Jeannie Opdyke Smith

"Jenny has turned away from God – but by no means has He given up on her."

The Other Side of Thirst: Confessions of a Desert Wanderer, is the debut novel from author Janina Smith. It is rare to find an author, who on their first attempt, can develop a character in a way that resonates so beautifully to the reader. Smith takes you on an emotional journey, riddled with the same trials and doubts that many women experience in their own lives. An unrelenting need to be loved, drives the main character from relationship to relationship, searching desperately for fulfillment.

It’s not difficult to see the autobiographical aspect of the storytelling. Although fiction, it resonates with truth at every page as the main character experiences hypocritical church goers, controlling men, abusive relationships, and the unspeakable pain of loss. Smith borrows from her own life experiences, along with the experiences of others, to create a world that runs parallel to the lives of many.

Beautiful words, inspired storytelling, and the author’s true passion for the Word of God, drives the message of this novel from beginning to end. Smith’s clear passion for quenching the thirst of the lost by exposing them to the relentless love of Jesus, is gloriously transformative. It is impossible for any reader to walk away from the words in this book, without an ignited curiosity for faith and the Lord.