Friday, September 4, 2009

"Call of Zulina" Book Review and Giveaway!


This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Call Of Zulina

Abingdon Press (August 2009)

by

Kay Marshall Strom



MY REVIEW:
I am so excited to see the variety of settings and plot lines in Christian fiction that I have been reading lately! "The Call of Zulina" is a perfect example of originality in writing. The author, Kay Marshall Strom, got the idea for some of the main characters when she was writing a biography of John Newton. She then developed this amazing story about Grace Winslow, the daughter of a white English sea captain and a black African princess. They are living in Africa, but Grace never really sees life outside their home (or compound). Consequently she has no concept of what is really going on around her, especially the fact that her father and mother run one of the largest slaving houses in the area. When she realizes that her parents are going to marry her off to a horrible man that she detests, just because he has good business holdings, she decides to run away. The only problem is she runs right into slavery of her own, imprisonment and then when her captors try and ransom her, she finds abandonment at the hands of her parents. She must decide which blood runs stronger in her veins, the English or the African. And she must come to terms with the fact that she will never be accepted by either side, especially her mother and father. When the slave revolt happens, where will she be?

This story was so original that I absolutely couldn't assume or predict anything - I loved that! The hardest part of it for me as a mother of six was the sheer evilness of her own mother. Revenge runs so strongly in her veins that she doesn't hesitate to not only leave her daughter for dead, but she wants to personally make sure that she and any she cares about are all dead. I would say that is not realistic, except that it makes perfect sense in the context of her own upbringing and how her own father sacrificed her to a white man for his own advances.

I am really looking forward to book #2 in this series. Great historical fiction in a new setting and with a new story!
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For a chance to win a copy of this great book, please leave a comment telling me what is another great injustice that you would like to see books written about (like African slavery in the late 1700's). Be sure to leave your email address and I will enter you. Good luck!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Of Kay Marshall Strom’s 34 published books, four have been book club selections, nine have been translated into foreign languages, and one has been optioned for a movie.

Her writing credits also include numerous magazine articles, short stories, two prize-winning screenplays, books and stories for children, and booklets for writers. Her writing has appeared in several volumes, including More Than Conquerors, Amazing Love, The NIV Couple's Devotional Bible and The NIV Women's Devotional Bible, and The Bible for Today's Christian Woman.

Her work also is included in a number of compilations, including various books from the Stories for the Heart series. Her best-known book is Once Blind: The Life of John Newton, which is packaged with the recently released DVD Amazing Grace. She also has written several books with her husband, Dan Kline. Kay is a partner in Kline, Strom International, Inc., leaders in communication training. She currently lives in Eugene, Oregon.

As an activist against modern slavery, Kay Strom takes an indirect approach to calling attention to that issue with her newest fiction title, the first of three planned in the Grace in Africa series, set in West Africa in 1787.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Grace Winslow, the daughter of a mixed marriage between an English sea captain and an African princess, is swept up in a slave revolt after she escapes the family compound to avoid an odious betrothal.

As the truth about the fortress of Zulina unfolds, Grace begins to grasp the brutality and ferocity of the family─the capture and trade of slaves.

Despite being held for ransom, viciously maimed by a runaway slave, and threatened with death, Grace sympathizes with the plight of the captives. She is especially moved by the African Cabeto’s passion, determination, and willingness to sacrifice anything, including his own life, for his people’s freedom. Leaning on the faith of her nanny Mama Muco, Grace risks everything to follow her heart.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Call Of Zulina, go HERE

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another injustice would be people who are on death row who shouldn't be there - - they were wrongly convicted.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

Cherie J said...

How about going back to Roe vs. Wade and the resulting injustice of the loss of the lives of the unborn.

Sounds like a really good story. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.

cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

Katherine said...

I think there should be more book son the true history of the Civil War.

This sound s like a really good book. please enter me for this drawing.

kefarley89(@)gmail(.)com

Diane said...

The book sounds great! Another great injustice..... how about police officers getting called out for making decisions in a split second that the people they are trying to protect don't like....

Winning Readings said...

What's going on in Zimbabwe RIGHT NOW... With land being taken away - often violently so - from families who have owned it for decades - and the farms being rendered useless so NOBODY has food, the currency has no value, and people are dying needlessly.

janemaritz at yahoo dot com

Linda said...

First would be abortion and we having to pay for them, the second is being railroaded into this healthcare system they are trying to pass here.
Your book sounds terrific. Love the book cover. Please enter me. Thanks.
desertrose5173 at gmail dot com

Lora Lease said...

About all the African orphans, due to AIDS and war. :( I'm determined to do something about this someday, and can't wait to bring some into our home.

Please enter me in your drawing.
asyouwiiiiish@gmail.com

Anna Weaver Hurtt said...

An injustice that comes to mind is how girls of the lower caste system are mistreated and seen as valueless in India. I think that's incredibly sad.

Please enter me in the drawing.

writer_weaver at yahoo dot com

Winning Readings said...

Just a note that we've posted about this at Winning Readings:

http://winningreadings.blogspot.com/2009/09/call-of-zulina.html

Carole said...

So many injustices in our imperfect world, and they open up so many doors for Christian fiction!

One of my choices has already been mentioned, and that is the injustice done to babies who are aborted, including late trimester or live birth abortions.

My other choice is the injustice done to soldiers returning from Vietnam.

I am very interested in reading Kay's book and appreciate that she deals with the topic of slavery. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.

cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net

Jolene said...

Would love to win a copy of this book. Sounds very interesting. So many injustices in the world-abortion, human trafficing; domestic violence

Gin said...

I would love to read this book.
An injustice that's being brought to light more often lately is child-trafficking. I recently
read Kiss By Ted Dekker and it touches on this topic.

le15307@msn.com

Unknown said...

I would like to see a book accounting the injustices towards the American Indians during the founding of our country.
tanyainjville@yahoo.com

Mystica said...

I would dearly like to read this book. So much of injustices still being meted out to people all over the world. And to women particularly.



mystica123athotmaildotcom

5dollarFanatic said...

I think another great story would be about the native american indians that were put on reservations and some forced to become more "english". this book sounds so interesting. I love books with unpredictable endings.

Hope said...

Wow, that sounds like a good one. The first injustice I think of (and I see it's already been mentioned) is abortion. I have read a couple books that deal with this issue, but not many.
onepilgrim86@yahoo.com

Giveaway Lady said...

I think Abortion is a big injustice that isn't written about much. Please enter me in this giveaway. Thanks!!
esterried[at]yahoo[dot]com

Diana D said...

A great injustice I would like to read about is religion making women a second class citizen.

Edgy Inspirational Author said...

Persecuted Christians all over the world. In fact, Kathi Macias has a series releasing on this very subject! Enter me, please!

joyfulhutch[at]msn[dot]com

Cheryl said...

I would love to win a copy of this book. Please enter me in this contest. My email address is shryackmom[@]charter[.]net

Janna said...

And the winner is...

Charity!

Congratulations!