That Faith, That Trust, That Love: A Novel (Strivers Row) [Paperback]

Jamellah Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Series: Strivers Row | Publication Date: April 8, 2003

2002 Gold Pen award winner for Best Christian Fiction

Marley Shepherd should be on top of the world—she’s a lawyer at a prestigious law firm and engaged to marry the crown prince of Atlanta black society. But soon she begins to see that her life—and her fiancé—are not as perfect as she thought. Marley seeks comfort in her mother and grandmother, but they are too consumed with anger at each other, and too blinded by their past, to save Marley from the disaster that will turn her life—and theirs—upside down. Then Marley has a spiritual awakening . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ellis's heartfelt but predictable debut follows 31-year-old Marley Shepherd, a Spelman graduate and attorney with a major Atlanta law firm, who is about to marry Gerrard Shore, the favorite son of one of the city's prominent developers. Atlanta's black elite believes that Gerrard, who also works in real estate development, is quite a catch, and their parents toast the handsome pair as "the couple of the century." Yet Marley is plagued with doubts about Gerrard, who calls her "my earth" but spends very little time with her, saying that business comes first. These doubts are echoed by her down-to-earth friend, Ashley, a kindergarten teacher, and her wise, no-nonsense grandmother, Ma Grand. Marley, haunted by her own parents' divorce, fears a loveless marriage but feels paralyzed-part of her is still swooning over Gerrard like a schoolgirl, and besides, the wedding means so much to her striving mother. Marley's faith in Gerrard, in herself and in God is tested by her mother's diagnosis of cancer and by her friendship with Lazarus Jacobs, rising businessman and member of Gilead's Balm Church. Readers will be able to see the moral coming from miles-or hundreds of pages-away, and the novel is further marred by stock characters and some stilted dialogue (says Ashley of her students, "It's such a mutually beneficial relationship because I get to teach them what they need to know and their innocent little spirits lighten my heart"). Ellis writes with warmth and earnestness, however, and readers will identify with Marley's dilemma. Those willing to indulge the novel's artistic shortcomings will find a strong affirmation of religious faith, simplicity and sincerity.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This faith-based novel, previously self-published, is about nurturing belief in God and building love and trust within your family. Marley Shepard is on the fast track to success. She is a Spelman College graduate, an attorney at a prestigious firm, and engaged to one of Atlanta's favorite sons. In spite of all that is good in her life, she has nagging doubts about her relationship. She is very close to her mother and grandmother. Even when they battle over past hurts, they love and need each other. After discussing her troubles with an older coworker, she agrees to attend church. After the service, she is introduced to the handsome Lazarus. When she finally realizes that she should not get married, she and Lazarus begin to spend time with one another and develop a strong friendship. Then her mother becomes ill, and she must rely on her faith for her own peace of mind and for her mother's recovery. Throughout all of her indecision, doubt, pain, and joy, she finds true comfort in her spirituality. Lillian Lewis
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Villard; 1 edition (April 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812966562
• ISBN-13: 978-0812966565
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,959,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly A Blessing, August 6, 2001

By 

Maurice M. Gray, Jr. (New Castle, DE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: That Faith, That Trust, That Love (Paperback)

Jamellah Ellis has hit the ground running with her debut novel That Faith, That Trust, That Love. Her comfortable writing style will make you want to laugh, cry and call a friend to recommend that they read it, all at the same time.

Ellis deftly weaves together the stories of three generations of African-American women, each dealing with the same issues in their different ways. From Ma Grand's "never let 'em see you sweat" demeanor to Pam's "put on a happy face" attitude to Marley's determination to live life to the fullest but by her own rules, Ellis shows us that only God can bring true happiness, not the things we do or say to try and find it.

Unlike some "sistagirl" books on the market, Ellis' male characters are vivid and true to life, showing the good, the bad and the ugly. Her female supporting characters (Marley's sistergirls Ashley, Deanna and Lynne) are strong enough to each carry a book by themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I for one would love to see a sequel!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, June 20, 2001

By 

K. Hines "Butta Baby" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: That Faith, That Trust, That Love (Paperback)

Jamellah Ellis has raised the bar on African-American Christian fiction with her powerful and poignant debut, That Faith, That Trust, That Love. This novel has it all: laugh-out-loud humor, gripping drama, familial struggles, true-to-life characters and situations, and prose that dances off the page and dares the reader not to take note. And all the while God and His Son Jesus Christ are glorified in the process. Hallelujah!

I am so proud of Jamellah that she is walking in her life's purpose and sharing her talent with the world. She is a literary icon in the making and That Faith, That Trust, That Love is the first of many novels to prove it. If you know like I know, you'll get this book quick, fast, and in a hurry. Don't block the blessing!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Debut Novel!, August 13, 2001

By 

Yasmin Coleman (PENNSYLVANIA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: That Faith, That Trust, That Love (Paperback)

That Faith, That Trust, That Love by Jamellah Ellis is an excellent debut novel and a wonderful addition to the Christian Fiction genre.

Marley Shepherd appears to have it all...good looks, a wonderful fiancee, and a great job as an attorney at a prestigious law firm. So what's wrong with the scenario that follows? As the story opens, An extravagant party is being held to announce Marley's engagement to Gerrard Shore, the son of one of Atlanta's prominent African-American families. With more than 200 family and friends present to celebrate the occasion why does Marley feel unhappy? And, why, only two weeks after the engagement party, is the "happy" couple meeting with a relationship counselor to determine what's wrong with this relationship? (Hmm...sounds like disaster ready to happen. Run quick. Forget about marrying Gerrard Shore because he's not as perfect as he appears to be.) Feeling disillusioned and downcast, Marley seeks advice and solace from her mom, Pam and her grandmother, Ma Grand. Unfortunately when these two women aren't busy sparring with each other, they're embattled in their own bitter world of turmoil and are not the role models that one would seek when it comes to matters of the heart.

When Marley's family and friends suggest that Marley try attending church to strengthen her walk with God she initially shies away as she remembers the hypocrisy of the churches that she's attended in the past. It seemed that all of the churches that she visited previously were so busy being about everything except God and as such it had caused her to lose faith in the institution as a whole. So when Marley was invited by her secretary, Evelyn, to attend Gilead's Balm, a relatively small church,Marley was surprised when she found herself being inspired by the message and longing for a personal relationship with God.

Ellis shows that Marley will still encounter trials and tribulations, however her faith, trust and love in God will help her to walk by faith and not by sight when the storms of life come her way. As Marley begins and continues in a closer walk with God, and her spiritually increases, others are able to see the positive changes in Marley's life. Marley's faith and her trust in God will be tested immensely as she shares a life threatening situation with her mom and realizes that the only person she can truly rely on is God.

Jamellah Ellis has written an heart-warming and emotionally rich novel. It was compelling, engrossing and uplifting without being preachy. I enjoyed that the focus was on the Word of God versus just a sermon of a bunch of clichés which don't mean anything the moment the service is over. Ellis realistically portrayed real life folks, with real life situations making real life decisions. That Faith...is a refreshing change of pace and a reminder that no matter what happens in our life it is our faith, our trust and our love of God which will help us have victory in our lives. Ellis has written one of the best books I've read in the Christian Fiction genre. I wish Ms. Ellis many blessings in her future endeavors and look forward to future books from this talented author.