Born Again - by Kelly Kerney (Paperback)

About the Book

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."

Book Synopsis

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.

From the Back Cover

I had the Bible strapped to my ankle like a dangerous weapon. I could slay Darwin with scripture, I knew. As I read, I could prove everything he said wrong. I would be a Warrior for Christ."

Mel is a Bible Quiz Champion who zealously battles demons every day: She posts flyers condemning teen sex, attacks a lustful sinner making out on her bus, and denounces the Frederick s of Hollywood catalog even as she secretly cuts her underwear to mimic its thongs.
Now Mel has a deal with God: She'll bring Him her best friend's soul if He ll forgive her for reading On the Origin of Species for academic camp. But as Mel carefully tries to take down Darwin, she begins to realize that her parents, her pastor, and her church aren t what she thought. And, suddenly, she must conquer the doubts of her own heart.

"In this beautifully written novel, Kelly Kerney takes both her heroine and her readers on a complicated journey from faith to doubt. A wonderfully accomplished and timely debut." Margot Livesey
"An amazing investigation of evangelical America's family values, full of exacting truths and provocative characters. 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

KELLY KERNEY received a BA from Bowdoin College and an MFA from the University of Notre Dame, where she was awarded the Nicholas Sparks postgraduate fellowship. Raised in a Pentecostal church, she is twenty-six years old and lives in Richmond, Virginia.
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Review Quotes

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

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About the Author

KELLY KERNEY received a BA from Bowdoin College and an MFA from the University of Notre Dame, where she was awarded the Nicholas Sparks postgraduate fellowship. Raised in a Pentecostal church, she is twenty-six years old and lives in Richmond, Virginia.