Review – When The Nile Runs Red

Diann Mills newest novel, When the Nile Runs Red, is set in southern Sudan in 2005. The story centers around Larson Farid, a doctor working to aid those in severe poverty; her husband, Paul, a Muslim convert to Christianity who is now using his fortune to aid those he persecuted before his conversion; and Colonel Ben Alier, a battle-worn soldier who has been befriended by the couple.

Mills expertly weaves a tale of intrigue and romance as the characters face challenge after challenge in their efforts to aid the people of southern Sudan who have been in the midst of war for almost two decades. God’s faithfulness is interwoven throughout and Mills does a great job of showing God in the lives of the Sudanese.

I honestly can’t say enough good things about this book. Mills writing draws you in and makes you feel almost as if you’re right there in the midst of the fighting and terror. She shares the plight of the southern Sudanese people through characters that give readers a glimpse of life there.

The Larsons are a couple who are struggling to serve the Lord in the direst of circumstances. The suffering they see and the danger they face is overwhelming. It was humbling to read about life in Sudan. When compared to their suffering, my problems seem incredibly insignificant.

And yet, despite what is happening in their country, it seems there is a growing community of Christians in Sudan. I can’t imagine a more poignant story to bring people to awareness about the plight of the Sudanese people. The war between north and south has been overshadowed by other conflicts around the world and yet what has happened there has been likened to genocide. It’s time for the world to know what happened in Sudan and how they can help. Included in the back of the book are ministry contacts so that readers who feel led to aid in the cause can do so easily.