Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Mabel Ninan & Far From Home

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Far From Home by Mabel Ninan, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I’m delighted to have Mabel on the blog today for a chat about her book – this topic is so close to my heart!

FAR FROM HOME by Mabel Ninan
GENRE: Christian / Non-Fiction / Spiritual Growth
PUBLISHER: Iron Stream
RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2022
PAGES: 205

Explore the intersection between culture, identity, and faith in this new release from an earthly immigrant who gained a spiritual perspective.

What is my purpose? Why do I exist? A sense of self and belonging are two questions many of us struggle to answer.

And what if you are a foreigner in another land?

How does one adjust to a new culture? Discover their place in a new society?

For Mabel Ninan, born and raised in India and an immigrant in America shortly after marriage, the search for those answers sent her on a journey that led to an unexpected and exciting discovery.

God revealed she was not only an earthly immigrant but also a spiritual one, created with a unique calling to impact His kingdom. Mabel’s renewed perspective imbued her with joy and hope, urging her to share the message with others.

Drawing from her personal experiences and by examining the lives of biblical heroes, Mabel sheds light on what it means to live as a citizen of Heaven on earth. Far from Home will inspire you to:

• Embrace your identity as a foreigner on earth.

• Make your home with God.

• Find community and common purpose with fellow sojourners.

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Hi Mabel! Welcome to the blog!

Mabel: I prefer winter to summer because I get headaches from the heat. We almost never take a vacation during the summer.

Carrie: i’m with you – i stay indoors as much as humanly possible in the summer.

Mabel: I’m a dog person. I love cats but I’m allergic to them. Funny fact – I longed for a dog as a little girl but we our landlord in India did not grant us permission to keep one. The landlord’s daughter told me it was his old age that made him intolerant of dogs and that I could keep a dog only after his death. So I patiently waited for him to die. He breathed his last in his 90’s. I had turned eighteen years of age by then and I adopted my first dog, Jack, a Lhasa Apso mix.

Carrie: aww i’m glad you finally got your dog!

Mabel: Tea with milk and lots of sugar.

Carrie: i might like it if i tried it that way lol

Mabel: Netflix. I hardly ever watch Hallmark.

Carrie: I mostly watch Hallmark for the mysteries & the reruns like Murder She Wrote & Diagnosis Murder 🙂

Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Mabel: I can speak, read, and write four languages (English, Telugu, Hindi, and French). I love the sound of different languages and believe in the power of language to connect people.

Carrie: i love that! When I taught ESOL, I was always amazed at my student’s ability to learn languages – for some English was their third or fourth or fifth(!) language. I loved hearing their languages of origin, too. One of my fave memories is all of us singing Silent Night in our first languages – so meaningful!

Q: Tell me some good books you’ve read recently.

Mabel: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, The Sympathizer by Viet Thahn Nguyen, The Sacred Journey by Frederick Buechner, and Where the Light Fell by Philip Yancey.

Carrie: I need to reread The Book Thief one of these days. I didn’t care for it the first time, but so many people love it that I think I just maybe wasn’t in the right mood to read it properly.

Q: Do you have any strange writing habits/quirks?

Mabel: I do my best writing seated in my chair at my home office with a hot water bag behind my back. I also cover the lower half of my body with a blanket so I feel warm and cozy.

Carrie: oh that does sound cozy!

Q: Why is the theme of Far From Home important to you?

Mabel: The theme of Far from Home is important because we have overlooked the importance and power of our identity as foreigners on earth. This helps us detach ourselves from earthly pleasures and charms and attach ourselves to the things that matter most.

Carrie: so true!

Q: What is something that surprised you the most while researching Far From Home?

Mabel: I was surprised to find out that almost all the biblical patriarchs of faith were immigrants who were on the move, lived in between cultures and thrived in foreign countries, while holding fast to their identity as people of God.

Carrie: oh wow! I had never thought about that before… HOW did I miss that?!?

Q: What is something God taught you while you wrote Far From Home?

Mabel: God taught me patience. There is so much waiting involved in publishing that I’ve learned to identify and appreciate the blessings of waiting on God. It has built my trust in Him and confidence in His goodness and wisdom. God’s timing is always perfect and good for me.

Carrie: amen ♥

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Mabel: I’m working on two potential book projects – The first is a 40-day journey with Jesus that I originally wrote as a Lent devotional two years ago. The second is a collection of personal essays on my immigrant experience meant for the general market. Depending on the response I get for Far from Home, I might write a companion devotional.

Born and raised in the minority Christian community in India, Mabel Ninan moved to the US in 2008 shortly after getting married. In nearly thirteen years of her marriage, her family has called ten different places across two continents and seven cities home. The challenges Mabel faced as an immigrant on the move led to a spiritual crisis that drew her nearer to God’s side where she learned valuable lessons about how to live as a citizen of heaven. Her mission is to inspire believers to embrace their pilgrim journey on earth and boldly pursue their heavenly calling. A contributor to Guideposts’ All God’s Creatures: Daily Devotions for Animal Lovers 2022, Mabel’s writings have appeared in The Upper Room, CBN.com, Leading Hearts Magazine, and (in)courage.me. She hosts a YouTube podcast called Immigrant Faith Stories where she shares testimonies of immigrants, refugees, missionaries, and cross-cultural ministry leaders. She has been serving in various roles in women’s ministry for almost a decade. Mabel enjoys reading, traveling, and dancing, but nothing gives her more joy than having conversations about the Bible. Mabel is pursuing M.A. in Theological Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She lives with her husband, son, and Maltese pup in Northern California.

CONNECT WITH MABEL: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

(1) winner will receive a paperback copy of Far from Home, a customized notepad and bookmark (eco-friendly products made by rural artisans in India help sustain endangered art forms and secure livelihoods), access to digital resources (including a recipe booklet, teaching videos, and audio prayers), and a $30 Amazon gift card.

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight July 11, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 18, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

This giveaway is hosted by JustRead Tours, not RimSP
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

What about you? What makes you want to read Far From Home by Mabel Ninan?