First published 1996
Ninah Huff lives in a secluded religious community founded by her grandfather. The teenage girl follows the strict rules and sacred rituals that govern every aspect of life in their settlement. When Ninah discovers she is pregnant, she makes a startling declaration to the community elders and her family. She insists that the child she carries is blessed and holy. Her claim divides the isolated sect. Some members believe her testimony about the sacred nature of her pregnancy. Others question her story and challenge her assertions. The community must decide whether Ninah speaks the truth or has violated their most fundamental beliefs. Her pregnancy becomes the center of heated debates and growing tensions. The young woman finds herself at the heart of a controversy that threatens to tear apart the only world she has ever known.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, religious-conflict
Setting: Canaan
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
336 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley