To Break an Hourglass

This coming of age novel parallels the lives of a young girl, Jemaline (Jem) Foster and her older neighbor Samantha Cunningham. From a young age Jem has been drawn to the mysterious and beautiful Sam, striving to learn more about her shrouded past. One day a stranger comes to small town Greenville, Alabama and the two women’s lives get turned upside down. They embark on a journey across the world, and as they pirate the coastal waters of Africa, Jem discovers more about the past of her mentor and experiences first hand the ravages and blessings of time. Jem begins to lead the life she had always dreamed about as a girl in small town Greenville, Alabama. Love, risk, danger, and high seas adventure dole out life’s lessons by the barrel. But when word comes to the two of a former slave trade boss at work again in Northern Africa, Jem and Samantha begin an all-out chase to save the kidnapped children from being forced into slavery. As they ride across the Sudanese plains the line separating their two lives slowly becomes indistinguishable. And, in the end, Jem must choose what life she will claim and who she will save.