Ruth Sawh

Email: ruthsawh@aol.com

Ruth Sawh is an Associate Professor of English at Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, Florida. She is most interested in the short story, but short stories sometimes lead to novels, as was the case with her most recent novel, A Name in the Fire. Her short story, "The Caregiver" was awarded first place by the Tallahassee Writers' Association Writers' Contest 2007. Previous to this, "The Conversion" and "The Christmas Plate Custom" received honorable mentions from TWA. In addition, she recently co-authored a freshman composition textbook, published by Pearson Publishing Co. and a scholarly article about slavery in the West Indies, published by the Negro Educational Review. She also has to her credit four short stories, three poems, two book reviews, a profile, several newspaper articles, and a dialect reader published in the U.S.,Canada, and Trinidad.

A Name in the Fire

Romance blossoms between a village corporal, Amman, and a beautiful widow, Sunita, when she and her children go to the police station to report suspicions of their neighbor's murder. Even though Sunita is reluctant to fall in love, after the injustices of her former husband, she gradually surrenders her heart to Amman. While he is investigating the gruesome murder, he is guilty that his thoughts are on love and not wholly on murder. To resolve the murder, and to ensure Sunita's and his safety, he must arrest the village obeaman who deals with the devil to accomplish grave deeds by calling people's names over fires.