Ray of Hope

November 1, 2010
In Griggs's sassy inspirational tale, a feisty, smalltown 75-year-old grandmother takes in her two city-raised grandkids for a memorable summer. Things get off to a nutty start when Ma Ray pulls a gun on a foolish boy who breaks into her house to hang out with her 17-year-old granddaughter, Sahara. It's all good, though, as Griggs (The Truth Is the Light) shows how a strong kinship develops between Ma Ray, Sahara, and 15-year-old Crystal. With spotty cellphone reception and no high-speed Internet, the girls shell peas, can food, and meet some nice Christian boys, though Sahara's tempted by the local bad boy. There are enough tears, hugs, and lessons learned before summer's over to appease readers, young and adult, who like a good dose of faith with their fiction.