“Far from Home is a captivating nonfiction book about Mabel’s journey as an immigrant from India to America. She shares with an authentic voice, filled with comfort for those in their journeys of growth, transition, and discomfort. She vividly paints a picture of the distress of shifting from one culture to another and the tension that lies in shaping identity from the questions that surround this process. Using tangible examples from biblical characters, her parallels between her immigrant experience on earth with our spiritual journey as citizens as heaven are painted with a unique perspective…I appreciate her voice, boldness, and presence as a woman of South Asian background, sharing her struggles, disappointments, and triumphs with raw honesty.
This book provides valuable insights not only for a geographical transition but for anyone who is moving from a familiar to an unknown season. Transitions are an opportunity for growth despite the pain of the process and the initial discomfort. Through the renewal of her mind, Mabel can move from an older identity to a new one, one where both Indian and American cultures have space to coexist in harmony while her ultimate foundation remains in the security of Christ. Cultural assimilation without losing the treasure of heritage is a gift for generations to come and is key for the body of Christ to reflect the beauty of diversity. One form of loving immigrants well is hospitality, opening our hearts and homes to people show the love of Christ in tangible ways. - Shelley S.