Taking You Under My Skin: A Novel about Love, War, and the Unreached

by Marvin J. Newell

Publisher:

William Carey Publishing

, 2025

Overview

An Unexpected Journey of Obedience

In the foothills of northwest Laos, an unreached tribal group lives unaware of the gospel—until an American army medic is captured and brought to their village. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, Taking You Under My Skin imagines a mountain tribe’s encounter with Jesus and how it transforms their lives forever. 

Follow the gripping journey of Mike Neilson as he miraculously escapes death to become a messenger of life. During his captivity, his fiancée, Lisa, clings to hope as she patiently waits for his return. She dedicates herself to translating the Bible into a previously unwritten dialect in a neighboring country—never knowing that Mike is nearby. Will their paths cross again? Perfect for readers who appreciate historical fiction, wartime drama, and stories of unwavering faith, this book will inspire and challenge you to consider what it truly means to embrace God’s calling—no matter the cost. 

Contents

Prologue

Xiangkhoang Plateau (Plain of Jars), Southeast Asia | 351 BC 

1 Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania | Summer 1969

2 Ban Phong Village, Northwest Laos | April 1970

3 Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania | July 1970 

4 Northeastern Laos | October 1970

5 Fort Polk, Louisiana | Fall 1970 

6 Leesville and Fort Polk, Louisiana | Fall 1970 

7 Ban Phong Village, Northwest Laos | November 1970 

8 Bucks County, Pennsylvania | December 1970 

9 Nha Trang, South Vietnam | January 1971 

10 Plain of Jars, Laos | February 1971 

11 Chicago, Illinois | Mid-February 1971 

12 Plain of Jars, Laos | February 1971 

13 Plain of Jars, Laos | February 23, 1971 

14 Bedford Springs, PA | Last week of February 1971 

15 Chicago, Illinois | Last week of February 1971 

16 Northern Laos | Last week of February 1971 

17 Ban Phong, Laos | March 1971 

18 Ban Phong, Laos | March 1971 

19 Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania | July 1971 

20 Chicago, Illinois | October 1971 

21 Ban Phong, Laos | Fall 1971

22 Chiang Rai, Thailand | Summer 1972 

23 Ban Phong, Laos | Summer 1972 

24 Chiang Rai, Thailand | Spring 1973 

25 Ban Phong, Laos | Spring 1973 

26 Paris, France | Fall 1972—Winter 1973 

27 Ban Phong, Laos | Spring 1974 

28 Ban Phong, Laos | Spring 1974 

29 Chiang Rai, Thailand | Summer 1974 

30 Ban Phong, Laos | Summer 1974

31 Northeast Thailand | Late Summer 1974

32 Ban Phong, Laos | Fall 1975 

33 Washington DC | July 1976 

34 Ban Phong, Laos | August 1978 

35 Chiang Rai, Thailand | August 1978 

36 Ban Phong, Laos | June 1981 

37 Chiang Rai, Thailand | June 1981 

38 Ban Phong, Laos | September 1990 

39 Chiang Khong, Thailand | January 1991 

40 Hua Xa, Laos | 1992–1996

41 Pennsylvania | September—October 1996

42 Ban Phong, Laos | October—December 1996 

43 Hua Xa, Laos | Late December 1996 

44 Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania | Spring 1997 

Epilogue 

Praise for Taking You Under My Skin

You will love this book because it tells an amazing story of love, faith, and the surprising ways God works—all within the context of the Vietnam War. This is a hopeful and inspiring book that will challenge you to think about the power of God, the call to missions, and what it means to walk by faith in the darkest seasons of life. The book has surprising twists and turns that will keep you turning pages until the very end. Only a veteran missionary like Marv Newell could bring a story like this to life. 

-Stephen Leston, DBS, Resident Missiologist, To Every Tribe

Having read much of Dr. Marv Newell’s excellent missiological non-fiction, I was not surprised to be blown away by his cross-over into fiction. Taking You Under My Skin is a powerfully and poignantly told story of love, loss, sacrifice, and ultimate redemption set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. And, yes, Marv’s passion for global missions is here with a heart-pounding suspense twist. When a “Missing in Action” notice rips apart a young couple’s dream of taking God’s Word to unreached people groups, they could never envision how their grief-laden, yet faith-filled journey of separation would lead to new “tongues, tribes, and nations” rejoicing before God’s throne. If there is an overarching message in this tale of human conflict, cruelty, chaos, and pain, it is that God wins! Always! Ultimately! As the title conveys, this story will get under your skin and change forever your understanding of God’s victorious purpose in our greatest trials and deepest valleys.

-Jeanette Windle, Author, Veiled Freedom (ECPA Christian Book Award/Christy Award finalist), Freedom’s Stand (ECPA Christian Book Award/Carol Award finalist), Congo Dawn (Golden Scroll Novel of the Year)

Taking You Under My Skin invites you on a journey of heartache and hope, sacrifice and joy. This story of costly obedience to the Great Commission reminds us not only of our responsibility but also the privilege of taking the gospel where it is yet to be known.

-Sue Eenigenburg, Author, Screams in the Desert and Grit To Stay, Grace To Go

In Taking You Under My Skin, Marv Newell weaves together the challenges of being called to serve God while also serving one’s nation. Most intriguing is how God uses this seeming clash of events in the lives of young missionaries to transform the lives of tribal groups through the gospel message of love and forgiveness.

-Jeff McLinden, Executive Director, Alliance for the Unreached

This book is very captivating! The war account is true to reality and very similar to what I experienced. In fact, it brought back many memories, as well as praises to God for evacuating me out of the battle zone and back to safety and medical attention. The helicopter coming to take you back to base when you are wounded has such a special sound. The battle describing the spiritual world is just as captivating and dangerous. Being carried to safety is not done by a helicopter but on the wings of prayer. This book challenges you to a higher level of dedication and service. 

-Jesse Stout, SP4 11 B 20 Co. B 1rst Bn 6th Inf 198th IB, Wounded Vietnam War Veteran

I have read and proofed many books, but I’m not sure I have ever been so transfixed by a novel as this one. The way Marv Newell deliberately took the title and made it keep appearing throughout the book was amazing! The novel is AMAZING! After reading it, I found myself wondering how I might better use my life to share Jesus with others. 

-Dawn Jones, Professional copyeditor 

In a world of shifting priorities and constantly changing trends, this book is a refreshing return to the things that matter most: faithful love and faithful proclamation of the gospel. Taking You Under My Skin simultaneously surprises and comforts, challenges and reassures. Readers cannot step into the forgotten world(s) of this story without being changed in some way. 

-Rebekah Farber, Missionary serving in Thailand for over ten years

Taking You Under My Skin is a masterpiece! It takes an experienced missiologist and practitioner like Marv Newell to write such a compelling novel with a dramatic storyline. The heartfelt concern for the lost, as well as the sacrifice and urgency needed to provide gospel access to unreached people groups, is masterfully portrayed. 

-Ken Katayama, President, Crossover Global

Product Details

• Title: Taking You Under My Skin: A Novel about Love, War, and the Unreached
• Author: Marvin J. Newell
• Publisher: William Carey Publishing
• Print Publication Date: 2025
• Logos Release Date: 2025
• Pages: 290
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Ebook
• ISBNs: 9781645086574, 9781645086567, 1645086569, 1645086577
• Resource ID: LLS:9781645086574
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-05-07T07:44:48Z