On assignment in Darfur, Sudan, journalist Julia Keegan hopes to open the eyes of average Americans to the atrocities taking place there--and to distance herself from the shadow cast by her father. Even as she steels herself to face the horrors of genocide, Julia isn't prepared to face her own past. In the United States, Fred Keegan, a convicted murderer dying of cancer, asks young lawyer Joel Maartens to deliver a letter to his estranged daughter, Julia. When Joel and Julia meet in Sudan, they find their lives suddenly redefined by the injustice and violence around them, and both are forced to face truths they would rather leave concealed.

"When God one day wipes away all tears, I have no doubt some will be His own over the atrocities and suffering poured out on His precious little ones. In this extraordinary novel, Shannon Van Roekel brings vividly and accurately to life the horror of Darfur--and the shining torch of God's hope and love being raised high in that darkness. While global leaders sit inert on the sidelines of Sudan's genocide, Van Roekel has issued a clarion challenge for Christians to step forward as Christ's hands and feet and heart to the world's most oppressed. Let's heed it!"--Jeanette Windle, bestselling author of CrossFire and Veiled Freedom

"Shannon Van Roekel weaves a masterful and poignant account of the atrocities in Darfur. I tasted the tears and laughter on this true to life journey of unfathomable faith amidst despair, forgiveness in the face of evil, and hope as the protagonists find the ultimate prize. May her story move readers to prayer and action.--Anna Schmitt, Sudan Field Researcher, Waging Peace

"Desert Fire is a compelling argument for Western Christians to look closely at Sudan. It all seems so far away and the people seem so different from us. But beneath the skin we are joined at the heart with our Sudanese brothers and sisters and, but for the grace of God, it could've been us in their position. May the Lord continue to fill His Sudanese children with power, grace, and hope."--Jefferson Scott, author of the Sudan novel Operation: Firebrand: Crusade