Born Again: And Other Stories from the New Testament

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 KELY 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.…