Someone to Lean On

Walker (Right Before Their Eyes) interweaves the stories of several foster families for the stirring but uneven third installment of the Faith Endures series. Lucia Roberts, 20, is a devout single mom who’s anxious about the prospect of aging out of the extended foster care system. Her faith is tested when she loses her job, putting her independent housing situation at risk. Social worker Clare Hughes suggests Lucia interview to become a caretaker for four-year-old Timmy, the new foster son of overprotective dad Jordan Nowak. When Lucia’s daughter, Sam, becomes fast friends with Timmy, Lucia and Jordan agree to the arrangement, despite their awkward chance encounter on the bus a few days earlier. Sparks soon fly between the two, but past experiences have made Lucia wary of men, and additional stressors arise when Timmy is diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease that strains Jordan’s ability to meet his needs. Walker relies on coincidences to connect her characters, but Lucia and Jordan are sympathetic leads whose experiences shed valuable light on the challenges and complexities of the foster care system. It’s not perfect, but there’s enough heart to keep series fans emotionally invested. (May)