A Fine White Dust

by Cynthia Rylant

Pete has always been religious and looking for salvation, so he easly falls under the mesmerizing influence of the Preacher Man who comes to town to lead a revival meeting. When the Precher Man invites Pete to join him on his mission, Pete can't say no, even if it means leaving behind his family, his best friend Rufus, and the home he loves. But during the long night he waits in vain for the Preacher Man--who has left town with a teenaged girl instead of Pete--he learns whom he can really depend on.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Religion, Middle Grade, Juvenile

106 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 1986

About the author

An author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and young adults as well as an author and author/illustrator of picture books for children, Cynthia Rylant is recognized as a gifted writer who has contributed memorably to several genres of juvenile literature. A prolific author who often bases her works on her own background, especially on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains, she is the creator of contemporary novels and historical fiction for young adults, middle-grade fiction and fantasy, lyrical prose poems, beginning readers, collections of short stories, volumes of poetry and verse, books of prayers and blessings, two autobiographies, and a biography of three well-known children's writers; several volumes of the author's fiction and picture books are published in series, including the popular "Henry and Mudge" easy readers about a small boy and his very large dog.

Rylant is perhaps most well known as a novelist. Characteristically, she portrays introspective, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers.

from bookrags.com

Reviews

[Fatma Al Zahraa Yehia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our souls in adolescence are so fragile that they could be easily crushed into fine white dust. That crush could be caused by first love, a broken friendship, a parent who let you down, or simply believing in a great meaning that has no real existence in our world.

I was watching Pete's infatuation with that fraud (The Preacher) and remembered all (The Preachers) who fooled me and a lot of my generation when we were young and naive. I remembered how we kept furiously defending them from anyone who would dare to doubt their intentions. I remembered my shock when I gradually started to know their ugly truth. I remembered how long it took to recover from that shock.

Cynthia Rylant-my dear favorite writer-has successfully and sweetly as usual showed us a concise yet thorough look into a week in a thirteen years old boy that left an unforgetful mark on his life.

Cynthia Rylant, I love you. Your writing is a meditation for me.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review compares two short, religious-themed middle grade novels from the 1980s: The Glory Girl by Betsy Byars and A Fine White Dust by Cynthia Rylant.

Plot

The Glory Girl is about a family of gospel singers, all of whom can carry a tune except for the main character, Anna. Poor Anna has a terrible voice and no rhythm, so whenever her family performs, she is relegated to the back of the room where she is expected to sell as many tape recordings of her family's music as she can. This arrangement, along with her father's generally unpleasant attitude, leave Anna feeling left out and lonely much of the time. This changes, however, when her Uncle Newt is suddenly paroled and sent home from prison. Though he initially doesn't show up to meet his family upon his release, Uncle Newt lingers on the edges of their lives, occasionally interacting with Anna, who finds in him a kindred spirit who understands her feelings of isolation. When her family is involved in a serious accident, Anna turns to Uncle Newt for help, hoping he might be able to rescue her family and also reclaim his own place in it.

A Fine White Dust is about a thirteen-year-old boy with a strong sense of religious fervor. Though his parents are not believers and his best friend is an atheist, Pete can't help but feel drawn to church, and to the Man, the preacher who comes to speak at the revival. From the moment Pete comes forward to be "saved," he feels an undying love for the Man, whom he credits with bringing him closer to Jesus. As his love for the Man grows, Pete decides he will go with him on the road to bring God's word to others, only to find that perhaps the preacher is not as wonderful - or as honest - as Pete has imagined him to be.

Each of these books has a compelling plot, and they both involve outsiders who are looking for an adult figure to help them feel a sense of belonging. While Pete's relationship to the preacher seems more likely than Anna's kinship with the uncle she barely sees, I was more comfortable reading about Anna and Uncle Newt than I was with Pete and the preacher, who makes me uneasy, mostly because of how Pete almost equates him with God. Both books are tightly plotted and very short, leaving little room for unnecessary events. Of the two, though, The Glory Girl is more outwardly exciting, while A Fine White Dust is more emotional and personal.

Characterization

Both Byars and Rylant are excellent at writing well-crafted and utterly credible characters. I think I felt more sympathy for Anna Glory, partly because she is a girl, but mostly because I could understand her longing to be a part of the family singing group. I didn't feel the same sense of understanding with Pete, as the kind of Christian worship he participates in is very far removed from what Catholics do (it reminded me of the film The Apostle) and I can't really understand his desire to participate in it. I did, however, believe fully in his desire to participate, and to be as close to the Man as possible because of the good feelings associated with his acceptance of Jesus at the revival. I felt bad for both characters, but Rylant does a better job of making me feel what her character feels even when I have never felt that way myself.

In terms of secondary characters, I think the strongest across both books is Pete's best friend, Rufus, who comes through for him time and again even when Pete hasn't been especially nice to him. There aren't a lot of scenes with Rufus, but what is written gives a really good sense of his role in Pete's life and of the close nature of their friendship. The accident-prone twins in the Glory family were also really appealing and their dialogue was funny and sounded like real brothers who both insult and defend each other in the same breath. But I also thought they were pretty similar to other boys in other Byars books.

Treatment of Religion

A Goodreads review of The Glory Girl suggests that Betsy Byars hates religious people. I didn't get that sense at all. Yes, the Glorys are religious, and their father seems to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder, but I didn't take that to mean he was zealous in a negative way or that the accident was a punishment or comeuppance from God meant to show the error of his ways. Rather, the book is about two things: the way disastrous events can change a family, and the way outside influences might help a misfit child realize there is more to life than the group where she doesn't quite fit. This book was much less about religion than it was about a family that happened to be religious.

A Fine White Dust deals entirely with religion, but again, not in a negative way. Even when the truth about the preacher comes to light (which, by the way, is not as dire as my attempts to avoid spoilers make it sound), Pete is able to distinguish between the failure of a man and the failure of God. Pete also becomes more willing to look with kindness and fairness upon those who don't share his faith after the events of this book. I actually though the story would make a great jumping-off point for discussing the ways people can manipulate belief in God to suit their own purposes, and for warning against false prophets.

Quality of Writing

The writing in both of these books is spare and concise, which I love, and I think this approach suited both stories really well. I am biased toward Betsy Byars, as I love so much of what she writes, but this was not her best book, and Rylant really writes beautifully as well. I especially like the way her story comes full circle, using the image of the fine white dust (the remains of a cross Pete has broken in anger) to show Pete's change of heart after his brief friendship with the preacher. I could definitely see the distinctive qualities that would lead a Newbery committee to recognize this book.

And the winner is...

It's close, but in this match-up, I think the winner is A Fine White Dust. The writing is really strong, the rise and fall of the story really lovely, and Pete's emotions come across really strongly. The Glory Girl is also really good, but I think A Fine White Dust has more depth and will stick with me longer.

This "book battle" review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely brief book that sort of expands in your head once you've read it. It's a deceptively simple story: Pete, a thirteen-year-old boy who is discovering his Christianity, meets and itinerant revival preacher, who sweeps him off his feet with his religious fervor. Pete decides to leave town secretly with the preacher, feeling called by God to carry out His work. While making this decision, Pete is forced to deal with his less religious parents, as well as with his openly atheist best friend, Rufus.

I thought the whole thing was carried out beautifully. The preacher's irresponsible behavior is treated as the dangerous actions of one man, not as an indictment of Christianity, so this isn't by any means an anti-religious book. Instead, it's about humanity, and one boy's growing and changing faith. I definitely think it deserved the Newbery Honor it received, although like many of the Newbery books, I think it's a fairly specific audience that is going to draw a lot from it the first time they read. I think it's the kind of book that will stick in one's head, though, as it's stuck in mine.

[Shelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went to the library today, and the book I wanted to pick up was already checked out. I had two young children with me, so I didn't want to wander the stacks aimlessly looking for a book to read. Instead I just headed down to the children's area. It was story time. I looked around the Newberry Award section halfheartedly and grabbed this one. I've been reading a lot of nonfiction lately, so I thought a good bit of juvenile lit would be good for me. This one was especially appealing because it was short (~100 pages) and it has a nice title. When will I learn to completely disregard titles????

I guess it had interesting moments, and I thought it left a lot open to interpretation. Some people probably think it's anti-religion, but I don't think that is necessarily the case. I just thought it was a little bit weird. The preacher seemed creepy to me, and I was almost expecting him to be a pedophile. I knew that could not be the case or it would be the most horrible book ever. (Read: young boy becomes enamored with a traveling preacher, runs away with him, and gets abused. This is not the plot of this book, just what the plot might end up being if the preacher really was a pedophile. See? It just doesn't work out to be a good plot line.) Even so, the preacher man seemed creepy and a little too interested in a thirteen year old boy.

Do I regret the 45 minutes I spent reading this book? Not really, but I'm still wondering why this book was a Newberry Honor winner.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pete goes to church as a child, but his parents don't. His best friend Rufus is an atheist. He goes to a revival and see a preacher man. The preacher man tells Pete he is saved, and the next day Pete finds him in town and talks to him for hours. Pete's parents don't seem very happy about his being saved, and Pete is obsessed with the preacher. The preacher meets Rufus and warns Pete not to be corrupted. Pete goes to another night of the revival and goes to get a soda with the preacher. The preacher asks Pete to come with him on his travels the next night.

The next day, Rufus comes over and finds out Pete is planning to leave with the preacher that night, and he doesn't think it's a good idea. Pete goes to meet the preacher, but he never shows up, and Rufus walks Pete home in the middle of the night. The next day, Rufus tells Pete the preacher left with a girl instead of him. Pete has a really hard time with it, but eventually he and Rufus are friends again.

Our family really enjoys other books by Cynthia Rylant, like the Poppleton, Mr. Putter & Tabby, and Henry and Mudge series, but I really, really did not like this book. This is not what Jesus and Christianity are about. God's relationship with you is not based upon how you feel. Our lives are full of ups and downs, good times and bad times, and in all those ups and downs God is a constant. He stays the same. Our relationship with him is based upon what he did for us, which is sending Jesus to save us from our sins. And that always stays the same, no matter what we are going through or how we feel.

But this author portrayed Christianity as something you feel, and the preacher made Christianity all about himself and how he was saving people. That is not accurate. But I think unfortunately there are people who are like what was portrayed in the book, and that tends to turn people away from God.

[Sara Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Fine White Dust follows our main character Pete who has devoted himself to God and to church since a very early age even though he doesn't necessarily come from a religious family. One day his whole life insight change when a man he calls 'Preacher Man' arrives in his town.

The story is very brief and certainly never gets to the core.
Personally, I had no clue what the story would hold when I got to it but it seemed to me as it was mostly, very flat.
The execution was supposed to contain some higher moral about how to treat life but after stumbling upon the last couple pages, my reaction was a mere 'meh' because honestly, not much can be said about it at all.
I would have wished the family connection had been further explored and also the friendship aspect.

Nevertheless, the writing is very beautiful and engaging, and I might pick something up by the author again.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adolescent Pete falls under the spell of a charismatic traveling evangelist, who is in town for a week of revival meetings. Pete so admires and reverences the man, that when he asks Pete to join him in his travels, Pete excitedly agrees. On the last night of revival, Pete awaits for Preacher Man to meet him at the appointed time and palce, but the evangelist never shows up. Pete suffers great pain and rejection, but he also learns valuable lessons about true friendship and loyalty.

[Shella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was so short, it is difficult to review without spoilers. It hit a personal chord for me on many levels. I went to church on my own without my parents until 9th grade. Vacation Bible school holds some of my fondest early childhood memories. I was baptized before both of my parents. My parents had southern parents and I think were turned off to church as children- went to one similar to the church in this book. So the part where he is going to church without parents really brought back some memories for me. I also lived in the South for a few years and visited my grandmother that lived in the South. I remember visiting my Great Uncle and going to his "singings." This was the only time I have ever enjoyed any church music. I remember the alter calls and being so confused. Later as an adult I went to a revival and the description in the book is rather accurate. The emotions evoked are quite high. I was never very comfortable always wondering if the emotions evoked in the church community were falsely hyped. I never witnessed much discipleship after all these alter calls and seemed people were too focused on the number supposedly "saved." When I expressed this along with questioning why it was okay to have a baby shower for an unwed high up church member's granddaughter at church but at the same time vilify people living a gay lifestyle- well you can see I did not fit into southern church culture very well. I did not come away with the feeling that the author is against religion or God. I think she is shining a light on hypocrisy in religion and church culture. I struggle with this today. I am thankful that the protagonist did not drop his faith at the end of the story, but realizes God puts amazing people in your life even if they do not fit the round peg of church. I like the line that said he realizes he needs God but maybe not church (in the sense of how this church was being run- not church forever). I could really feel the main character's despair when he found out about "the preacher man." It made me think of Hillsong Church. The feelings that were strong along with the POV and how the story was told won it a Newbery Honor.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book served as a wonderful distraction during several of my recent exercise sessions on the treadmill (and I needed the distraction, believe me). I picked up this audiobook on a whim at the Green Valley Book Fair (http://www.gvbookfair.com) several years ago. It is a well-deserved Newbery Honor Book. The protagonist in the book is an 11-year-old boy named Pete who becomes totally enamored with a traveling evangelist who comes through their town one summer. The Man ends up inviting Pete to leave everything he knows and run away with him to continue the business of "saving" souls. Will Pete go? Should he go? I’ll let you read the book to find out the answer for yourselves. My husband and I both love this young adult novel. Being from the South, (which is the setting of the book), we recognize the characters. It makes us both feel as if we’re on familiar, if not holy, ground. However, I think the subject matter and some of what could be insinuated into the motivation for some of The Man's behavior might make the novel more appropriate material for high school students as opposed to those in Junior High.

On another note, I do recommend listening to the audiobook version of this novel if you can find it. Keith Nobbs does a wonderful job handling the narrative.

[Christopher McQuain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book broke my heart and opened my eyes to several things (myself, the World, "life") when I read it as a youngster. Surprisingly, what I thought would be a sentimental or even bemused revisit (part of a little detour into my reading past) shows it to retain that power.... It's a book meant for children, and would be highly recommended by me to any kid old enough to handle it. But it works no matter when you read it. I did happen to read it as a child, though, as I mentioned, and it may have been the first time ever that I realized -- without being able to articulate it, but being made to feel it by Rylant's lean, plain, delicately emphatic first-person prose; stripped-down narrative; and wary, clear-eyed humanism -- that in art, "simple" absolutely does not necessarily mean "simplistic." It's as if the spirit of a Dardennes film, well before such a thing existed, found me at age 11 in the form of this indelible little book (really a novella more than a novel), which made a mark on me so deep that it's decidedly still there.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryland does a great job telling a compelling story in little over 100 pages. The subject of religion and revivals (and how our faith is sometimes affected by the people we meet) would certainly make for good discussion. I have to admit, though, that I was creeped out by the main character's obsession with the evangelical preacher. It was like he, at 13, was in love with Preacher Man. Somehow, fire and brimstone mixed with the hint of homosexuality hit a little too close to home here in the South for me!

[Thomas Bell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was okay, but it kind of made me sick for the first bit. The theme seems to be, at first, that being religious is crazy. It seems that all the best characters in the book just plain aren't religious. It got better a little at the end, and I am glad that the boy didn't lose his faith because of the example of the Preacher Man. But still, he loses his religiosity - his fervor. Oh, well. It seems to me that the author really doesn't understand herself those who are religious.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit predictable, but generally good.

[Anne Whiting · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book. The rambling style, the faith portrayed, the way a book can keep you intrigued until the end. Yet I only gave it three stars. The reason is that I didn't like the beginning of the ending (the third to last chapter, specifically). Betrayal is real; the entire situation stank from the start. And yet... I didn't want the revivalist to be the bad guy. Fragile? Human? Flawed? Sure. But he wasn't just flawed or human; he was all passion, no backbone, and no real faith at all, pretending to be something he wasn't. If you had an ounce of real love - well, it wouldn't have ended like that. So it was a good book with a disappointing ending, though I'm not sorry I read it.

[Larissa Langsather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd book. I think I was expecting a mystery (I don't know why) but what I got was story about a boy who is religious and full of intense emotions. He believes God is calling him to abandon it all and follow "Preacher Man". The preacher ends up not showing up when they had agreed to leave and Peter falls into a full on depression for a week. His best friend, Rufus, helps bring him out of it and the author leaves the book pretty open ended.

For the first time in my reading history I WANTED a homosexual relationship to blossom. I feel like anything I have read about homosexuality (which granted isn't much at all) it is some kind of agenda or shoved in my face or kinda gross. This book felt like Peter and Rufus could genuinely love each other and have a committed relationship (if that was acceptable). In any case, I was surprised by my own feelings toward the two boys and I don't even know if that was what the author intended because it is a children's book after all written probably on the cusp or right before "GAY PRIDE" was all over the place. But I could be totally wrong and this is just an innocent story about a boy and his thought process in small town with no intention of any kind sexual or otherwise.

I loved Peter's parents and I loved how he ended up really finding the good in the situation after the whole "Preacher Man" incident. I teared up on multiple occasions near the end. It was a nice short read that will leave me in my thoughts for awhile.

[Mary Pellecchia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this as part of my quest to read as many Newbery winners as possible. Why this one won is a mystery to me. I found it a very ordinary and unsatisfying manuscript. An impressionable, very religious boy feels alienated from his unworshipping parents. He attends church religiously, and when a new itinerant preacher comes to town, he is immediately attracted and plans to run away from home to travel around with this guy. The guy is a charlatan and the boy realizes that closeness to God can be obtained just in the warmth of his own home. He doesn't even need a church. Very predictable.
The author, an adult woman does a pretty good job of speaking in the voice of a pubescent boy. I guess. But how would I, an adult woman, know?
The religious nutbars will hate it, so that alone might be a good reason to read it.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would actually give this one 3.5 stars if that were available. I found it a beautiful reminder of what happens when we worship someone or something other than God. In this case, I think that the hurt that was caused for this young man when the Preacher Man deserts him is exactly what will one day lead him to truly find the God he seeks. This is not a book about religion, it is about worship and the dangers that worshipping can cause. This feels like a piece of Stoic fiction as it was the pain that led this young man to grow and gain an understanding of just how blessed he was to have the relationships that he enjoyed in his life. A great quick read that refreshed me and made me think during a heavy time.

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very fast read (short book), and I tried it because it was on a list of books that deal with Christianity (which very few MG books do in a serious way). It was published in '86, and maybe at that time few people were thinking about (unless they were abused or abusers themselves) sexual abuse, but for me, as soon as I met Preacher Man, alarm bells were ringing wildly.

The book had nothing to do with that, ostensibly, which also sat wrong with me, that no character would consider the wrongness and DANGER! of the entire situation.

I would not add this book to a school bookshelf (though I enjoyed the writing style).

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book packs a lot in a few pages. Peter's search for faith, truth and religion takes him on a most interesting journey as he meets and interacts with a traveling preacher. I appreciated the process of how easily Peter rationalized leaving all that was familiar behind to accompany the traveling preacher; this is precisely the justification young teens employ when facing such a dilemma. I equally liked the unconditional relationship between Peter and his best friend, Rufus; many valuable lessons learned from this one.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

How much do you have to give up to find yourself?When Pete first sets eyes on the Man, he's convinced he's an ax murderer. But at the revival meeting, Pete discovers that the Man is actually a savior of souls, and Pete has been waiting all his life to be saved.

It's not something Pete's parents can understand. Certainly his best friend, Rufus, an avowed atheist, doesn't understand. But Pete knows he can't imagine life without the Man. So when the Man invites Pete to join him on his mission, how can Pete say no -- even if it means leaving behind everything he's ever loved?

[Kris Valdez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is beautifully concise and well-written. My only beef with it is the odd relationship that the creepy preacher and the boy strike up. I felt nervous the preacher was a pedophile, and was relieved at the direction the ending took. Overall, the characters were complex, Pete was a good narrator, and it left me in a reflective mood. I don't regret the 100 pages I spent on this fast little read.

[Mamiko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't quite understand why the protagonist (Peter) felt the need to be "saved" so passionately, but liked how a youngish boy had to deal with a sense of disappointment in his family, the person "The Preacher Man" he has glued himself to, and his best friend Rufus, and then find something to love and care about each of them by going through a disappointment.

[JoAnn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed. I did not like the anti-religious theme.

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t know what the hell the story is. It’s about a super religious child who goes to a revival and gets saved. By saved I mean he goes all psycho crazy about religion and wants to run away with the preacher man. The preacher man says he’s lonely and so he needs the super religious boy to come with him and serve God. But on the night they’re supposed to run away the preacher man betrays him and runs off with a girl. I suppose the whole point of the story is that the boy discovers he needs his family and not just God but honestly it was such a stupid story.

[Chautona Havig · Rating 4 out of 5]

With every page, this book went closer and closer to a 1-star, I-can't-believe-Rylant-wrote-this review. And then something absolutely beautiful happened on the last half of the last page. It all came together. Beautifully. And I'm impressed. I can't quite give it five stars, but oh boy, I want to. Just for the genius of the writing.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another Newbery Honor book and it is a quick read for an adult. It deals with a young boy who is discovering religion and doesn't have parents that are very religious. A lot of it starts when a preacher wanders in for a revival. I found the book interesting but can see where most people might not like it.

[KerryT · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very quick read but I was saddened by it. The Bible holds the Truth and this Preacher Man didn’t get it. It was all about him and how he saved people. His interest in the boy and the boy’s worship of the preacher man was very unsettling to me on a personal level. The last sentence of the book, “I’m just ready for something whole.” is sad because he is still searching … for Truth.

[Kassie Carney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first time I've been disappointed in a book by Cynthia Rylant. While most of her books explore some deep themes and hardships, they narrate absolutely beautifully and still leave me feeling thoughtful and good inside. This one had a heavier, more depressed feeling to it and left me feeling unhappy and unsettled. It just didn't sit right.

[Kate Spears · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an amazing little book. I have loved Cynthia Rylant for years and I hadn't read anything by her in a long time before "I had seen Castles" which was also great. I think this one is my favorite though.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. I normally don't like books that talk about faith because it gives shallow answers like "god did it". This book hit a good middle ground that doesn't make the world feel like problems aren't constant. :)