The Love of Divena ~ Blog Tour

The Love of Divena 
The Blessings of India 3
By Kay Marshall Strom

Though the law has forbidden it, the lowest class is still held in servitude.  The Untouchables are being held down, forced by the wealthy to become bonded laborers.  Education of any form is frowned upon because the downtrodden might become emboldened.

This is India and the love of her grandmother has given 17 year-old Divena a spirit that longs for freedom.  Divena is determined to not be an Untouchable.  But Divena is not the only one who feels this way.

But centuries of Hindu tradition are not easy to overcome and the Varghese family is determined to hold their place as landowners.  But within the family a new generation is struggling to determine its course.  Eldest son Sundar is despised by his father because he speaks against the old ways.  Meanwhile Sundar's brother Jeevak feels entitled to using the bonded laborers in any way he sees fit.  But when Jeevak and his father Ajay punish a married couple who refuse to be abused, they awaken simmering feelings of unrest among the laborers.

When a professor comes to the outcasts he teaches them to read and to understand the new laws that offer them the chance to improve their lives. He also teaches that their strength comes from their unity, not violence.

When Divena starts talking of the classes that the professor is teaching she stirs up gossip, angering Ajay Varghese.  Ajay is determined to stop Divena's talk and tries to get her in his debt or buy her from her father.  Divena in desperation runs away and stumbles upon a woman who is in the professor's classes.  Maya hides Divena in a church hidden in a pepper forest.

But the greatest change comes when the love of God and Christ comes into the lives of Divena and Sundar.  Can the love of God change the heart of a Hindu nation?  Only time will tell.

The Love of Divena is a look at life in India and the struggle that even now the Dalit caste lives beneath.  If you have ever been interested in India this is a book you must read.

I received a copy of this title for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.

Want to learn even more about the Dalits struggle check-out Gospel for Asia.

About the Book:

In this final book of the Blessings in India trilogy, Divena struggles against an entire culture to proclaim a faith close to her heart while rocking the world of two families.

India 1990. In the final book of the Blessings of India series, Shridula, old and stooped at fifty-nine, makes her painful way to pay homage to the elephant god Ganesh, lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. “Why are we Hindus instead of Christians?” her seventeen-year-old granddaughter Divena asked.

“Because we are Indian,” said Shridula.

So begins a spiritual journey for Divena as she struggles against an entire culture to proclaim a faith close to her heart while rocking the world of two families.

About the Author:

Kay Marshall Strom is the author of forty published books.  Her writing credits also include numerous magazine articles, short stories, curriculum, stories for children, two prize-winning screenplays, and booklets for writers.  Kay speaks at seminars, retreats, and special events throughout the country.  She and her husband Dan Kline love to travel, and more and more Kay’s writing and speaking take her around the word.  Her latest book is the Christian historical fiction, The Love of Divena.

To find out more about Kay, or for contact information, check out her website.

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Pick up your copy of The Love of Divena at the publisher’s website.