"His name is Ashish. His name is Blessing. The boy is my blessing." Virat and Latha named their son Ashish, for he is the light and glory of their world. Yet a simple drink of water from the wrong cup changes them forever. Virat, Latha, and Ashish are Untouchables in 1905 India, members of a caste who must never contaminate the world of the other, higher, castes. When Ashish is in desperate need of a doctor, Virat risks everything to save his son and ventures into the dangerous realm of the high caste. There, the strength of a father's love, the power of a young British nurse, and the faith of a child change the lives around them. "Kay Strom has penned a high-powered suspense novel using her extensive overseas research and her experiences in third world countries. A master in creating the unexpected." - DiAnn Mills, Christy Award winner and author of Pursuit of Justice, The Fire in Ember, and Under a Desert Sky "Author Kay Marshall Strom, in her professional yet heart-rending style, has penned another story that will open the eyes and change the lives of her readers. This is an exquisitely written tale of hope and faith in the midst of difficulties born out of superstition and bondage. I am already anxiously awaiting the sequel!"- Kathi Macias, award-winning author of more than 30 books, including the popular Extreme Devotion series "Do not miss this historical, inspirational novel by Kay Marshall Strom. It will touch your heart." - FreshFiction.comThe Faith of Ashish by Kay Marshall Strom

The Blessing in India series is a saga set in India s heartbreaking history and breathtaking present that points toward a future of hope. Along the way, name-only Christianity collides with Hinduism, and then is confronted by an entirely new understanding of the call to follow Christ. India: 1946. For forty-eight years, Ashish and his family toiled as slaves in the fields of the high-caste Lal family, and all because of one small debt. At fifty-four, Ashish was old and worn out. Every day was a struggle to survive for his family including his only daughter. His wife had named the girl Shridula Blessings. Perhaps the name will bring you more fortune than it brought me, Ashish told his daughter. His words proved to be prophetic in ways he could never have imagined. And when the flames of revolt brought independence to India, they seared change into the family of Ashish.

India 1990. In the final book of the Blessings of India series, Shridula, old and stooped at fifty-nine, makes her painful way to pay homage to the elephant god Ganesh, lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. Why are we Hindus instead of Christians her seventeen-year-old granddaughter Divena asked. Because we are Indian, said Shridula. So begins a spiritual journey for Divena as she struggles against an entire culture to proclaim a faith close to her heart while rocking the world of two families.