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steffski's review against another edition
4.0
Love this entire series and how alive it makes scripture come!
rozenaut's review
5.0
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The author took a story that doesn't have a lot of space in the Bible and turned it into a really engaging book. I'd heard that it was a historical fiction based on the Old Testament, and hoped it would be at least somewhat interesting. To my delight, it was a real page-turner, and I tore through it in about two weeks. When you have two kids under 3, that's quite a thing! I loved the emphasis on trust in God, which is something we often forget.
jgraydee's review against another edition
5.0
This was recommended by a friend, who is leading a chronological study of the Bible. Since we are reading about the kings of Judah and Israel, she thought this book would be an excellent compliment to the study; she was correct! This is not the best book I've ever read (I.e. 5 stars), but it is a very good one and it made the (seemingly random) details of the Bible come alive. Names and places that I've read about in the Bible now have meaning and context for me. I was surprised how many details I could accurately find in the Bible. This is Book 1 of a series.
gmamartha's review against another edition
4.0
Hezekiah up thru his coronation.
2 Kings 16, 18; 2 Chron. 28, 29; Isaiah, Micah
2 Kings 16, 18; 2 Chron. 28, 29; Isaiah, Micah
aimeebrand's review against another edition
4.0
Historical fiction that I enjoyed. Wasn't difficult to get the picture in my mind as some historical fictions have been. Enjoyed it and looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
emeraldletter's review against another edition
3.0
Really interesting for Christians who know a lot of the context related to the Bible, but the actual storyline, characters and setting may not be as good without that context. Without context, I imagine the story could be confusing and it wasn't explained properly for those without that context.
melanie_books's review
4.0
It's the middle of the night when young Hezekiah and his brother are pulled out of their beds and taken outside of the city of Jerusalem with their half-brothers. They are brought to the Valley of Hinnom, where a statue of the god Molech awaits them. Hezekiah watches in horror as his brother, and the first-born of the noblemen, are sacrificed. Scarred from what he has witnessed, Hezekiah finds comfort only in the presence of his mother and his grandfather, the priest Zechariah, who teaches him God's Word. But in some of the darkest days of Judah's history, nearly everyone around Hezekiah worships idols, having abandoned Yahweh. While some righteous men still prophecy, it seems as though their words are drowned out by evil that has taken hold of the land.
I tend to be quite skeptical of Biblical historical fiction as there are just so many ways that it can go awry - either by a departure from the truth & history or by the author going wild creatively. I was pleasantly surprised to find that was not the case with this story. While creative license is taken, it is all done within the scope of Scripture and brings the story to life. The author paints a vivid picture of what it would have been like to live in such a wicked time, surrounded by idol worship. Reading the story gave me insight into the culture of the day as well as the people I've read about in Scripture. Though the story is predominately about Hezekiah, we also get the perspectives of 7 or 8 other participants in the story, which was interesting. The only thing I didn't love was the pacing - there are big time jumps throughout the story that were a bit jarring. Other than that, it was a great retelling!
I tend to be quite skeptical of Biblical historical fiction as there are just so many ways that it can go awry - either by a departure from the truth & history or by the author going wild creatively. I was pleasantly surprised to find that was not the case with this story. While creative license is taken, it is all done within the scope of Scripture and brings the story to life. The author paints a vivid picture of what it would have been like to live in such a wicked time, surrounded by idol worship. Reading the story gave me insight into the culture of the day as well as the people I've read about in Scripture. Though the story is predominately about Hezekiah, we also get the perspectives of 7 or 8 other participants in the story, which was interesting. The only thing I didn't love was the pacing - there are big time jumps throughout the story that were a bit jarring. Other than that, it was a great retelling!
rchluther's review
3.75
Great compelling book! While I had some issues here and there, overall I really enjoyed the story and it made me think about my own faith.
trishnouvelle's review
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
:-) this book put all the hard to grasp information from the book of Kings, Chronicles, and Isaiah into a timeline and it was so interesting to see how all of it worked together as God’s plans. I’d love to read more books like this
gaylebn's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the fleshing out of characters in the Biblical account of Judah.
Reread for book club, January-February 2023. There was a lot I had forgotten in this book but the main events remained. I like the way the author stuck to the Biblical account yet made the characters come alive. She has obviously researched the period and culture, and I found it interesting that human nature hasn’t changed much.
Reread for book club, January-February 2023. There was a lot I had forgotten in this book but the main events remained. I like the way the author stuck to the Biblical account yet made the characters come alive. She has obviously researched the period and culture, and I found it interesting that human nature hasn’t changed much.