Author of the captivating novel Side by Side, Jana Kelley is a Texan who hardly ever lives in Texas. Raised in Southeast Asia, Jana developed a love for cross-cultural living early in life. Her love for writing came soon after. Jana returned to Texas to attend East Texas Baptist University. She and her husband married a month after she graduated, and by their second anniversary, they were living in a remote African town. After 13 years living in Africa and the Middle East, Jana, her husband, and their three boys moved to Southeast Asia where they currently live.
It's rough and it's smooth. It's dark and it's light. It's a masterpiece. It's us. Here in Sudan. We are scared of it and drawn to it. There is an open door, and there is much opposition.
In the dusty, Islamic country of Sudan, Mia, who is raising her family in a Muslim country, has learned to boldly share her faith. Rania, the daughter of a wealthy Sudanese Arab, seeks to find the reason for her sister's sudden disappearance. Mia holds some of the answers, but both women quickly discover they must each walk through their own doors to freedom, the freedom that only comes when you trust God's sovereignty more than manmade security.
Part of New Hope Publishers' line of contemporary missional fiction, Door to Freedom, the sequel to Side by Side, opens the reader's eyes to modern-day persecution and the life of Muslims in Sudan. Based on real-life events, Door to Freedom also reveals some of the struggles that Christians face when living under Islamic law. The reader will be inspired to pray for those who are persecuted for their faith as well as for the salvation of the persecutors.
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My Thoughts:
I first encountered Jana Kelley's writing in Side by Side where we first meet Mia, Michael, and Rania. I was excited to see the next part of the story in Door to Freedom. Jana gives readers a clearer picture of the day to day life and religion of Muslims in Sudan and how those seeking to present and live the gospel before them should interact and live before them. While the writing is a little stilted in places, the story is captivating. I was challenged, convicted, and encouraged by Mia's story and Rania's. The book could be read as a stand-alone, but I really encourage readers to dive into Side by Side first for context and introduction to characters.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book. All opinions here are my own.
Happy Reading Ya'll,
Jennifer
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