Ain’t No Valley

By Reyna Gaar

Author: Sharon Ewell Foster

Shades of brighter days: Grooving to the sounds of Sly and the Family Stone, sunset weddings on a beach and California dreaming. Author Sharon Ewell Foster sets the vibe in her sixth and latest novel, Ain’t No Valley (Bethany House).

Ain’t No Valley is the third installment in Foster’s series, which includes Ain’t No River and Ain’t No Mountain, both of which I enjoyed immensely. It is, perhaps, the last as she invites characters from each of the previous works to the wedding of Mary and Moor (Ain’t No Mountain) in sunny California. The sojourn is one of comedic mishaps and divine providence, loosely based on Jesus’ parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22) and the book of Ruth.

Driving the storyline are Naomi, a dentist and Anthony the Buppie (black urban professional) banker. Naomi has lost custody of her two children and in desperate need of a profound change. She is led from a hectic, chaotic lifestyle in Baltimore to laid-back California where she meets Ruth and learns about God the loving provider. Anthony is downsized out of his high-powered job and, in turn, loses his fine woman and hard-earned identity in one full swoop.

Ain’t No Valley signals a shift towards maturity in Black Christian literature. Foster chooses to focus on biblical parallels; themes that are relevant to our current culture and scenarios that cause us to think about what matters most. Missing, thankfully, are the titillating almost seductive elements now offered by novels that blur the fine line between secular and sacred in an effort to sell more books. The genre needed to grow up to a higher standard and Foster takes it there.

One of the most compelling storylines involves Anthony who sets out to explore his childhood fixation with the illusive Sly Stone, traveling the California coastline in search of Sly although he finds so much more. Foster offers an aerial view of black baby boomers and Gen-Xers negotiating their relationships with Jesus as they seek success in the world. Anthony isn’t a dropout; he’s any number of black men lost in a maze of material trappings, titles and merger relationships based on shallow desires. This character is real and consistent with Foster’s well-rounded, sensitive portrayals of Black men in her previous novels.

Ain’t No Valley is a great read. One minor exception is the crowding of characters from all three novels; it can be dizzying to keep up with them. It is recommended that Ain’t No River and Ain’t No Mountain be read to understand the importance of their inclusion. Most definitely, the characters serve a purpose in the plot.

The immortal words of Sly Stone best summarize the journey Foster and Ain’t No Valley endeavor to take us on: “(I just wanna) thank u for Faletineme Be Mice Elf Agin” or “thank you for letting me be myself again.” In a world that falsely advertises the importance of being and living like its icons; Ain’t No Valley clearly promotes returning home to the real you and to the very real and mighty God.