Forbidden Child by Gwen Newell

It seems safe to assume that those who read this article are already familiar with the mission statement of New Saint Andrews College and the focus to “graduate leaders shaping culture under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.” Many graduates have accepted the calling of storyteller. They are shaping souls through their writing; souls who will then go on to shape culture within a biblical framework of belief nurtured by skillful writing and good stories.

Gwen Newell received her undergraduate degree from NSA in 2010 and then a graduate degree in creative writing through NSA’s MFA program in 2022. Her first book, a middle-grade dystopian novel, was published in 2023. The Forbidden Child does not shy away from the darkness of a fallen world, but it approaches the matter in a wholly biblical manner. The book is rich with biblical imagery and extrabiblical historical imagery, as well as consistent with the reality of Man’s fallen nature and God’s grace. Some things Gwen enjoys besides writing are reading, cooking with her young son, taking walks with her husband, having friends over for coffee, listening to Christmas music too early, and learning to quilt.

Gwen Newell succeeds in accurately portraying both good and evil, and the contrast between them. The main character, Piper, is a thirteen-year-old girl who has lived her entire life on the Escape, a cruise ship containing all that is left of America after a global flood forty years before. She has been loyal to the Escape and the Godmother, but is faced with a decision concerning the fate of a baby (or “illegal organism”) she finds.

Gwen is currently working on a swashbuckling, tropical adventure novel for 10 to 14-year-olds. “If I had to compare it to something, I’d say think of The Silver Chair set in the time of Elizabeth I, with ships and sword fights and jungle galore.” 

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Thank you for your interview, Gwen! We are looking forward to your next book!