WOW.
That's all I can say about my first dip into the biblical fiction genre. This is the first book I've read by Connilyn Cossette and it surpassed all my expectations of what this type of book would be like. First off, I want to clarify that biblical fiction is basically a story set in Bible times (this one was set at the time when Israel's first king, King Saul, was chosen and the first year of his reign). Most of the characters will be fictional (like Avidan, Keziah, and Imati just to name a few), but some of them will be from the Bible (e.g. Samuel the Seer and Jonathan--Saul's son). There were SO MANY quotes I wanted to share with you, especially the closer I got to the end of the story, but I pinned it down to this one, from the heroine Keziah's perspective. "Without her, I never would have found the Rehavites. Never known what it was like to love a man like I did Avi or hear stories that so profoundly changed the way I saw the God of my ancestors. No longer did I fear the one who had crushed Egypt. I now understood how he offered mercy and protection to those who called on his name, guidance to those who sought his wisdom, and steadfast love to all of humankind from the very beginning." This book made me so thankful for the biblical truths we so often take for granted now. Back then, they couldn't see how the future would play out. They couldn't look back at Christ's incarnation, life on earth, death, and resurrection as the ultimate proof of God's love for them. Yet still, they had hope. They were looking ahead to the promise of a Holy One to come, even if they couldn't fully understand it. I was so blessed by this book! Thank you for writing this story, Connilyn, and for reminding us of the God who loved us long before we ever came to know Him. <3 About the book (from the back cover) As the eldest son of a Levite and a Philistine, Avidan is torn between his duty to his family legacy and the desire for something more. After an enemy attack strikes close to home, he takes the opportunity to fight with his cousins for the newly crowned King Saul. But when one of the cousins goes missing during the battle, Avidan refuses to leave him behind. Keziah is the daughter of one of the most powerful clan chiefs in the territory of Manasseh. On the brink of a forced marriage to a loathsome man decades older than her, she has no choice but to run, hoping to find sanctuary with her mother's family. United during their journeys and battling to survive the dangers that surround them, Avidan and Keziah make a pact to travel together. As challenges pile up, they must not only rely on each other to stay alive but also learn to trust the true and eternal King of Israel to guide their every step.
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AuthorHi! I'm Carolyn, a writer seeking to glorify God with my words. Archives
February 2024
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