I really looked forward to reading Mesu Andrew's new book Isaiah's Daughter
when it came out so I was delighted to have the opportunity to review
an early release copy. I love Andrew's novels because they are what I
like to call Biblical fiction. She chooses a character from the Bible
and brings him or her to life in a way that I have always yearned to know
them. So often when I read the Bible I think, I sure would love to know
the rest of the story. Ms. Andrews doesn't claim to have any more
details than God gives us in Scripture (she is a FICTION writer,
remember), but she adds many historical details and brings in other
characters as needed to make a well rounded tale. Her books are always
fascinating to read and Isaiah's Daughter was no exception.
The
prophet Isaiah is one of the major prophets in the Old Testament. He
was the voice of God to God's people, the Israelites, when they were
divided into two nations: Israel and Judah. This book takes place
during the reign of Judean Kings Ahaz and Hezekiah around 700BC. I Kings 16:30 says that Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. Ahab's son, King Hezekiah, on the other hand, did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. (I
Kings 2:18:3). There is much excitement and intrigue in this battle of
good and evil and caught up in the midst of it is the Prophet Isaiah.
The
Bible tells us that Isaiah was married to a prophetess and names two
sons. It is not known to us if he had more children or if any of them
were daughters. Isaiah's daughter is therefore fiction, a character drawn from
Andrew's imagination. But she is a character who leaps to life from
the pages of the book and one whom you will be interested in from the
first chapter. Her story is a fascinating and Mesu Andrews
weaves it beautifully with the Biblical narrative. It is a wonderful
read!
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
