Faith's Reckoning, page 35
“OK. I am going to steal Nora away from Louise. See you for lunch later?”
“Definitely.”
Sylvia walked back through the woods and this time headed south along the levee until she came to the path leading to the banks of the Mississippi river. When she got there she gazed out at the roiling water; the silt below churned into a muddy soup. She thought about Faith, whose ashes lay downstream somewhere, slowly making their way to the sea. She thought about Joe, their years together receding. She wondered if she would ever meet her son. And now her life’s work seemed to be turning in a new direction.
She saw the power of the current that swept the river along, then felt herself inside the current; the river never worrying about where it was going, changing course according to the conditions at hand, its destination never in question. Something in her let go and the feeling was exhilarating, this not knowing. Like Huck on the river, trusting the currents and his own heart. She walked home more briskly than she had set out.
When she got back to Tent City she waved to Louise, who was talking to the folks at the neighboring campsite. She had an idea on the walk back from the river, something she wanted to do before reading the letter. Sylvia slipped into the Airstream and found her briefcase. Reaching inside, she pulled out the airline tickets to Rome that Faith had left her. Taking an envelope from the front of the briefcase, she wrote “For Nora’s Tour” on it. She tucked the tickets inside and decided she would slip the envelope into their trailer when they were gone later this afternoon.
Then she took the letter from the Home of the Holy Infancy from her briefcase and opened it. She unfolded the single sheet of paper and read:
Dear Ms. Barbarino,
I am writing to inform you that the adoptive parents of your son have agreed to forward your contact information to him. They made it clear that it was his decision as to whether to reply to you and they would not influence him either way. They want you to know that he is well, achieving great success in his chosen career. And that he has been the greatest blessing of their lives.
Sincerely,
Francis McPhail, Director, Home of the Holy Infancy
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Historical fiction is equal parts imagination and research. I am indebted to these authors who combine meticulous investigation with a storyteller’s voice, making their books as evocative as the best novel: Larry Tye, Rising from the Rails, Owl Books, 2004 was the primary source for the history of the Pullman Porters; David M. Kennedy, Freedom from Fear, Oxford University Press, 2004 for the history of the Depression, Roosevelt administration and WWII; John Hubner, Last Chance in Texas, Random House, 2005 for the history of the Texas Giddings School.
Additional resources of historical fact included: Adam Fairclough, A Class of Their Own, Belknap Press, 2007; Henry Hampton, Steve Fayer, with Sarah Flynn, Voices of Freedom, Bantam Books, 1990 companion book to Eyes on the Prize, Blackside Productions; and Robin D.G. Kelley and Earl Lewis, editors, To Make Our World Anew, Oxford University Press, 2000.
Books that helped me develop a deeper understanding of the personal experience of racism, along with a recognition that as a white woman, there are inherent limitations in my understanding included: W.E.B DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk, A.C. McClurg and Co., 1903; Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me, Penguin Random House, 2015; and Robin DiAngelo, White Fragility, Beacon Press, 2018.
There are so many people to thank personally. I am especially grateful to Lucinda Herring for her thoughtful and beautifully written review of my book. And to Russ Lockhart, PhD and Tad Crawford for their considered comments about the novel. Thank you to Gary Kelley for his exquisite and soulful illustration for the book cover. My author’s platform www.babsmallpublications.com and the book’s beautiful design would have been impossible without the extraordinary graphic and web design skills of Jeanne M. Juneau. I am deeply touched by Jerry Wennstorm’s generosity in sharing his artwork for my blog and for introducing me to his agent Joe Kulin. I cannot express what a privilege it was to work with Joe during 2022. He guided me through the landscape of traditional publishing and elicited comments from acquisition editors that brought needed revisions to the manuscript. And he always believed in the quality of the book.
I want to thank my writing partner, Betsy MacGregor; and readers of the initial version of my book, Chris Holder, Justin Bailey, Heather Ogilvy and Dee Bailey. I am most grateful to A.T. Birmingham-Young for her professional editing of the original draft, which vastly improved the book. Thanks to Leslie Cotter, who joined me for that initial writing exercise that hatched the first words of this story, to Sue Keblusek who helped find the title and to Lynn and Bev and so many others for your friendship and support on this journey.
But above all, I want to thank Susan Scott, soul partner, creative midwife, editor extraordinaire, and fellow keeper of the story. Thank you for seeing the writer in me.
About the Author
Photo by Susan S. Scott
Babs Small is a retired pediatric hematologist/oncologist who has been published academically. This is her first novel. She lives on Whidbey Island, Washington with her partner, Susan, and dog/friend, Jasmine (Jazz). Jazz was named for her fictional counterpart in Faith’s Reckoning.
Contact: www.Babsmallpublications.com/contact
Barbara Small, Faith's Reckoning
