Gloria Foster’s second novel, The Core, is an excellent read with unexpected twists and a touch of magic. As part of The Woman’s Soul series, The Core has many more characters than The Mind, the first novel, that introduced Sheila, Jonathan, Valencia, Allie, and Mary.

“The Core by Gloria Foster tells the intriguing story of Angela, her mother Miss Charlotte, and her daughter Allie. When Angela’s life becomes endangered, she takes Allie to Miss Charlotte to keep them both safe. When Allie grows up, she also struggles with turmoil and has to find out about her family history, discovering hidden secrets that hold more questions than answers. Allie’s friends – Sheila, Valencia, and Mary – are concerned about Allie. Sheila has a nightmare about Allie. When Sheila goes to visit Allie, she discovers that Allie is indeed going through a traumatic ordeal. Things go from bad to worse for all the women – could it be that there are sinister forces at play that influence the fates of these women and their families?

The Core is a real page-turner, a quick and easy read filled with twists and turns. The characters have interesting personalities and are so well described that they seem to come alive on the pages. The concept is original and unusual. I especially enjoyed the bit of magic added to the story. The scenes, events, and places are vividly explained, making it easy for the reader to create a mental picture. The author captures all the emotions and thoughts that the characters go through and how they do what they must in order to survive our chaotic world. I appreciated the background provided on the previous book as well as the large font and line spacing for easy reading. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable novel that I would recommend to anyone.” – Readers’ Favorite

“In this novel, a group of close friends faces a variety of marital troubles. Sheila Leclaire’s friends are not doing great. Allie’s marriage has fallen apart after her husband’s infidelity. The breakup has shaken Valencia’s confidence in her own new marriage. She loves her husband, with whom she just eloped, but how can she be sure he won’t betray her at some point in the future? Mary’s marriage is undergoing a different sort of crisis. She and her husband definitely want to have kids, but she’s just learned from a doctor that she isn’t able to conceive. As the core of the group, Sheila is doing her best to provide sound advice and a supportive shoulder for her friends, especially the struggling Allie. “Allie was a lot of things,” Sheila narrates. “She was intelligent, brave, understanding, strong, fun, and bold. But she was also very wise. She wasn’t born smart, but she learned her lessons through dealing with life. She walked down some difficult paths and even after she would lose the battles, she did not let it stop her.” At the same time, the story explores Allie’s origins, particularly the love affair between her parents that led to betrayal, addiction, and ultimately death. The question is: Can love end any other way? At its best, Foster’s prose is urgent and magnetic, as here where Valencia starts to suspect her husband is cheating: “She felt a shiver running down her spine; she had goosebumps. At that moment, she radiated heat. She rushed to look at herself in the mirror. Clearly, she was scared to death. The thought had taken over her mind, and she refused to get it out of her head.””–Kirkus Reviews

Both The Core and The Mind, the first book of The Women’s Soul series, received a 5-star review from Readers’ Favorite. The Mind was a 2021 Screenplay Award Finalist in the Page Turner Awards.

Gloria’s author website is at www.gloriafoster.com. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Illinois at Springfield.