When the Nile Runs Red [Paperback]

DiAnn G. Mills (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

Paul Farid was once a member of the royal family, who openly persecuted any Sudanese who failed to practice Islam. Now he's a Christian, who puts his life on the line to aid the persecuted Sudanese. His wife, Larson, is a doctor committed to giving her life for peace.Colonel Ben Alier has fought for twenty-one years against the government's mandates to control the oil, religion, slavery, and politics of Sudan. He neither trusts nor rests any hope in the newly formed government.Ben's health deteriorates while Larson finds out she is going to have a baby. Their worlds collide, and as the relational tensions escalate so does the physical danger.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mills, a popular Christian romance writer (When The Lion Roars), travels to the Sudan in this action-packed, if didactic, inspirational novel. At the center of the story are two likeable characters, Larson and Paul Farid, Christians who "long ago... set their course to aid the persecuted Sudanese and spread the gospel." Paul, who converted to Christianity from Islam, has reason to worry that his decidedly anti-Christian family may actually try to kill him and his wife, but nonetheless, he desperately wants to see his relatives and tell them about Jesus. Meanwhile, Larson, a courageous physician, discovers that she's pregnant. Since children were not in her plans, she worries about the impact of a baby on her medical work and marriage. When the Farids' friend Ben is diagnosed with cancer, he decides he needs to get his personal house in order. The novel is not without problems; the backstory that connects Ben and the Farids is complex, and Mills could have helped the reader along by explaining it more straightforwardly. In contrast to recent Christian fiction that subtly integrates faith into the story, here the religious message can feel heavy-handed. However, an intriguing sub-theme runs throughout, as characters tend to withhold important information from those closest to them.
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From the Back Cover

Two men, one woman.War-torn, disease-ridden Sudan.One powerful God.Paul Farid, who once persecuted the southern Sudanese, now loves the weary people whose lives have been destroyed by war.Colonel Ben Alier has led his battle-hardened soldiers for two decades against the North, yet he pursues a relationship with his son even as his own demons pursue him.Dr. Larson Kerr Farid works long hours caring for the sick, but fatigue and worry about her husband, are taking their toll. And she's just learned something that will make everything more complicated. These three friends face constant danger as tensions escalate between the north and south, and as Paul's family schemes to kill him and Larson. Will Paul and Larson bridge the gap that seems to grow between them' And will Ben find peace as more than a soldier'DiAnn Mills introduces her many fans to the current struggle facing Sudan in this riveting account of war, ancient hatreds, love and God's power. Sudan's beauty and tragedy will pierce the soul of every reader.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Moody Publishers; New Edition edition (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802499112
• ISBN-13: 978-0802499110
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #771,483 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Award-winning author DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels. DiAnn's first book was published in 1998. She currently has more than fifty books in print, which have sold more than a million and a half copies.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won placements through the American Christian Fiction Writer's Book of the Year Awards from 2003 to 2008. DiAnn was also a Carol Award finalist in 2010 & 2011. She received the Inspirational Reader's Choice award in 2005, 2007, and 2010, and was a Christy Award finalist in 2008 and a RITA Award finalist in 2010. In 2010, DiAnn won the Christy Award for Breach of Trust and in 2011 she won the Christy Award for Sworn to Protect, the first and second books in her Call of Duty series.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Inspirational Writers Alive; Romance Writers of America's Faith, Hope and Love chapter; and the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also the Craftsman mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild.

She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.


Awards
2011 Christy Award Winner - Sworn to Protect
2011 Carol Award Finalist - Pursuit of Justice
2011 Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence Finalist - Pursuit of Justice
2011 Golden Quill Award Finalist - A Woman Called Sage
2011 Award of Excellence Finalist - Pursuit of Justice
2010 Christy Award Winner - Breach of Trust
2010 Inspirational Reader's Choice Winner - Breach of Trust
2010 RITA Finalist - Breach of Trust
2010 Carol Award Finalist - Breach of Trust
2008 Christy Award Finalist - Lightning and Lace
2005 Inspirational Reader's Choice Winner - Footsteps
2005 Inspirational Reader's Choice Winner - Novella At the End of the Bayou from Hidden Motives

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed by Ashley Merrill, September 7, 2007

By 

Front Street Reviews www.frontstreetreviews.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: When the Nile Runs Red (Paperback)

I cannot put into the appropriate words how truly amazing this novel was. I felt like my heart was being pulled in all different directions; wanting Larson and Paul to stay safe so they can raise their family, wanting Ben to find happiness and contentment in the few short months he has left to live, and for the Sudanese people who suffer so much everyday; you want nothing but peace for them.

The mix of romance, action, and history, is a perfect concoction to tie everything together in this book. Diann Mills allows you to become intimate with the characters and to feel as though you are right there with them suffering in the Sudan heat day after day as they fight to bring peace to the land.

This book is based on real events that are going on in Sudan in 2005 between Southern Sudan and the Northern government in Khartoum. The Northern government called a Jihad (holy war) on Southern Sudan. Dr. Larson and her husband Paul are in Sudan working as a team, but doing two different things. Dr. Larson is there to give as much medical attention to the local villagers as she can. In Paul's past, he was a Muslim who lived in the north and killed any Sudanese who did not follow Allah, but has converted to Christianity and now spends his life spreading the good word. The two of them are befriended by Colonel Ben Alier, who is leading an army and fighting for peace in the south.

When Larson discovers that she has a little one on the way, she debates whether she should stop putting herself in so much danger and go back to the states. Before she can make that decision, she finds herself in a few tight spots. Diann Mills does a great job at causing you to hold your breath as you scan the pages faster to see if Larson will make it out on top and have Paul or Ben come to her rescue.

Ben finds out that there is a mole somewhere in his army who is giving out their phone numbers and Larson and Paul's exact location, and every move they make. He stops at nothing to find out who that mole is, but can't find him soon enough. Larson is abducted by the mole and realizes she was fooled by this person all along. Now her life is in his hands, along with Paul and Ben, who later try and save her and end up being abducted as well. Will they all survive?

I highly recommend this novel. You get to take a look into the current events in Sudan, see the love grow and flourish between Larson and Paul, and see the fate of Ben that will have you wipe a tear from your cheek. This book is an emotional rollercoaster that is worth reading again and again.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars deep look at the atrocities occurring in the Sudan, September 7, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When the Nile Runs Red (Paperback)

In 2005 in the Sudan, many hope that the newly formed government, which includes John Garang as vice president will end the bloodshed especially the genocide in Darfur. However, people like Paul Farid, a former Muslim member of the royal family who converted to Christianity, believe the Government of Sudan (GOS) soldiers will continue their killing raids. He in fact sees first hand the destruction of the Dinka village Xokabuc by the GOS because they seek to capture him. Paul warns his best friend Sudan's People Liberation Army Colonel Ben Alier that a GOS battalion is coming for them. Although Ben's men defeat the enemy he takes a bullet that requires emergency treatment so he is rushed to Paul's wife Dr. Larson, who hides her pregnancy from her spouse.

Meanwhile Paul's brother devoted Muslim Nizam wants to meet him in Kibun. Although his family wants him dead for his atrocity and sins against the Prophet, Paul agrees to see his favorite sibling. He hides what he is doing from Larson, but she follows him into danger in which she and others become an expendable royal family pawn.

With its apropos title WHEN THE NILE RUNS RED is a deep look at the atrocities occurring in the Sudan. The three prime players are fully developed and feel heroically genuine so that their encounters provide a realistic graphic glimpse at humanity's darkened soul. Although there is a bias towards Christianity as the benevolent religion vs. the alleged harshness of Islam, readers will be stunned by the powerful vivid exposé of genocide.

Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ!, September 16, 2008

By 

Love 2 Read Novels "Sherry" (a small town in Kansas USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: When the Nile Runs Red (Paperback)

There are some great reviews on the story so I will just say, YOU HAVE TO READ IT! This is the sequel to "When the Lion Roars" and just as good. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and holding your breath until you can turn the next page. You feel like Paul, Larson and Ben are your personal friends.

Don't miss out on this great book (series). Not only is it a great adventure with love and suspense but it is an eye opener to what goes on in the southern Sudan region. What AWFUL things those precious ones suffer for their faith.