IN A DRY LAND
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About the Book
Under the blazing desert sun, three kids fight for their survival.
Finn, Theodore, and Toni dreaded spending their summer vacation at a Coptic monastery in the Mojave Desert. When their Sunday school teacher takes a shortcut off road and their bus splutters to a stop, the three kids are left stranded in the unforgiving desert. Join them on their journey as they struggle to survive and realize that help is just a prayer away!
Paperback: 106 pages
Publisher: St. Mary & St. Moses Abbey Press (May 2022)
Author: Sonia Samantaroy, Sophia Samantaroy
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1939972446
Additional information
Weight | 4.3 oz |
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Dimensions | 5.25 × 8 in |
About the Author
Sophia and Sonia Samantaroy are a sister duo who, as Coptic Orthodox young women, felt compelled to share their faith through their passion for writing and the outdoors. The sisters spent their childhood wading through creeks, exploring new trails, and building shelters. Northern Virginia natives, the sisters live with their family and unusually adorable chihuahua-pug mix. They attend St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of Washington, D.C.
I couldn’t put this book down. It had me from page 1! Definitely recommend.
The Samantaroy sisters have written an excellent middle grade (ages 9-12) Orthodox fiction work that turned out to be a page turner even for me as an adult reader. (I put 9 because there are some suspenseful scenes that might be too much for an 8 year old).
In a Dry Land follows the friendship, struggles, and realization that God and his saints are all around us of 3 middle school friends headed to a Coptic Monastery in the desert for the summer.
As the friends become stranded in the desert they learn more about the importance of their friends’ strengths and reflect on their own spiritual growth (perhaps even weaknesses) as the saints actively intercede for them and help them survive.
I would’ve picked this book up as a kid myself as I love all things outdoors, themes of friendship, and spirituality.
I think it will also appeal to kids who may be having doubts about the efficacy of prayers and their faith, I found many of the conversations internally and externally by the main characters about the saints to ring true to what I’ve heard from my own church school students.
It has a very strong Orthodox message of faith through prayer to the Saints. I received a copy for free to review, but will be purchasing more copies from St Mary and Moses Abbey Press for my middle grade church school students.
I look forward to reading more from these sister authors!