Passing by Samaria by Sharon Ewell Foster

I think I’ll talk about Mississippi, about the Chicago Tribune, about W.E.B. Oh, yes! Passing by Samaria will include actual accounts, from 1919, of riots and African American troops serving in WWI. Oh no, not more history! No one wants to read about history. The story will include Christians who are murderers and non-Christian characters who are funny, charming, and lovable.ħ. Christian fiction is usually thought to be pretty tame, predictable, and idealistic-always showing Christians in the most positive light and 'heathens' as the bad guys.įabulous! I’ll include lots of adventure, controversy, and plot twists. Sales will cross gender, racial, and religious lines.Ħ.

There will be an African American on the cover, and I will expect that book will be bought by African-Americans.

My response: Pooh! Pooh! I’ll intentionally write for men, as well as, women…even for young people. Christian fiction readers are overwhelmingly white women, and they don’t buy books with African Americans on the cover. And I’ll expect that Christians and non-Christians alike will want to read my novel.ĥ. My response: If 'discovered,' I will have my book published by a Christian publishing house and pretty much ensure that my book will be catalogued as 'religious.' All kinds of people will run to buy a religious novel with references to God, gospel music, and Jesus. It is a genre only read by a set group of Christians. As a long-time Defense Department employee, though I am a Christian, I know nothing about the Christian fiction genre. My response: Great! I’ll write a book that confronts racism and classism-particularly among Christians.Ĥ. People are angry, frightened, and sick of talking about race.

My response: I’ll write a book that is full of faith, optimism, charm, and hope.ģ. Books with tragic endings make headlines and best seller lists. And while I’m at it, I’ll write without curse words. My response: Who cares? I’ll write a book with only a thread of romance but no explicit sex scenes no one will be able to keep the book in stock. So, I came up with a surefire 7-point plan.ġ. I wanted to write a novel that would sell millions and make me the darling of the literary world. A stirring novel by an exciting new writer, Passing by Samaria beautifully shows readers the path to truth, purpose, reconciliation, and joy. On the way she meets two men who will dramatically impact her life: James, a young African-American believer determined to establish a newspaper in Chicago, and Pearl, a man with questionable intentions. With thousands of other African-Americans, Angela begins making her way north to the Promised Land of turn-of-the-century Chicago. When the discovery of a schoolmate’s lynched body puts her own life in jeopardy, Angela is sent by her parents from her beloved Mississippi home. An inspirational read of racism, romance and religious conviction

Passing by Samaria by Sharon Ewell Foster