Book Review: Veiled Freedom by J. M. Windle

Title: Veiled Freedom
Author: J. M. Windle
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream
Copyright: 2009
Pages: 432
ISBN: 978-1-4143-1475-4
Genre: Christian fiction

Twenty-four, single female, blond hair. Amy Mallory couldn't stick out more in Afghanistan's culture. After three years traveling around the world to help in disaster relief, Amy's not a newbie to the living conditions in Third World countries. But even this one catches her off guard. Her luggage is delayed, so she has only the clothes on her back. Her standards of modesty don't match the standards of her driver, who insists Amy don a borrowed burqua. Amy is further dismayed to learn that New Hope, the organization who hires her, has no other staff, no project, no infrastructure. They want Amy to build her own.

An ex-military man, Steve Wilson, enters Afghanistan on Amy's flight. Now leading a private security detail for the country's new minister of interior, Steve possesses all the resources, contacts, and structure that Amy does not. A bomb blast on the streets of Kabul brings Steve and Amy into each other's paths. Amy dismisses Steve's gruff manner and grudging assistance but soon finds herself in need of a friend she can trust.

Veiled Freedom asks questions that many thinking people are asking about the "War on Terror." Where does freedom come from? Can American forces truly bring freedom to another country? Have our efforts actually helped the people of Afghanistan and Iraq? In fact, Steve and Amy engage in more than one tense conversation about the issue. Steve's time in Special Forces has left him jaded with the war effort and frustrated with Amy's naïve opinions. Amy, on the other hand, sees everything through a lens of compassion for the people she serves. There are no easy answers for such difficult questions.

Windle not only tackles the tough questions, but she does so in a deeply realistic way, from the characters to the setting to events depicted. Windle herself has lived in several foreign countries and traveled through almost thirty countries, including Afghanistan. Furthermore, her bio reveals that her writing "has prompted government agencies to question her to determine if she has received classified information."

But I think the realism of Veiled Freedom springs not just from her research but also from her own faith. Windle says the idea for this book came to her as she mused over the disheartening news from Afghanistan several years after the initial American liberation movement. She says she began to question where freedom really comes from. After visiting Afghanistan personally, she says, "I came away above all with a recognition that true freedom will only come to Afghanistan, or anywhere else in our world, through the love of Isa Masih [Jesus Christ] changing individual hearts. Change enough hearts, and you will see change in a nation. Without changed hearts, all the guns and aid are futile."¹

Windle begins with a very dark topic and oppressive setting and brings out from them a story of hope and encouragement. To be sure, Veiled Freedom contains more than one undesirable character. But Windle spends most of her time on the quiet hero. Amy displays many admirable character traits, including compassion, courage, leadership skills, and cultural sensivitivy. Most of all, she's unselfish, and she holds to her faith in less-than-ideal circumstances.

Steve comes off a bit crusty and defensive at first, but as Amy gets to know him better, we do, too. He sacrifices his time to help people for whom he technically has no responsibility. His own conscience is what holds him responsible. He convictions run deep, and he wants to believe in his mission. His sacrifices have not ended simply because he left Special Forces.

In addition to acquainting us with the everyday hero, Windle also highlights the power of love-not the mushy, romantic kind of love but the sacrificial kind that Christ displayed when He died for His own enemies. Christians may be tempted to consider the state of affairs in the Muslim world with dismay. But I think that reading Veiled Freedom will remind us all that the story's not over yet. Love can make a difference, and it will.

¹Jeanette Windle, "Veiled Freedom: An Interview," From the Eye of the Storm: Writing, Traveling, and Living Joyously on Earth's Wild Side, http://jeanettewindle.blogspot.com/2009/06/veiled-freedom-hits-stores-today.html (accessed 3 September 2009).