Reserve tickets online at or by calling the at 540-432-4168 by Oct. 26.

Inspired by actual events from her teenage years, Blue Hole Back Home explores the tensions and eventual violence that erupt in a small, all-white Appalachian town when a Sri Lankan family moves in. Ultimately, Blue Hole Back Home is a story not only of the devastating effects of racial hatred and cowardice, but more centrally, a celebration of courage, confrontation and healing, according to Jordan-Lake鈥檚 website.

Jordan-Lake has also authored Grit and Grace: Portraits of a Woman鈥檚 Life (Wheaton Library Series, 2000), Whitewashing Uncle Tom鈥檚 Cabin: Nineteenth-Century Women Novelists Respond to Stowe (Vanderbilt University Press, 2005), and Why Jesus Makes Me Nervous: Ten Alarming Words of Faith (Paraclete Press, 2007).

After earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Furman University and a master鈥檚 from a theological seminary,聽 Jordan-Lake earned a master鈥檚 and a PhD in English literature from Tufts University, specializing in the role of race and religion in 19th century American fiction.

More information

Several of the author鈥檚 books will be available for purchase. A book signing and short question-and-answer session with the author will follow her reading. Sign-language interpretation is available upon request.

• General admission, $15
• 91短视频 students with meal plan, $5
• All other students, $7

The language and literature department at 91短视频 is sponsoring a presentation on race relations by award-winning author .

Dr. Jordan-Lake will speak 7 p.m. Thursday, Mar. 17, in Martin Chapel of the seminary building at 91短视频, drawing from her award-winning book, “Blue Hole Back Home: A Novel.”

Jordan-Lake is a professor at Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn. Her book won the 2009 national Christy Award for first novel and was selected as the 2009 Common Book for Baylor University, Waco, Tex. Inspired by actual events from her own teenage years, Jordan-Lake explores the tensions and eventual violence that erupt in a small, all-white Appalachian town when a Sri Lankan family moves in.

Ultimately, “Blue Hole Back Home” is a story not only of the devastating effects of racial hatred and cowardice, but more centrally, a celebration of courage, confrontation and healing. The book is increasingly being chosen as classroom and summer reading at various public and private high school, middle schools, colleges and universities.

After earning a bachelors degree from Furman University and a masters from a theological seminary, Jordan-Lake earned a masters and a PhD in English Literature from Tufts University, specializing in the role of race and religion in 19th century American fiction.

Her other writings include “Grit and Grace: Portraits of a Woman’s Life,” “Whitewashing Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Nineteenth-Century Women Novelists Respond to Stowe” and “Why Jesus Makes Me Nervous: Ten Alarming Words of Faith.”

Admission to the presentation is free.聽 For more information, contact Dr. Vi Dutcher, language and literature
department, at 540-432-4316.