Customer Reviews

Ain't No Valley: A Novel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
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You know how you sometimes see yourself in a book? Well, in this one I was on too many pages, in too many of the stories. Foster does a good job with her message for singles, married, employed, unemployed, young or old--and I am half of those.

I like that her messages came through to me but I didn't feel like she was preaching or pointing a finger at me. Her quirky characters, some from her earlier books, learn and grow. She has incorporated the Bible stories of prodigal son, Ruth and of course the wedding feast. Where else do more odd things happen than at a wedding, and I'm attending one soon, so I'll be watching out.

Because this is the third in her "Ain't No" theme, I was concerned that I would be lost character and storyline wise, but she did a great job of bringing me up to speed.

Her characters are often out of their comfort zone but find that God is always at their side while they are changing their life.

My favorite part is when the family members drive cross country on a yellow school bus to bring the wedding cake and wedding dress, being made by MeeMaw (from Ain't No River). I laughed out loud.

Armchair Interviews says: So much going on in this novel as she brings God's word in everywhere to benefit her most interesting characters. A book to enjoy and learn from.

Naomi Holt's best friend's dream is coming true-she's getting married. And when Naomi saw her chance to make her own dream come true, she dropped everything to chase that dream. Things looked shaky for a bit, but she won on the show Wheel of Fortune. The dream quickly ended when she was fired from her job as a dentist for leaving so abruptly, which initially didn't worry Naomi. She didn't like the facility she worked at anyway and was ready for a change, plus the over hundred grand she won would keep her nicely until she found employment. Unfortunately for Naomi, she won't receive the money until after the show airs, which is months away. Broke in California with more time on her hands than she'd like, she begins soul searching and doesn't like what she sees. Her marriage ended on a sour note and her relationship with her children is barely a relationship. It used to be easy for Naomi to place blame on everyone else, but now the role she played fights for acknowledgment.

Anthony Jenkins is living his dream. He has a fabulous job, a fat 401k, and is a handsome forty-year-old male with a beautiful girlfriend. Life couldn't get better. One second Anthony is on top of the world and readying for his friends wedding, the next his boss is telling him he's been laid off, his girlfriend kicks him out because she doesn't want a man who isn't working, and he doesn't know what he will do with his life. He has time and some extra money on hand and decides to take a break from life before re-entering the rat race. He sets out on a journey to find Freddy ( the brother of Sly from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Sly and the Family Stone), but ends up on a journey of self-discovery.

Uniquely amazing, AIN'T NO VALLEY is much more than the story of two people searching for their path in life and eventually finding each other. Ms. Foster mixes the backdrop of guests preparing for a wedding that is to take place a few months down the road with six degrees of separation to show us the lives of the wedding participants. When the several subplots merged at the big event (the wedding), I was sad to see the journeys end. My next trip to the bookstore, I'll be purchasing the first two installments of this series: Ain't No River and Ain't No Mountain.

Reviewed by Deatri King-Bey
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Not having had the pleasure of reading the previous titles before Ms. Ewell Foster's latest effort I admit to some fear that I would be lost in the dust. This was a senseless fear as Ms. Ewell Foster took the time to catch readers up without dropping the storyline or boring long time fans.

The story opens with a bang as we stand along side Naomi on the set of "The Wheel of Fortune." The improbable happens and this lady manages to win. Same day she finds out that she has lost her job and with no direct plans in the future except to attend the wedding of her best friend Mary, Naomi begins her journey into self evaluation. Her journey will take her to Bodega Bay, where she will find another friend in the unlikely Ruthie, a former drug addict, abused, and abandoned rich girl. Naomi feels lost but she won't for much longer.

Anthony who is good friends with Moor (Mary's fiancé) finds himself with a pink slip, and a request from his long-term girlfriend to hit the streets. They are through! Anthony packs up his few belongings and with time on his hands decides to follow up on a teenage dream. This quest will take him to Napa Valley, a place of beauty and peace. But will he find the one thing that he's looking for?

Along the way we are re-introduced to friends and family that some how or another connect with Mary, Moor, or Naomi. This is truly a story that celebrates life, friendship, and love. I truly enjoyed this read as Ms. Ewell Foster manages to cross gender, social, and ethnic barriers to deliver a heart warming read. Thelma Latrice, Mary, are friends that everyone should be blessed with. Add to these colorful ladies, Garvin Meemaw and the rest of this colorful cast of characters and you have a well populated but entertaining read. This is truly an inspirational read in more ways than one.

Official Reviewer for Romance Designs

AIN'T NO VALLEY

By Sharon Ewell Foster

Review by Laura V. Hilton




Naomi is a dentist in Baltimore and feels trapped in her success. When, against all odds, Naomi wins a spot on "Wheel of Fortune" she jumps at the chance to go, even if it means she will lose her job, alienate her friends, and leave a wedding party without warning. Thus, Naomi finds herself on the sunny beaches of California with a strange blue-eyed, blonde named Ruthie, who seems to be a tie-dye-wearing reject who's fixated on Naomi.



Anthony used to look out over the world from a skyscraper in San Francisco's fast-paced financial district. When his company downsizes, Anthony finds himself going from a virtual partner in the business world to suddenly unemployed, his only friend a star-shaped, sunshades-wearing 60's musician.



What will happen when Anthony and Naomi meet? Will they be able to find what they didn't even know was missing in their lives?



AIN'T NO VALLEY is chocked full of characters complete with color and attitude. Not being black myself, I found some of the terminology difficult to understand, and couldn't quite understand why the characters would think the way they did . . . for instance, when Naomi was on "Wheel of Fortune" she said that she had to win because if she didn't it would be a reflection on black people everywhere.



There were a lot of characters in the book; so many that they had to have an index for who's who. I found it difficult to keep track of them. The characters' voices were distinctive, but there were several incidents of author intrusion throughout the book. Discussion questions are included at the end. $12.99. 333 pages.



Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

August 2005

ISBN: 0-7642-2886-2

Genre: Inspirational/contemporary women's fiction



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Not normally a historical fiction reader, nor aware of
Christian fiction yet, I became an instant fan of
Sharon Ewell Foster after reading her award-winning
debut novel Passing by Samaria. The second novel Ain't
No River was a laugh out loud contemporary read that
sealed Foster as one of my favorite authors. Last year
I was delighted to read Ain't No Mountain as Foster
introduced several new colorful characters and brought
back a few from Ain't No River. Who knew a trilogy was
in the works!

In Ain't No Valley, Foster introduces a few new
characters and brings together several characters from
the previous two novels. With a contemporary setting,
readers will recognize a few biblical stories like
Ruth, the prodigal son, and the wedding feast. How
does Foster manage to bring so many characters
together? Well, a California wedding creates the
perfect event.

In Ain't No Mountain, Moor and Mary met via an online
internet service. The couple falls in love and with
few resources, they call on family and friends to help
them put together their special day. Mary calls on her
best friends Latrice, Thelma and Naomi to be
bridesmaid. Naomi unfortunately is going through a
crisis and seems to have lost it according to her
friends.

Naomi is not the only one going through a crisis.
Foster introduces a new character named Anthony,
Moor's friend and former co-worker. Like Naomi,
Anthony finds himself jobless and at the crossroads of
his life. In the midst of the chaotic wedding
preparations, Naomi and Anthony seem oblivious. They
are not oblivious to the odd, but God-loving people
who have become apart of their lives. While way
outside their comfort zones, both of them make life
changing decisions.

As the wedding date draws closer, the apprehension
builds. The bulk of the wedding preparations are
taking place in North Carolina where MeeMaw (Ain't No
River) is designing an elaborate wedding dress for
Mary. An unlikely person is preparing the wedding cake
to the horror of many and the travel arrangements seem
to go down hill as the choice of transportation
becomes a yellow school bus. The cross country ride
from North Carolina to California is no doubt the most
memorable and laugh-out loud reading I have done all
year.

[...], Wow! There is so much going on in
this novel. It is truly an incredible reading
experience. Always weaving in God's word without being
preachy, Ain't No Valley is a must read especially if
you read the previous two books, Ain't No River and
Ain't No Mountain. I'm sure anyone can pick up with
reading Ain't No Valley without having read the first
two. Foster does a great job of tying in how everyone
fits into the story. If you have read the other two,
reading this novel will make you feel like you are
reuniting with family and friends.

--Tyora Moody

Set against the backdrop of San Francisco, Sharon Ewell Foster's latest novel, Ain't No Valley, reacquaints readers with characters from the first novel in this series (Ain't No Mountain) and introduces fans to new ones.

As Mary and Moor prepare for their upcoming nuptials, and have their hands full with planning for their new life together, chaos and confusion run amuck with family and friends near and afar. Greatest challenges seem to center around:
--Girlfriend Norma, an established dentist, who resigns from her promising dental practice to follow her dream of appearing on the Wheel of Fortune. Since she does not have a job to return to in Baltimore, and her personal life is not going the way she envisioned, she throws caution to the wind while thinking about skipping the wedding and starting a new life in California.
--Moor's new `best friend', Anthony, works at the bank which transferred Moor to the West Coast. Anthony has been a mentor to Moor, but when Anthony is downsized and loses his job and his significant other as well, he questions whether or not he has the energy or the spirit to be Anthony's best friend more or less best man. Anthony has always been a Sly Stone fan so when he hears that Sly's brother pastors a church in the Bay Area he takes off in hopes that he might spot Sly at one of the Sunday morning services, Wednesday evening bible studies, Tuesday afternoon prayer service or maybe in the men's room. Anthony is determined to find his idol for the inspiration he needs to jumpstart his music muse.
Ewell takes us on a mystical journey with Norma and Anthony in their quest for answers and resolution.Both are two lost souls in search of self, love, and peace-but a little spirituality might also help each of them out of their valleys.

Filled with quirky and eclectic characters, witty dialogue, vivid imagery and God's word, Foster's latest read is entertaining and engaging. At times, the reading experience was slowed down by a few too many characters, messages that were a little preachy, and various sub-plots were difficult to follow. However,if fans of Christian Fiction and Ewell are willing to overlook these concerns, and stick with the storyline, they will find that growth does occur in the valley for the characters and that Foster has a wonderful message to impart to believers. Looking for a good read for a relaxing summer day, check out Ain't No Valley as it might lift your spirits.


Yasmin
APOOO BookClub

I am a fan of Sharon Ewell Foster. She has continued the characters from Ain't no Mountain. Great Story, if you are a fan you will definitely enjoy this one too. As with her other stories, there is a spiritual/healing message in the story.

Bishop Jakes refers to Ain't No Valley author, Sharon Ewell Foster, as a Picasso of the pen and I agree wholeheartedly. In fact the Foster intertwines and weaves the stories of each character together is reminiscent of watching an artist create a painting. I couldn't put it down!

Complete with twists, turns and vivid descriptions that breathe life into the words, Ain't No Valley is a delightful tale that brings home the message of faith. Through the book we learn that just because things don't go as we planned, they always go according to the Planner.

Treat yourself this summer. Pick up a copy of Ain't No Valley and enjoy!

Bishop Jakes refers to Ain't No Valley author, Sharon Ewell Foster, as a Picasso of the pen and I agree wholeheartedly. In fact the Foster intertwines and weaves the stories of each character together is reminiscent of watching an artist create a painting. I couldn't put it down!

Complete with twists, turns and vivid descriptions that breathe life into the words, Ain't No Valley is a delightful tale that brings home the message of faith. Through the book we learn that even when things don't go as we planned, they always go according to the Planner.

Treat yourself this summer. Pick up a copy of Ain't No Valley and enjoy!

Not normally a historical fiction reader, nor aware of Christian fiction yet, I became an instant fan of Sharon Ewell Foster after reading her award-winning debut novel Passing by Samaria. The second novel Ain't No River was a laugh out loud contemporary read that sealed Foster as one of my favorite authors. Last year I was delighted to read Ain't No Mountain as Foster introduced several new colorful characters and brought back a few from Ain't No River. Who knew a trilogy was in the works!

In Ain't No Valley, Foster introduces a few new characters and brings together several characters from the previous two novels. With a contemporary setting, readers will recognize a few biblical stories like Ruth, the prodigal son, and the wedding feast. How does Foster manage to bring so many characters together? Well, a California wedding creates the perfect event.

In Ain't No Mountain, Moor and Mary met via an online internet service. The couple falls in love and with few resources, they call on family and friends to help them put together their special day. Mary calls on her best friends Latrice, Thelma and Naomi to be bridesmaid. Naomi unfortunately is going through a crisis and seems to have lost it according to her friends.

Naomi is not the only one going through a crisis. Foster introduces a new character named Anthony, Moor's friend and former co-worker. Like Naomi, Anthony finds himself jobless and at the crossroads of his life. In the midst of the chaotic wedding preparations, Naomi and Anthony seem oblivious. They are not oblivious to the odd, but God-loving people who have become apart of their lives. While way outside their comfort zones, both of them make life changing decisions.

As the wedding date draws closer, the apprehension builds. The bulk of the wedding preparations are taking place in North Carolina where MeeMaw (Ain't No River) is designing an elaborate wedding dress for Mary. An unlikely person is preparing the wedding cake to the horror of many and the travel arrangements seem to go down hill as the choice of transportation becomes a yellow school bus. The cross country ride from North Carolina to California is no doubt the most memorable and laugh-out loud reading I have done all year.

Wow! There is so much going on in this novel. It is truly an incredible reading experience. Always weaving in God's word without being preachy, Ain't No Valley is a must read especially if you read the previous two books, Ain't No River and Ain't No Mountain. I'm sure anyone can pick up with reading Ain't No Valley without having read the first two. Foster does a great job of tying in how everyone fits into the story. If you have read the other two, reading this novel will make you feel like you are reuniting with family and friends.