5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Faith is the Substance of Things Hoped For, June 17, 2006
This review is from: Have a Little Faith (Paperback)
Four renowned authors meet in an inspirational romance anthology in Have a Little Faith. The four stories showcased include Signs of Light by Jacquelin Thomas; Faith Will Overcome by ReShonda Tate Billingsley; Maybelline by J.D. Mason and Survival Instincts by Sandra Kitt. The stories are light hearted yet present words of wisdom and lessons learned without being overly preachy, thus the label Inspirational rather than Christian Fiction.
In Signs of Light, Lorna Hamilton, owner of a gourmet bakery, who is continually frustrated by the string of welfare recipients who come into her establishment which happens to be near the local Social Services department. In Lorna's mind, these young women are lazy, don't want to work and sit around having babies on the county. The fact that she cannot have children weighs heavily on her mind as her relationship with Walter Reynolds becomes more serious. One day a young woman, Brittany, comes into the bakery with her three year-old son, Kendall and asks to pay for her son's birthday cake with food stamps. Lorna is at first antagonistic and judgmental but Little Kendall's sweet ways and sickly appearance tears at her heart strings. Lorna learns that what seems to be is not always so.
Faith Will Overcome finds Faith, a young woman who constantly makes poor choices when it comes to men, was this reviewer's favorite. A local college basketball star has disrespected her and humiliated her in public. Faith thought Xavier was the one. But then Faith thinks every man that comes across her path is the one, even the married deacon she had been having rendezvous' with in cheap motels. Faith has dreams of owning her own hair salon but feels she is stuck in Beaumont, Texas working as a housekeeper in a second rate motel. Darius Williams is the epitome of a gentleman and a Christian young man but it is hard for Faith with her low self-esteem, to believe that he could possible care about her. Darius sees a young woman who needs to learn to love herself.
Olivia Phillips feels her life is over when she loses one of her breasts to cancer in Maybelline. She drove her boyfriend, Quinton, away and is living a miserable existence. Her only pleasure is going to a local jazz club where the proprietor, Nate, plays his horn and sets an atmosphere of peace and calm. But even that is not enough to keep Olivia from trying to harm herself when her despair becomes overwhelming. But in steps an angel, Maybelline, in the guise of a funny looking wig, gold teeth and a bodacious personality, something right out of a cartoon who intrudes in Olivia's life with her home-made pies. Olivia wants no part of Maybelline but soon learns she is not in control.
In Survival Instincts, Lynn Hayes is a librarian in a library slated to be torn down in one of the worst areas in of the city of New York. She is dedicated to the clientele there who she feels need the services. Walking to the bus stop late one evening she is attacked, her purse stolen and about to be raped when reporter Davis Manning happens by and scares off the attackers; but not before he is shot. Davis recovers quickly from his superficial wounds but while Lynn is forgiving of the young men he is bitter and wants them to pay for their deeds. Lynn, who was divorced by her husband because she could not have children, feels that the young men, especially one in particular is worth saving and refuses to give up on him. Can two people with such divergent views come to a happy medium?
These stories are recommended to those who enjoy inspirational reads with a romantic bent.
Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub
www.apooo.org
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved It!, July 4, 2006
This review is from: Have a Little Faith (Paperback)
I really liked this book; took it on my cruise and really enjoyed them. I felt the lady in the first story was a bit snobbish; I understand that you should hold your own, but how can you if you cannot get the resources you need to make it? When I got to the end of that story, I was truly inspired; The second story made me feel that love is still attainable despite of mistakes you made in the past.the third story lets you know that you can receive hope after an illness and the fourth just kept hope alive; Good book; really enjoyed it;
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
great Faithful Companion, July 19, 2006
This review is from: Have a Little Faith (Paperback)
Have a Little Faith is a four short-story compilation about faith, love and forgiveness. In (Thomas)Signs of Light gourmet bakery owner, Lorna Hamilton fears that she will never have the family of her heart's desire. But when she meets a single mother and her son, Brittany and Kendall, she realizes that the only things hindering her from having what she wants are her own prejudices and her lack of faith. In Billingsley's Faith will Overcome Faith Logan must overcome condemnation and a self-defeatist attitude, if she's ever going to get out of her dead-end job at the Super 8 Motel and leave Beaumont, Texas, a hometown that is suffocating her ambitions to own her own beauty salon. She doesn't realize her worth until she meets a man, who implores her to take back her life through God. In Maybelline(Mason)Olivia Phillips has overcome breast cancer, but not self-loathing. When she befriends noisy neighbor and busybody, Maybelline she surrenders to the possibility of a new life and embraces the love of a man who sees her for who God made her to be. In Survival Instincts(Kitt) Investigative reporter Davis Manning saves Librarian Lynette Hayes life. But-- surprisingly--Lynette's faith saves Davis' soul.
Lorna's dismissal of disenfranchised persons was realistic and the way she manifested God through Lorna's change was well written. Billingsley's story albeit reminiscent of Elect Rome Parks Almost Doesn't Count has a refreshing ending that follows Christian orthodoxy and is a great resolution for young readers. Mason's Maybelline has a twist that is a testimonial treat.
Survival Instincts is a nice and realistic conversion story. All stories blend together well and buttress the anthology's title. However, only two reinforces the point that woman shouldn't define themselves by maternity or husbandry, but by their faith.
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