A Christian in the Land of the Gods: Journey of Faith in Japan (January 2016, Cascade Books, Wipf and Stock Publishers) is Joanna Reed Shelton’s debut narrative nonfiction about her great-grandfather’s life and work as a Protestant missionary in nineteenth-century Japan. The book offers an often poignant insight into hardships and challenges faced by missionaries working to plant their faith in a country just emerging from two and a half centuries of self-imposed seclusion. The narrative also proves that one person can change lives more than he or she ever realizes. The book has been nominated for a Christianity Today 2017 Book Award for history/biography. After long public service in international trade and economic policy at the national and international level, Shelton teaches adults and undergraduates at the University of Montana. In addition to being an author of professional books and many articles, Shelton writes a monthly column for the Missoulian’s Sunday business section.