Amena’s Quest, a Parable

I met Holli Fry at a writers’ conference some months ago and immediately recognized her as one of those people who make you feel cheerful just by being around them. I expect that ability is one of her many gifts. Holli writes children’s books in a genre generally known as Christian fiction and often states that her purpose for writing is to bring glory to God. I believe she succeeds in doing so in her middle-grade novel titled Amena’s Quest.

Holli describes her novel as a parable, while some have designated it an allegory. I do not intend to split hairs. It is an imaginative story that largely parallels or illustrates the gospel story found in the Bible. Amena’s Quest takes place on Sojourn, described as “a small natural satellite…of the planet Limbula” that “revolves around the great star Solace.” On Sojourn, Amena and her family live within a fanciful agrarian landscape where farms and small-town families subsist on such crops as hopa seeds—an almost magical fist-size seed that can easily be boiled into soft dumplings or quick-fried into biscuits, a delicious green known as fielta fronds, and the newly introduced leaves of the laifa plant—a money crop of much culinary versatility though bitter in taste.  

Amena, is a girl who lives with her mother, father, and younger brother Regent. They have a simple and happy life predicated on hard work and strong familial love until Amena’s mother becomes inexplicably ill, as do many others in their community. When Mama grows worse instead of better, Amena brings in some leaves her great grandmama gave her years before, pulled from a tree that once grew on their property. The tree was so beautiful that it refreshed everyone who came around it. The leaves of the tree had writing on them. Amena reminds her papa that Great Grandmama always spoke about “the king” and so they read the verses on the leaves. Buoyed by these words that spoke of the king’s healing power and gave reference to him being in the north, Amena and Papa leave Regent behind to take care of Mama and embark on a treacherous journey to find the king who heals. In so doing, they find new life for them all.

Holli has written an exciting story on the theme of God’s love, redemption, and care. You can find a copy of her book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099XMMKM4