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Author: Connilyn Cossette
Published By: Bethany House Publishers (2017)
Synopsis: Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting and survival. When her family is killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving.
Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, is shocked to find an unconscious, wounded woman among the Canaanite casualties. Compelled to bring her to a Hebrew healer back at their camp, he is soon confronted with a truth he can’t ignore: the only way to protect this enemy is to marry her.
Unused to being weak and vulnerable, Alanah submits to the marriage—for now. As she comes to know and respect Tobiah and his people, however, she begins to second-guess her plans of escape. But when her past has painfully unanticipated consequences, the tentative peace she’s found with Tobiah, the Hebrews, and Yahweh is shaken to the core. Can Alanah’s fierce heart and strength withstand the ensuing threats to her life and all she’s come to love? (Taken from Goodreads)
Review:
This series is truly a work of literature. A very mature work of literature, however; I would not recommend any reader younger than fourteen reading this. The author does not skip over more mature scenes, but instead narrates them with delicacy and yet not ignorance.
This story tells the tale of Alanah, a Canaanite woman who disguises herself as a soldier in order to fight the Hebrews, who, in her eyes, took everything from her. Blind to the true atrocities around her, she embarks in battle and imagines how wonderful the feeling will surely be of striking down her Hebrew nemeses. However, it doesn’t go quite as planned and as she’s lying dying on the field, she gets rescued—by a Hebrew man who decides to take her as his wife in order to follow the Law. Will Alanah continue to fight against the Hebrews or will her eyes be opened to a truth she’s been missing?
First of all, I love Biblical fiction, and this series has cemented that fact in my mind. I learn so much and I love the opportunity to see our faith through such a different angle. The author does such a phenomenal job reimagining the lives and journeys of everyday Hebrews based only on few accounts in the Bible. I loved the tie in with Rahab’s story; it was so striking and emotional down to the core.
This book took my breath away. Seeing God’s glory through the eyes of the Hebrews was magnificent, and experiencing firsthand the horrors of Canaan had me nearly in tears. The horrific city is not glorified or described in endless detail, but not skirted around, either. All in all, I came away with a better understanding of not only the Bible story, but of the God whom I serve.
The characters arcs are magnificent. I loved the tie-ins with the previous books, of course; I love how every book is connected but separate at the same time. Alanah became such an incredible woman over the course of the story, and Tobiah was fantastic. Moriyah was a little underdeveloped at first, but she grew fast.
Negative Content/Notes:
No negative content, but some dark themes. Prostitution is discussed/addressed several times, though not dirtily. The book does not avoid discussing things such as temple horrors where there were sacrifices of infants and women. The author handles everything gently, but she does not skirt away from anything. Reading about all the awfulness that took place in Canaan was almost too much for me.
Overall: To all mature readers who want to understand these familiar Bible stories in a whole new eye opening way: read it.
Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Recommended to: Ages 14 +. Maybe even older.