Into the Fire

Referred to by some as a “coming of age” story, Chasing Lilacs, the debut novel by Carla Stewart, tells this late 50’s story of family and friends from the eyes of 12 year old Sammie (Samantha) Tucker who lives in Graham Camp, “not even a dot on the map”. It’s an industrial housing community with close neighbors and friendly streets and incinerators set up near the homes to burn the garbage of its residents. Chasing Lilacs, published by FaithWords (a division of Hachette Book Group), concludes this week’s CFBA Tour.

Capturing the voice of a 12 year old girl circa 1958 in a small community located in the Panhandle of Texas is no small fete. Smart, pragmatic, and fairly typical, Sammie and her sometimes fickle girly-girl best friend Tuwana roam the neighborhood and put together their version of a local newspaper until Tuwana decides it’s childish and preparation to try out for cheerleading entering seventh grade seems far more important.

Sammie’s life takes a difficult sidetrack because her mother suffers from headaches and an apparent addiction to some pills before her father and doctor conclude she needs to visit a mental hospital for a short stint to attempt to help her overcome her “depression”. The vivid imaginations of a young girl who is ill-informed of such measures cover just about every horrid angle, and the fears which rise up in Sammie seem justified and create an uneasiness right from the start. The reader learns that Sammie’s mom has had trouble since a certain event in their lives. This circumstance caused all kinds of emotional doubts and insecurities within Sammie’s young and tender psyche. When her mother returns from the sanitarium, Sammie’s tension and sense of responsibility in keeping her mother well amp up when she views episodes of memory loss in her mother’s actions.

The pleasant and sometimes humorous addition of the 14 year old bad boy from California who invades the neighborhood when his dad drops him off to be reformed at his uncle’s gives a realistic feel to those days and times. Tuwana is beside herself to appeal to the new boy known as Cly, but he favors Sammie much to Tuwana’s dismay and pouty anger. The interactions between Cly and Sammie probably constitute my favorite parts of the story. (Big surprise, huh?) Sammie’s awkwardness and Cly’s bravado and sensitivity bring authenticity to youthful attractions and attachments.

Meeting Goldie and her parakeets provides a sympathetic and faithful woman to subtly guide Sammie’s thoughts and reactions to different events as they unfold with her mother. Along with the grandfatherly Slim who teaches Cly, Sammie, and Joe (Sammie’s dad) to play backgammon, this community seems like any other with its gossips, status seekers, hard workers, and troubled individuals.

When Aunt Vadine, Sammie’s mom’s sister, invades their household, life becomes a battle of wills with Sammie seeming to lose each skirmish.

This is not a story without pain and anguish, but it is a story of redemptive relationships triumphing over façades and wrong impressions. It’s a story of loss, a story of wilted faith, of suffering, of hope and overcoming tragic circumstances. Through the eyes of a young girl who turns 13 toward the end of the book, her emotional roller coaster in the face of huge sadness leads her to eventual resolution and a new perspective with the help of those she loves and who truly do love her.

The scent of lilacs wafts through the story reminding Sammie of the mom she loves in spite of all the hardship in their lives.

Nit-picky stuff: I thought there were a few insignificant things used in an expression or in product which weren’t around in 1958. Maybe they were, but since I was around in 1958, I thought they came later.

Secondly, I wouldn’t classify this as a “coming of age” story, but that’s just me. Carla Stewart’s Chasing Lilacs is a thoughtfully written novel with a potentially wide female audience—young adults could read this story on up to all ages—and it fits snugly into Women’s Fiction. A well done debut novel.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446556556 
    

Father, thank you for Carla and her heart for you. Please continue to bless her writing and all things done for your glory. Give her many stories, Lord, and the compelling urge to write them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.