Aint No Mountain

Like all of Fosters books, one of the main strengths is the characterization. Youll be reading along, completely caught up in the story, and all of a sudden youll think of someone who acts just like this character or sounds just like that character. And most likely, youll chuckle, because Foster has a knack for injecting humor into her characterizations with such finesse and subtlety that it often sneaks up on you and catches you off guard.

The central characters in this book are Mary, a chaste, somewhat meek woman who undergoes a radical makeover at the insistence of friends who are determined to find her a man; Moor, an African prince (the setting for all this is Baltimore, by the way) whose American "fathers" --- elderly friends --- are equally determined to find him a wife; and Puddin, whose marriage is threatened by a secret that nearly tears her apart. Each is a fully developed, believable character. And Foster takes as much care with the peripheral characters --- friends, coworkers and family ---as she does in developing the main characters.

Each chapter focuses on a different character, alternating among the three central characters. This type of structure doesnt always work, but once again Foster shows her strength as a writer by doing it right. Actually, if Foster has a weakness, its not evident in the final product. Maybe she struggles with certain elements of writing, but if she does, she gets it worked out before the book is published --- which certainly isnt the case with all writers. Shes also one of the strongest dialogue writers among Christian novelists. Can you tell I really enjoy reading her books?

AINT NO MOUNTAIN tackles a fair number of issues, like sex outside of marriage and pornography --- and dating, a seemingly innocuous subject that is all but innocuous in Fosters hands. Any woman who has ever seriously dated --- and I mean dated --- will cringe at the memories evoked by Marys dates with Floyd and Reggie, two guys whose counterparts live in every city, every town, every neighborhood across the country. Thanks to Floyd, I may never eat ribs again, which brings up another point: Its a good idea to read this book on a full stomach, because food --- especially fried chicken --- plays a significant role. Its not just there as a tantalizing temptation; its actually central to one of the subplots.

As to the Christian content, Foster can get downright preachy, but somehow she gets by with it --- probably because of the skill with which she integrates that content into the story line. It never comes across as tagged on just to make the book appealing to Christian readers, but instead is carefully woven into the relevant scenes.

If youre new to Foster, theres no need to read any of her previous books first to enjoy this one. Fans of AINT NO RIVER will recognize several familiar characters in AINT NO MOUNTAIN, but this is not the kind of sequel that requires reading the books in order. No matter how you read them, Fosters books are always a delight.

--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford

There were times in this book when I laughed loud enough to wake my sleeping house (usually there a piece of chicken was flying somewhere). At other moments, I put the book down and smiled, nodding to myself. "Yeah." "Uh huh." "I know thats right." Before the book was done Id said all that and more out loud. For anyone who has good friends, nosy cousins and church members or just likes a good piece of chicken with tea and lemonade (mixed together of course), AINT NO MOUNTAIN is a trip up the rocky terrain of seeing ourselves as we really are, fragile humans in need of grace. Pick this up and enjoy the view at the top . . . and the truth it resonates at the bottom of your heart.

It was great to see a few flashes of Garvin and Meemaw from AINT NO RIVER as well. Much wisdom to be had here and more than a few laughs! Just have some chicken or ribs on hand! Youll want it before its over.