Danielle Grift

Distant Starlight Danielle Grift

Eight years have slipped by since Ariela Leyton last heard her father call her "my starlight"-since she last lifted her face to soak in the tenderness of his eyes and wonder at the joy etched on his face. Ariela had never given up believing she was her daddy's starlight. When Ariela's beloved brother, Alexander, announces he is moving to accept a pastoral role in another province, Ariela has little time to grieve. Instead, she is forced to be strength to her Arab friend Fahada, who discovers that ISIS has destroyed her old Pakistani home and, possibly, her family there. Caught up in the turmoil of Fahada's chaotic life, Ariela is not prepared for how deep it will take her. After visiting the hospital one dreadful day, Ariela's sense of identity is shaken and she must set out to forge a new self. Although distracted by a blossoming romance, Ariela cannot avoid her friend's advice forever-nor the surprises within a gifted shoebox. "Jesus is worth it. Always," Fahada had said. Yet, with all Ariela is holding God accountable for, she cannot imagine how this could be true.