Book Review: People of the Book

Written by Kathi Macias
Reviewed by Nora St.Laurent –

Back Cover: Will God protect and keep them safe in the midst of persecution?

Farah lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with her family, and wants nothing more than to develop a deeper devotion to her Muslim faith. She sees the month of Ramadan as her chance to draw nearer to Allah, and pursues that goal. All goes well until the prophet Isa—Jesus—appears to her in a dream and calls her to Himself. Her brother, Kareem, who has never liked her, seeks to discredit her.

Farah’s cousin, an only child, frequents an online chat. She discovers former Muslims discussing their new belief that Isa is much more than a Muslim prophet—He is actually the Son of God. She becomes acquainted with an American girl of Muslim ancestry—now a devout Christian—Sara. Sara has problems of her own due to her brother Emir’s suspicious behavior.

Each finds their faith put to the test. Will they be true to their beliefs? Will God protect them, or will they pay the ultimate price for their faith?

Review: Kathi Macias shows readers how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things all over the world, in her extreme devotion series. This author quickly captures the reader’s attention and shows God’s love in action through the hard times her characters face. Since I’d read all the books in this series, I was anxious to receive a review copy of the last installment, People of the Book, which focuses on teenage girls in Saudi Arabia.

Sara and Nura are teenagers who develop a friendship through an on-line chat room. Sara is a Christian living in America and Nura is a Muslim girl living in Saudi Arabia. Sara prays, witnesses to Nura and tells her where to read the Bible online.

This is a haunting tale of young people facing tough choices from one corner of the globe to the other. My heart strings ached as I read of the dangers these Saudi women faced just for thinking about reading the Bible and talking about God. The challenges these young girls encountered, captivated my thoughts. I contemplated their hardship, danger and courage they faced in order to take a stand for Christ in their country.

This author reminds the reader that many people don’t have the religious freedoms we enjoy here in America. As I read, I was compelled to pray for people like Nura and Farah, who are facing prison sentences and/or death for serving the one true God. Kathi reminds the reader that God’s Word is alive, and it can touch the human heart and mind in very unique and real ways. I was reminded that God can do far more than we can even imagine through prayer and reading the Bible. It’s powerful!

Kathi has an extraordinary gift of telling a compelling story that comes alive in the heart and mind of the reader. The constant tension between the characters and the dangers they faced, made this a page turner for me. These characters came alive. The call on their lives was authentic and the battle for their hearts and their minds real. I felt compassion for these teens as they struggled with their faith, hope and courage to seek the face of the Savior. They were also overwhelmed by the unconditional love God wanted to give them. Kathi Macias once again has skillfully penned a believable, captivating, mission-minded novel…one that will stay in your heart and your mind. I know you’ll find yourself sharing this story with your friends. I can’t stop thinking about this story and the characters. I highly recommend People of the Book.