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Veiled Freedom Paperback – May 20, 2009

by Jeanette Windle (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 239 ratings
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Veiled Freedom
Veiled Freedom
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Naïve and idealistic, relief worker Amy Mallory arrives in Kabul ready to change the world. She soon discovers that as a woman in Afghanistan, the challenges she faces are monumental. As the new security chief to the Minister of the Interior, former Special Forces veteran Steve Wilson is disillusioned to find that the country he fought to set free has fallen into its old habits of greed and corruption. Afghani native Jamil returns to his homeland seeking a job while his painful past continues to haunt him. All three search for truth . . . and for freedom . . . but at what cost?
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  1. Print length
    432 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
  4. Publication date
    May 20, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1414314752
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1414314754
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Windle—author of the political/suspense thriller CrossFire—taps into current events with her newest novel, set in Afghanistan. Relief worker Amy Mallory had dreamed of working in Kabul for years, yet her first impressions of the dusty, tradition-bound city aren't great. Steve Wilson, leader of the personal security detail for Afghanistan's minister of the interior, carries memories of his last time in the war-torn country. And Jamil, the Afghan whom Amy hires as her interpreter, is haunted by his past. The trio's lives entwine as they struggle to live and work in Kabul, Amy through New Hope—offering protection to women released from prison—and Steve through protecting Khalid Sayef, a leader who promises reform. Windle's writing sings when she compares the teachings of Isa Masih (Jesus Christ) with those of Muhammad, but occasionally clunks with overuse of acronyms and convoluted sentences. Yet readers will be enthralled with this penetrating look at Afghanistan and its many mysteries revealed through the lives of flawed men and women. Windle is a top-notch storyteller. (June)
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From Booklist

Amy Mallory is a young and naive Christian relief worker who arrives in Afghanistan ready to take on the world and share her faith. Special Forces veteran Steve Wilson helped drive the Taliban from Kabul, but he’s since signed on with the private security firm tasked with protecting key members of the Afghani government. In Afghanistan, Jamil’s family was once wealthy and respected, but greed and enmity have destroyed Jamil’s hopes of a future; he lives day-to-day and is grateful for any small blessing. Windle builds on her own experience as a missionary in South America, and her sterling reputation for creating thrilling Christian evangelical fiction in her newest novel of international intrigue. Readers familiar with the demands and expectations of life in an Islamic country may find Amy’s behavior unrealistic, but Windle’s vivid descriptions and complex, high-stakes plot make for a fast-paced, intensely political drama that succeeds in bringing a fascinating culture to life. --Lynne Welch

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; First Edition (May 20, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 432 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1414314752
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1414314754
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 239 ratings

About the author

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Jeanette Windle

Jeanette Windle

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As child of missionary parents, award-winning author and journalist Jeanette Windle grew up in the rural villages, jungles, and mountains of Colombia, now guerrilla hot zones. Her detailed research and writing is so realistic that it has prompted government agencies to question her to determine if she has received classified information. Currently based in Lancaster, PA, Jeanette has lived in six countries and traveled in more than thirty on five continents. Those experiences have birthed 16 international intrigue titles, including bestselling Tyndale House Publishers release Veiled Freedom, a 2010 ECPA Christian Book Award and Christy Award finalist and sequel Freedom's Stand, a 2012 ECPA Christian Book Award and Carol Award finalist and 2011 Golden Scroll Novel of the Year finalist. Check out author interviews, reviews, and more at Jeanette's website: www.jeanettewindle.com

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
239 global ratings
A great way to learn to love Jesus and live His Love out before others!
5 Stars
A great way to learn to love Jesus and live His Love out before others!
Jeanette lives near me and we have ben in touch about this great book!. I hve coming soon her nex book that follows! : -) Can mot wate!!
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Top reviews from the United States

Cindy_Huff
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening read
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2012
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Veiled Freedom was the kind of read with a lot of ah-ha moments. Jeanette Windle spoke from her heart and her own experience in Afghanistan giving the reader a real feel for time and place. Her lead characters, Security Chief Steve Wilson, Amy Mallory aid worker, and Jamil (Amy's Afghani assistant) are well-developed and believable. Placing the war-weary Security Chief Wilson alongside the idealist aid worker creates a conflict that opens the author to sharing with her readers the misconception the American media present of the Middle East. As these two Americans interact with various Afghani characters, the reader's eyes are open to a world in such stark contrast to 21st century America.
The clashes and misunderstanding between the characters and cultures weave an intriguing story of living your faith in a world where the price can be high. Jeanette's descriptions of sight sound and smell give her reader's a you-are-there experience. Through dialogue and character interaction we learn so much about the lives of the nationals. Jamil's crisis of faith comes across as genuine and not contrived. The mysterious bomber that is woven throughout the story drives the tension to a surprising conclusion. Because the author has taken the time to educate her readers before that defining scene is played out, it is so believable and satisfying. Can't wait to read the sequel Freedom Stand.
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Yvonne Anderson
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Must-Read if there ever was one
Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2011
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I read a couple of Windle's books a few years ago, but I can't begin to tell you how much better this one is. Well, okay: where beauty of language and writing style is concerned, it's only a little better. But the content? Breathtaking. The breadth and depth and power of the story not only exceeds that of the author's other works, but is far superior to anything I've read by anyone recently.

She's been there, done that, and has a solid grasp of the situation she writes about, with a detail and intimacy that brings it all home. But what impresses me the most is the sensitive way she compares the tenets of Islam to the foundational truths of biblical Christianity. This story deals with critical issues that we cannot afford to ignore, and does it with amazing grace. Its sweet sound is just what this wretched world needs to hear.

Listen closely: This. Is. A. Good. Book. Read it. You'll be better for it.

 The Story in the Stars
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Angie
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Complex Characters
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2019
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Hmmm.... I'm a little conflicted. I actually enjoyed this book way more than I expected for the most part, but the ending was not entirely my favorite.

To start with, the author did an amazing job of pulling me into a world I know virtually nothing about, even though all the foreign words and acronyms were a little overwhelming at first and difficult to keep straight at times. But the context and the story were so rich that it was easy to understand what was happening, even if I couldn't remember exact definitions. The struggle and disillusionment of shattered dreams and hard reality was also very well done, and I really appreciated the honesty on that score, even though I'm not usually a fan of hard truths in my fiction. That's one of the areas that I think the book really excelled in--showing harsh realities and cold facts, but somehow not overwhelming me with hopelessness.

The characters were certainly rich and complex and diverse. Steve especially surprised me; he was cut straight out of an archetype that I usually manage to tolerate, but from the beginning, I fully understood his disillusionment and disappointment and cared about him deeply. I actually found myself more frustrated with Amy than Steve most of the times they argued (which was often). It's hard to lay my finger on exactly why--maybe the fact that she would admit his earlier point and then immediately become huffy when he presented the same argument in a different way? I don't know... I did like Amy for the most part, although her not having studied up on the country and relying on news reports, etc. seemed a little dense for a veteran aid worker. Jamil on the other hand I wanted very much to like and held my breath at several points waiting for the conclusion of his story.

One thing that confused me a bit--the portions from Jamil's perspective rarely used his name, and there was another scene early on from an unidentified perspective that was obviously not Jamil's, so I felt unsure for quite a while whether I was getting Jamil's perspective or someone else's. I'm not sure if this was intentional, but it was confusing.

Also, I thought this book was a standalone when I started it, although I now see that there's a sequel. Apart from the one obvious cliffhanger, I was rather disappointed in the ending--much too open-ended, bittersweet, and unresolved for my taste. I'm not sure if the second book will make it better or worse; if things get wrapped up better, I'll appreciate it, but I don't know if I can take it if they don't. Unresolved endings and big questions left hanging is definitely an area where I need my fiction not to mirror real life. :S

Through most of the book, I would probably have rated it five stars, even though it's nothing like my usual favorites. The ending knocks it down to a four for me. Not sure yet if I'm going to attempt the sequel.

Content--references to drugs, drinking, prostitution, sexual misconduct; mentions of abuse and attempted suicide; mentions of suicide bombings; war scenes, including dead bodies (not graphic)
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring message of love and faith
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2019
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Veiled Freedom starts off slowly and gathers steam like a train going downhill. Characters are painstakingly developed, the community not only described but inhabited by the words that build them for the reader, and faith not only spoken of but shown. There is tension as the reader holds their breath, hoping that the good will outweigh the bad. When the situation finally comes to a head I was almost too exhausted to appreciate it, so heavily involved had I become, so invested in characters and hopeful for their future.

Veiled Freedom is Christian fiction, but it feels startlingly real. A young aid worker takes on an undefined project in Afghanistan with little support available. A hardened ex-military turned security expert finds himself within her operating sphere. They have two different missions that frequently intersect, and as much as she doesn't understand his cynicism, he doesn't understand her unwavering belief that she can make a difference. No less attention is bestowed upon the citizens they are there to help though. The author carefully crafts 3 dimensional characters from all sides of the story, and explores their beliefs and motivations, even contrasting them against Western beliefs. Underneath the story is a thoughtful look at a clash of cultures, and at the distances between people with radically different backgrounds, experiences, and belief systems.
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Top reviews from other countries

Kara
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on May 28, 2017
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Excellent novel so far.
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platinumguy
5.0 out of 5 stars An eye opener!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 16, 2015
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Absolutely loved this book.The storyline and the interweaving of the characters and their lives gripping.For me,it has given me an overview of Islamic thought and practices.How blessed I feel to know God in the way I do but how sad it makes me feel to know how these people live out their lives in fear and the uncertainty of eternal life.
Please read this book as you will truly enjoy not just the story but the glimpse it gives into Islamic faith.
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DeeCee
2.0 out of 5 stars Abreviations were too much
Reviewed in Australia on July 8, 2015
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Everything is abreviated. I actually had a list of the abreviations so I could keep up with the story.
ISAF - International Security Assistance Force, PSD ?, NYPD (I know that one from American cop movies), DEA reps ?, MOI ?, NGO - nongovernmental organization, IED - improvised explosive device, SOP ?, SAS ?, ODA ?, PSC ?. etc. And we are not even a quarter of the way through the book yet. I am not American or in the forces, so this was all a bit much especially when it is assumed we should know what this all means. Otherwise, the story was not bad.
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Helen Hancox
4.0 out of 5 stars Five stars - except for the ending
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2011
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As a free Kindle e-book I knew very little about this book before I started reading it - but I was very quickly gripped.

it's set in Afghanistan and follows three people. Amy is an aid worker who has come to Kabul to set up a project to help women and children. Steve is a security contractor who has been hired as bodyguard to the Minister of the Interior. Jamil is an Afghan seeking to make sense of the destruction around him. The lives of these three intersect in many different ways and not just in the present and we learn about Afghanistan, the war, Islam and more through their eyes.

It became clear after a few chapters that I was actually reading an `inspirational' novel. This is a genre that is less familiar to us in the UK (where we would call it `Christian fiction' as `inspirational', to me, means learning how people have overcome hardships or whatever). Anyway, I generally dislike this genre as it feels uncomfortable and unnatural to British sensibilities. We may have faith but we're less keen to shout about it and to bring it into everyday conversation and into novels.

However, this author managed - just about - to pull this off. Amy's faith is an important part of her life and it did feel convincing. I was perhaps less sure about how her faith affected Jamil, and was also unsure as to how the descriptions of life and feelings of Muslims would chime with your average Muslim in the street. Do they really feel it as an oppressive thing? Whether or not an average Muslim would recognise their faith in this story, it was very well described and written and the author has clearly done a great deal of research.

The character of Steve was perhaps a little less successful as I never understood quite how he ticked. He was used to make a fair number of political points about the war but this was done in a reasonably integrated fashion and didn't feel too heavy handed.

I really enjoyed the book the whole way through and would have definitely awarded it five stars if it weren't for the end - which came before the end, to this reader's mind. The story stopped with one part of the tale concluded but what felt like an equally significant part not finished. Perhaps there's a follow-up story but I found myself cheated in not knowing what became of the fledgling relationship between Amy and another character and this led to some disappointment. Overall, though, this was an excellent book - especially as it's from a genre which I find usually rather unappealing.
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Rowena Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2014
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Another great read from Jeanette Windle. I found this book quite educational as well as I knew little about the Afghani culture. Jeanette Windles' books always carry a strong Christian message as well and as always I found this very helpful because a lot of the questions the characters ask and are asked regarding their faith are relevant to me.
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