Freedom's Stand, by Jeanette Windle

In modern Afghanistan, competing interests want to preserve Afghan independence, promote democracy and religious freedom, defend traditional gender roles, and promote the Islamic faith.  Jeanette Windle's novel Freedom's Stand personalizes these conflicting forces, giving hope for an Afghanistan in which the gospel of Christ can thrive and women can be free.

Freedom's Stand, sequel to Windle's 2014 book Veiled Freedom, continues the story of American aid worker Amy Mallory.  Mallory's friend Jamil, who became a Christian in Veiled Freedom, has gained a reputation as a healer, traveling around the countryside offering medical care and teaching about Isa Masih, Jesus the healer.  When he draws more attention than the Islamic religious leaders like, Jamil is arrested on charges of apostasy.

Faced with certain death if he doesn't deny his newfound faith, Jamil refuses to embrace Islam's rejection of the divinity of Christ.  Mallory and her friend Steve Wilson, an American defense contractor, wrestle with trying to intervene on Jamil's behalf.

Windle tells a great story with lots of action, political intrigue, social commentary, and personal interaction.  The Afghan setting is believable (I say that as someone who has never been there), and the political setting is timely (again, as a casual American observer).  Most importantly, as Jamil, Mallory, and Wilson live out the implications of their Christian faith, they challenge American readers in their free and comfortable setting to think about their own commitment to Christ.

On a similar note, Windle's depiction of the status of women in Afghanistan leads me to wonder how American feminists can complain about their treatment in American culture as compared to traditional Muslim culture.  I know we are not perfect in the United States, obviously, but I can say with confidence that, political correctness aside, American culture is superior when it comes to the treatment of women.

Freedom's Stand is a page turner with a strong message of encouragement for Christians to stand up for their faith, and of the power of the gospel to change lives and to impact a culture.