Review (Christian Fiction): The Faith of Ashish by Kay Marshall Strom

The Faith of Ashish

by Kay Marshall Strom

Copyright 2011

Abingdon Press

320 pages

ISBN: 9781426709081

Fiction/Christian/Historical

From the publisher:

“His name is Ashish. His name is Blessing. The boy is my blessing.”

Virat and Latha named their son Ashish, for he is the light and glory of their world. Yet a simple drink of water from the wrong cup changes them forever. Virat, Latha, and Ashish are Untouchables in 1905 India, members of a caste who must never contaminate the world of the other, higher, castes.

When Ashish is in desperate need of a doctor, Virat risks everything to save his son and ventures into the dangerous realm of the high caste. There, the strength of a father’s love, the power of a young British nurse, and the faith of a child change the lives around them.

My Review:
~4 stars~
Going into this book I wasn't sure how I was going to like it. When I pick up fiction I'll admit that I'm a romance junkie so a book set in India focused on the struggles of an Untouchable family and their young son was definitely a change for me but I am very glad that I read it. Right from the first page I knew I was going to be hooked and I knew that it was going to be a thought-provoking read. I'm warning you now you will need tissues within the first few pages.

In a society like ours where everyone is treated equally (or at least supposed to be) it's hard to imagine a caste system where the wrong move by a lower class citizen, something as simple as breathing the same air as an upper caste, could result in death, and it was acceptable. Kay Marshall Strom has brought the pain and suffering of the poor of India in the early 1900s to life in The Faith of Ashish. Ashish is one little boy with a boatload of spirit. He is beaten to within an inch of his life, heals with the help of a kindly British nurse only to go on to serve an abusive young master. His story is also uplifting as he and his family learns that he is, after all a true blessing as his name indicates.

Judging by the title you might expect this book to be simply about Ashish and his journey to God but it's not. It's mostly about life, hardships and finding hope where there doesn't seem to be any. This is not an easy story to read but Ms. Strom definitely seems to know her stuff and I learned a lot that I didn't know about 20th century India. If you're interested in missions or other culture's religious views this is definitely a book to read.

To learn more about the author visit:
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*I received my copy from the publisher in exchange for posting my honest review.*