Born Again

What happens when a Bible Quiz Champion takes on Darwin? Mel, a faith-filled Pentecostal, has the chance to escape Slow Rapids, Indiana, by attending academic summer camp. The only catch? She has to read forbidden tomes like The Origin of Species . So she forges the permission slip, promising God she’ll bring him a lost soul in exchange.

Mel conscientiously uses her Biblical expertise to argue Darwin’s theories, but meanwhile begins to realize that her parents, her pastor, and her church aren’t what she thought. She zealously battles demons every day—lascivious heathens at school, the Frederick’s of Hollywood catalog, her backsliding brother and sister. But now, suddenly, she must also conquer the doubts of her own heart.
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PRAISE FOR BORN AGAIN

 

"Kelly Kerney is one of the freshest and most original new voices of her generation. Her debut novel is an amazing investigation of evangelical America's family values. This blue-collar tale of life's many travails by a golden voiced young author leaves an indelible impression on both the heart and the mind."

-- William O'Rourke, University of Notre Dame professor and Chicago Sun-Times columnist
"Kelly Kerney's smart first novel takes on evolution, fundamentalism, and one very appealing girl caught between them. Melanie really is born again, and her readers will find themselves transformed too."--Valerie Sayers, author of Brain Fever and Due East