Book: Arms of Freedom

Author: Kathleen Neely

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Release date: October 6, 2021

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“Arms of Freedom” by Kathleen Neely is an arresting story of two women who lived in different time spans, that captures our instant attention from start to finish. In some age-old journals hidden in the heart of her farmhouse, Annie Gentry discovers a common bond with Charlotte, who once lived there in the tumultuous 1860’s. One lived with wealth and the other with poverty, but both knew the binding bonds of captivity. Both longed to be free. The Civil War had ended, but freedom is still elusive. Charlotte covets a life free from shame to her family, a life where she can make a difference. Will her fragile hope be heartlessly wrested from her? The journals end abruptly with a climax, leaving Annie to wonder what ultimately happened to Charlotte and whether she ever found the elusive freedom her aching heart so desperately longed for?

Annie Gentry had two lives, one as a simple woman and the other as a super model with a pseudonym, Miriam, and a collective net worth of millions. Adopting her own name, Annie Gentry, she alters her appearance, to live a simple life unrecognised, caring for her grandmother, in rural South Carolina. All goes as planned until she meets a man who is interested in her and the simple life he lives.

All people are created in God’s image, loved by Him, created for a purpose, called to unity, to raise our arms of freedom to the Savior who saved us from sin.

Read on to find out what exactly happened in this captivating book of women’s fiction, as Annie’s story intersects with Charlotte’s story from 150 years earlier, both experiencing a dramatic coming-of-age, as they desperately seek to escape from the binding bonds of captivity.

About the Author

Kathleen Neely is a retired elementary principal, and enjoys time with family, visiting her two grandsons, traveling, and reading.

She is the author of The Street Singer, Beauty for Ashes, The Least of These, Arms of Freedom, and In Search of True North. Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story “The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her novel, The Least of These, was awarded first place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost an Author. She has numerous devotions published through Christian Devotions.

Kathleen continues to speak to students about writing and publication processes. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

More from Kathleen

I’d like to introduce myself and then share a little bit about my book, Arms of Freedom. I am a retired educator having taught preschool, fourth grade, and then moving into administration as an elementary principal. When I retired, I pursued my desire to write. My first novel, The Least of These, won first place in a contest titled Fresh Voices. That honor renewed my confidence, and since then, I’ve written five novels. Arms of Freedom is my first timeslip (dual timeline) novel.

Arms of Freedom was birthed during a time of racial tension in our nation; a time when social injustice and protests were forefront in the news. Many publishers safely avoided manuscripts with any mention of racial issues—perhaps a wise decision from a business perspective.

However, failure to look at our past denies us the opportunity to learn from history. Our fear of offending can push major historical offenses into a dark closet. I chose to illuminate those offenses by launching this book. Following the Civil War, the period of twelve years known as Reconstruction was perhaps the most brutal period of racial terrorism. The contents may be hard to read. I confess that I often wrote through tears.

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