When traveling from place to place the Hebrews always passed by or avoided Samaria.
Sharon Foster has done an excellent job, using this theme, to show how hurtful it can be to a child, raised over-protectivly, by loving parents, when she is confronted with the "real world" and her parents response to it.
June 7, 2008
I read this for book club. It was very good - but I probably would not have thought of reading it on my own.
It was a story about a young girl growing up and living through the racial riots in Chicago, in 1919 - the conflict and tension between the races after the war - her struggles to understand her childhood friends murder and her parents and community's fear to stand up for justice.
Her parents made her move to Chicago to live with a favored aunt (for her own protection). The book discusses her dealing with her anger against her parents, her being drawn to a self-centered young man who was worldly and did nothing but exploit young women and her conflicting interest in a godly young man who deeply cared for and fell in love with her but wanted to honor God in the way he lived, thought and loved.
It was a story about a young girl growing up and living through the racial riots in Chicago, in 1919 - the conflict and tension between the races after the war - her struggles to understand her childhood friends murder and her parents and community's fear to stand up for justice.
Her parents made her move to Chicago to live with a favored aunt (for her own protection). The book discusses her dealing with her anger against her parents, her being drawn to a self-centered young man who was worldly and did nothing but exploit young women and her conflicting interest in a godly young man who deeply cared for and fell in love with her but wanted to honor God in the way he lived, thought and loved.
February 22, 2011
The date is 1919 a time of unrest and drastic change. For Alena, though, life in Mississippi is perfect, and she prays she will never leave her home. That prayer is shattered when she makes a horrible discovery -a discovery that leads her to challenge all she believes. From a quiet country setting, Alena is catapulted to Chicago. There amids riots, misplaced love, and post-war confusion, this outspoken young woman struggles to find herself and the one true thing that will save her.
This book had some good parts but also had some parts that were "to fairy tale" for me. I find it enlightening to read a book written from the viewpoint of a different race than myself, it opens my mind to their struggles, challenges and achievements. Our history has some very valuable lessons that I hope we never need to repeat. God loves everyone no matter the color of our skin or where we are from!
This book had some good parts but also had some parts that were "to fairy tale" for me. I find it enlightening to read a book written from the viewpoint of a different race than myself, it opens my mind to their struggles, challenges and achievements. Our history has some very valuable lessons that I hope we never need to repeat. God loves everyone no matter the color of our skin or where we are from!
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