No Greater Love (Extreme Devotion Series: South Africa #1) [Paperback]

Kathi Macias (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 5, 2010

Forbidden romance, an unlikely martyr and an even more unlikely hero. Orphaned four years earlier when their parents, active in the African National Congress (ANC) movement against apartheid, were murdered—16-year-old Chioma and her 15-year-old brother Masozi now live and work on an Afrikaner family’s farm.
When Chioma and Andrew, the farm owner’s son, find themselves attracted to one another, tragedy revisits their lives. Chioma escapes to join an ANC rebel band in her effort to survive and gain revenge for her family and culture. When cultures clash in life-or-death struggles, Chioma must choose between violence and revenge—or forgiveness and selfless love.
Loosely based on historical events and set near Pretoria, South Africa, in the violent upheaval prior to ANC leader Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 and his ascendance to the presidency of South Africa, this story of forbidden romance produces an unlikely martyr who is replaced by one even more unlikely.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Award-winning author Kathi Macias has written more than 17 books, including the award-winning devotional A Moment a Day, and the popular “Matthews” mystery novels. One of her recent novels, Emma Jean Reborn, is being put into script form by playwright Barry Scott.
Kathi has won many awards, including the Angel Award from Excellence in Media, fiction awards from the San Diego Christian Writers Guild, and the grand prize in an international writing contest.
With women’s ministry as her primary interest, Kathi is a popular speaker for women’s retreats, conferences, and churches. A mother and grandmother, Kathi and her husband, Al, call California home.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: New Hope Publishers (April 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596692774
• ISBN-13: 978-1596692770
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #349,615 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First in Extreme Devotion series sets bar high for next in series, April 26, 2010

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: No Greater Love (Extreme Devotion Series: South Africa #1) (Paperback)

No Greater Love by Kathi Macias is the first book in the Extreme Devotion series about Christians around the world facing the ultimate test of faith. In 1989 South Africa is still under apartheid. No one knows that better than Chioma. Now a servant on the Vorster farm, she watched her parents slaughtered by the white authorities for insurrection, then her brother murdered by friends of the Vorster's son Andrew. She's tried to fight her feelings for Andrew, but his knowing blue eyes force her to see him as more than just the color of his skin. After yet another tragedy, Chioma lives on the run, hiding with rebel forces known as the ANC. Meanwhile, the Vorsters, Anana and Pieter are forced to reconcile their deep faith with apartheid and how it has affected their family. Macias does a wonderful job portraying the complicated emotions of the Vorsters as they struggle with their faith, as well as with Chioma's wavering loyalty. She puts the reader in the middle of a story that can have no happy ending, but forces us to sympathize with Chioma's suffering as well as the Vorster's confusion. Macias makes the characters come to life and refuses to take the easy way out. It's a powerful novel that will force readers to think deeply about what true faith looks like.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Story That You Won't Forget!, December 22, 2010

By 

Katie McCurdy "Legacy of a Writer" (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Greater Love (Extreme Devotion Series: South Africa #1) (Paperback)

5 big stars goes to this book that is adventurous, touching, memorable, romantic, and a wee bit suspenseful - all at the same time! Told from several unique character's viewpoints, this story kept me turning the pages, wanting to learn more about Chioma's past and where her future was headed. Each chapter held a new piece to this special story of her hard, pain-filled life, and her journey toward salvation.

There were only two scenes that, depending on the age and maturity of the reader, might be considered unnecessary to the story or bothersome. After a couple are married, it has a scene the next morning where the reader is informed that they are not wearing clothes. And later on, a woman is accosted by three men while she is bathing herself and her infant son, though it never says if they saw her out of the water.

Besides these two mild parts, the book was amazing from beginning to end! I loved and enjoyed every moment. There were a few scenes that made me smile, while others made my heart ache for the characters suffering. A book like that is priceless! And to add to that, it also has a lot of history of how the times were while Nelson Mandela was in prison in the 1980s. I always enjoy learning new facts and information from history - and getting to learn it within a story is even better!!

If you've been looking for a book that won't quickly leave your thoughts or that will cause you to pick it up more than once to re-read those special scenes, then I highly recommend No Greater Love to be at the top of your list! ;-)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Set Aside Time Because You Won't Want To Put This Book Down!, August 11, 2010

By 

Gr8grneyes - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Greater Love (Extreme Devotion Series: South Africa #1) (Paperback)

Kathi bravely tackles a tough subject, apartheid, in the first novel of her "Extreme Devotion Series." From the minute you turn the first page, you feel as though you're walking through the book, side by side with the characters. Be sure to set aside time because you won't want to put this book down!