Living in one of the most tumultuous decades of America's history, an eight-year-old African American girl experiences the anguish of real-life heartache: she loses her beloved father in the Vietnam War, endures the dissolution of her family, and faces the challenge of integration. Yet, through a wise and eccentric old woman, she also discovers the tenacity of joy. A powerful, eye-opening read!
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The author of the finely crafted Passing by Samaria (a Christy Award winner for best debut Christian novel) and the quirky, light romantic follow-up Ain't No River offers this disappointing attempt at portraying a young girl's life during the racial turmoil of the late 1960s. Eight-year-old Shirley doesn't know what will unhinge her mentally ill mother next small incidents like her brother not eating his peas or major disasters like her father departing for Vietnam. When Shirley's father is killed in action and her mother is hospitalized after a mysterious house fire, Shirley is shipped off to live with Mother Johnson, a spiritual counselor who wants to counteract the dark spiritual forces at work in Shirley's life. As the novel bounces between two time settings the 1960s and 1980s things become choppy. Characters are confusingly given similar names (Sheri and Shirley) or referred to in odd manners (Shirley's unnamed brother is called "the offender" and "the nonpea eater" repeatedly throughout six pages). There are long rambling passages of dialogue and contrived conversations to incorporate historical figures. The spiritual presence of a demonic dark angel, "Child Killer Shirley," weakens rather than enhances the continuity of the story. Sprinkled throughout, however, are a few nuggets of wisdom and snippets of the lovely writing for which Foster is known. Unfortunately, these do not compensate for the book's narrative flaws or deeply unsatisfying ending. Foster's loyal readers should hope for more of the clarity and enjoyable storytelling she is capable of in the promised sequel.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The Christy Award-winning Foster shifts between the 1960s and the 1980s to narrate the life of a young black woman named Shirley. As a little girl living in the North during the 1960s, Shirley wasn't exposed to the overt racism her peers in the South experienced daily. But when her father was killed in Vietnam, and her mother was committed to a mental institution, Shirley slipped between the cracks. Then Mother Johnson, a distant relative, came to take her home and fight for her spiritual salvation. Demonic forces, particularly one called "Child Killer Shirley," illustrate this battle for Shirley's soul, but the way they pop in and out of the plot is confusing. While still demonstrating Foster's excellence in providing a balanced look at people as individuals rather than groups, this novel is overshadowed by a dizzying plot that bounces back and forth between time and place and ends abruptly with a note that the story will continue in Passing into Light (no publication date given). Foster's fans will demand this title, but steer new readers to Passing by Samaria or Ain't No River for a better taste of Foster's talents.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
He Who Has an Ear,
By Teresa Poindexter (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Riding Through Shadows (Paperback)
When I read this book, I was suprised by the way Ms. Foster boldly approached spiritual matters. Keep in mind that this is a Christian book, written with Christian principals and understandings in mind. It's not at all surprising that some of the reviewers, in a nutshell, just didn't get it. Spiritual warfare is real and constant, and one who does not know or believe this may not realize the profoundness of this novel. It's kind of like how some people read the Bible for the wrong reasons (e.g. searching for fallicies, looking for something to argue about, etc.) and totally miss the point. I encourge people, Christians especially, to read this book looking for the message. See how well it lines up with the word, and look for rema. I promise it will be an enlightening experience. Before you read the book, or at least while you're reading it, study Ephesians 6, which lets us know how real spiritual warfare is. This book is a rare gem of literature, but make sure you read it with your eyes and ears open, if you know what I mean. "Let he who has an ear...."
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
ignore the editorial review,
By
This review is from: Riding Through Shadows (Paperback)
Just ignore the editorial review. This book is powerful. Here is a Christian novel that is not ashamed and not trying to be a weak imitation of something else. Ms. Foster deals with love, tragedy and spiritual warfare in a bold and ambitious way. I could not put this book down. By the time it was over it was four in the morning. Since I usually get up at five that's saying something about the quality of this book. Kimberley Lindsay Wilson, author of 11 Things Mama Should Have Told You About Men
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Behind the Shadows is Light,
By
This review is from: Riding Through Shadows (Paperback)
Riding through Shadows by Sharon Ewell Foster is a trimphant story of a young girl named Shirley who has to overcome many obstacles to have the childhood we all deserve.Shirley Jones is a carefree nine-year old who lives with her mother, father and her mother's two brothers (Big and Little Uncle). She likes to ride her bike around the neighborhood and is an excellent reader in school. Then tragedy strikes and after a series of events, Shirley finds herself in the care of Mother Johnson, a distant relative who lives in Texas. It is there that Shirley has to battle not only for her own life, but for the lives of the people she cares most about. Riding through Shadows was set in the 1960's in St. Louis, Illinois and Tyler, Texas. This novel highlights the differences in race relations between the North and South and the affects it can have on the psyche of a little girl, The story opens with an adult Shirley who thinks back on her childhood however we do not find out anything else about the adult Shirley. Shirley's childhood friend, Sheri, seems to be a pivotval character in the book yet she faces the same fate as now grown Shirley. It appears these characters will be revisted in the sequel Passing into Light. Even with these oversights, I was drawn into the story to learn what happens to Shirley. This novel is heavily based in Christian themes and teaching. It is an uplifting and inspirational read. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be reminded that the battle is not yours. Reviewed by Nicole
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