In The Hallway Miracle, Cara shares a story of personal transformation shaped by early antisemitic bullying and a lifelong wariness of Christians. Years later, she finds herself working at an elementary school as the only Jewish staff member among Christian coworkers, uncertain what genuine faith truly looks like.
Set during the fall of 2002, as sniper attacks bring fear into everyday life across the Washington, D.C., area, the memoir unfolds against a backdrop of heightened anxiety and uncertainty. When a student is killed at a nearby school, the fragile sense of safety disappears.
Blending personal reflection with historical tension, The Hallway Miracle explores anxiety, identity, and faith. Through a small but unexpected moment involving a desk calendar devotional, a handful of M&M’s, and a powerful prayer, Cara encounters a moment of grace that reverberates far beyond the hallway where it begins.
Written with honesty and sensitivity, this book will resonate with readers who carry complicated questions about faith and long to see what belief looks like when it is lived out with quiet authenticity.
Cara Shine is a retired award-winning elementary school teacher with a passion for encouragement, anxiety management, and “bridge building” between the Old and New Testament through her Jewish background. When she isn’t busy with her work as a lay pastor and ministry coordinator, Cara and her husband, Jeff, enjoy trying to beat their daughter, Emma, and her husband, Matthew, at Pickleball whenever they have a chance. They rarely succeed, but darned if they don’t keep trying! Her faith story, The Hallway Miracle, will reignite your compassion for those around you and remind you that even in the darkest hours, God can turn ashes into something beautiful.
