A most reluctant convert

Acclaimed author Susannah McFarlane on meeting her birth mother and then, to her great dismay, God. 

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The EJ12 Girl Hero series, the EJ Spy School Series, D-Bot Squad, Boy vs Beast, Go Girl!, and Zac Power. For decades, Susannah McFarlane has been the author, publisher, and driving force behind some of Australia’s most popular children’s books.

In her 50s, Susannah met her birth mother for the first time but discovered - to her shock - that she was a Pentecostal Christian. A staunch atheist, Susannah tried to argue her mother out of belief, but in researching the historical claims of Christianity, found herself converted - reluctantly - to the faith instead.

In this episode of Life & Faith, we hear about Susannah’s reunion with her mother, the fallout - and also the joys - of coming to faith, and how this spinner of remarkable tales makes sense of the way her own story fits into the Christian story.

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EXPLORE

Heartlines: The year I met my other mother, co-authored with Robin Leuba

The story of your life, an episode of Life & Faith that also deals with the way people’s lives are story-shaped