A Passionate Hope Book Review

Daughters of the Promised Land

Hannah's Story

Book Four

SUMMARY:  Can one woman's prayers change the world?

     Hannah and her husband, Elkanah, share a deep and abiding love for each other, for their God, and for His tabernacle at Shiloh.  Greatly disturbed by the corruption of the priests, they long for restoration and pray for a deliverer.  But nothing changes as the years pass.  Years that also reveal Hannah to be barren.

     Pressured by his family to take another wife, Elkanah marries Peninnah, who quickly begins to bear children.  Disgraced and taunted by her husband's new wife, Hannah turns again to prayers that seem doomed to go unanswered.  Do her devotions and kindness in the face of Peninnah's cruelty count for nothing?  Will God remain silent and indifferent to her pleas?

     Travel back to the dusty streets of Shiloh with an expert guide as Jill Eileen Smith brings to life a beloved story of hope, patience, and deliverance that shows that even the most broken of relationships can be restored.

REVIEW:  Since Hannah has always been a favorite bible heroine of mine, I was excited to get Jill Eileen Smith's latest novel.  As I turned the pages, I was taken back to the time after the judges when the priests were corrupt and hope seems lost and God distant.  My heart cried with Hannah's struggles of infertility, disappointing her husband, and listening to the taunts of first her in-laws then her sister-wife.  While she puts on a happy face for the world, I could feel Hannah's struggles and the pain of her barrenness.  I like how the author expresses Hannah's turmoil, Peninnah's bitterness and Elkanah's struggle.  She also does a wonderful job showing how the corruption of the priests affects the nation of Israel and the people.  It was interesting to see how Hannah might have dealt with Samuel's birth and then giving him back to God with all the impropriety and turmoil at the tabernacle.  The strength she had and the trust in Yahweh was awe-inspiring!!  One of the most surprising, and enjoyable, parts was the end.

     As usual, Jill Eileen Smith does an excellent job.  If you like biblical fiction, you will love Hannah's story.  Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

 

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the Wives of King David, the Wives of the Patriarchs, the Loves of King Solomon, and the Daughters of the Promised Land series.  Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible of Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.  Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.  Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com.

The Prophetess Book Review

Daughters of the Promised Land Series

Book Two

Deborah's Story

SUMMARY:  Canaan has ravaged Israel.  The people are in hiding.  All that stands between surrender and hope is one untested woman.

     Deborah will never forget the day her father and brothers left to worship at the Lord's tabernacle - or the wails of her mother after finding their bodies at the city gates.  The memories of Canaan's cruelty haunt her and all of Israel.  Now in this dark time, the Lord calls on Deborah to lead His people away from the idols of other nations and back to Him.

     Deborah never asked to be a prophetess or a judge over God's people.  Still, she cannot deny His voice or the visions that accompany it.  Can her family ever understand?  Will her people believe God's calling on her life?  And can the Canaanite menace be stopped?

     With her trademark impeccable research and imaginative storytelling, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the story of Israel's most powerful woman in this intriguing and inspiring novel.

REVIEW:  As always, Jill Eileen Smith brings the story of Deborah to light with wonderful detail and vision.  The story of the judge Deborah is only two chapters long in the book of Judges, with one chapter being the song that she sang after Barak's defeat of Sisera and the Canaanite army.  Using the little information provided and her masterful imagination, the author does an excellent job creating characters that her readers can relate to and understand.  Deborah is reluctant to act as a judge, being that she is only a woman, but is quickly admired and sought out for her godly wisdom.   Barak still grieves for his wife that was killed years earlier by the Canaanites and is determined to fight to free Israel from their grasp.  There are many other characters that come to life and really help fuel the story. Heber the Kenite, Jael his wife, their daughter Daniyah, Deborah's husband Lappidoth, their daughter Talya all make this biblical story seem like it happened exactly this way.  It also helped me better understand this period of judges ruling the province and the idol worship that kept God's blessings at bay and the cruelness of terrorism on their doorsteps.

      As always, if you've never read a book by Jill Eileen Smith, you need to pick this one up, along with all of her others.  Even though this is the second book in the Daughters of the Promised Land series, it is a complete stand alone.  Make sure you check it and her others out.

 

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

 

Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Wives of King David series and The Crimson Cord, as well as the Wives of the Patriarchs and the loves of King Solomon series.  Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.  She lives with her family in southeast Michigan.  She loves to hear from her readers.  Contact her at www.jilleileensmith.com, or follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jilleileensmith or Twitter @JillEileenSmith. 

The Crimson Cord Book Review

Daughters of the Promised Land

Book One

Rahab's Story

SUMMARY:  Wife to a gambler who took one too many risks, Rahab finds herself sold as a slave to cover her husband's debt. Forced into prostitution, she despairs of ever regaining her freedom and her self-respect.  But when Israelite spies enter Jericho and come to lodge at her house, Rahab sees a glimmer of hope and the opportunity of a lifetime.

     In one risky moment, she takes a leap of faith, puts her trust in a God she does not know, and vows to protect the spies from the authorities.  When the armies of Israel arrive weeks later, Rahab hopes they will keep their promise, but she has no idea what kind of challenges await her outside Jericho's walls - or if she will ever know the meaning of love.

     Under Jill Eileen Smith's talented hand, the familiar story of Rahab bursts forth in high definition.  Immerse yourself in a world of dark and dusty streets, clandestine meetings, and daring escapes as a mysterious biblical figure claims her full humanity - and a permanent place in your heart.

REVIEW:  Rahab's story has always been one that fascinated me.  The bible doesn't go into great detail about how she became a prostitute, how she came to believe in the one true God or her life after joining the Israelites.  Jill Eileen Smith does an excellent job filling in those gaps with her version of Rahab's life journey.  At times, it's not an easy read when you see what she goes through and how it affects those around her.  It was interesting how the laws given to the nation of Israel by God were explained to Rahab, how they affected her personally and how she came to a better understanding of who she is and of God through them.  I really enjoyed this book, like I have all of the other books by this author.  While it may not be one you want your daughter to read but it is definitely one you want to check out if you are fascinated with this foreigner who is in the lineage of Christ.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling author of the Wives of King David series, The Wives of the Patriarchs series, and the ebook novella The Desert Princess, first in the Loves of King Solomon series.  Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.  Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.  Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com.

Rachel Book Review

Wives of the Patriarchs

Book Three

SUMMARY:  Can true love overcome a legacy of betrayal?

     Rachel wants nothing more than for her older half sister Leah to wed and move out of their household.  Leah wishes her father would find a good man who would love her alone.  Unbeknownst to either of them, Jacob is making his way to their home, trying to escape a past laced with deceit and find the future God has promised him.

     But the past comes back to haunt Jacob when he finds himself on the receiving end of treachery.  The man who wanted only one woman ends up with sisters who have never gotten along and now must spend the rest of their lives sharing a husband.  In the power struggles that follow, only one woman will triumph . . .  or will she?

     Combining meticulous research with her own imaginings, bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith not only tells one of the most famous love stories of all time but will manage to surprise even those who think they know the story inside and out.

REVIEW:  After reading this book, I wondered if the title should have been Rachel and Leah.  While it did cover Rachel and her frustrations of having to share her husband with her sister and having difficulties getting pregnant, the thoughts and frustrations of Leah were also a main feature.  But, if you are familiar with their story in Genesis, their lives are forever intertwined together as sisters and as the wives of Jacob.  Now, the liberties (for lack of a better word) the author took with their stories gave me something to think about.  She chose to have the women share a father but have different mothers, creating a rift in their relationship early on.  Jacob isn't quite the trickster we think him to be when it comes to Laban and his dealings with his uncle.  We see the difficulties of a polygamous marriage, especially when the wives are hated rivals. 
     At times, I didn't like Rachel because she acted like a spoiled child.  My heart went out to Leah because of her unrequited love for Jacob.  The difficulties of having to share a husband and his wanting to stay away from the bickering and fighting just added to the problem.  I liked how Jacob came to appreciate Leah more towards the end of the book and how his love, while his heart still went to Rachel, grew more as time went on.  I also liked how the author had Rachel and Leah develop a friendship and closeness, eventually accepting each others role as mother and wife.  Lastly, sometimes the story seemed to drag.
     This was a good book and gives an interesting look at these three pivotal characters in the biblical story.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Wives of King David series and of Sarai and Rebekah in the Wives of the Patriarchs series.  Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.  Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.  Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com.

Rebekah Book Review

Wives of the Patriarchs

Book Two

SUMMARY:  Can love heal the rift between two souls?

     When her beloved father dies and she is left in the care of her conniving brother Laban, Rebekah knows her life has changed forever.  Though she should be married by now, it's clear that Laban is dragging his feet, waiting for a higher bride-price to line his pockets.  But then Rebekah is given a chance to leave her home to marry Isaac, a cousin she has never even seen, and her hope for the future is restored.  Little does she know what a wondrous and heart-wrenching journey she is beginning.

     As Rebekah experiences the joy of young love and the bitterness of misunderstanding and betrayal, her resolve is tested.  When the rift between Isaac and her grows to wide it is surely too great to be mended, can she trust the God of Isaac's father Abraham to bridge the gap?

     Join bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith as she fills in the blanks around the life of the enigmatic Rebekah. 

REVIEW:  Even though there is not lot of information on Rebekah and Isaac in the book of Genesis, the author does an excellent job in "filling in the blanks."  I love how she tells Isaac's "story" showing what he might have been like and how almost being sacrificed by his father might have affected him, Sarah and Abraham even later in life.  Jill's idea shows how this might also have affected Isaac's relationship with his wife, Rebekah, and their twin boys.  When I read the story of Rebekah and Isaac, I often wonder why they each would favor one child over another.  This book helps the reader imagine what their lives might have been like before and after their marriage and why they might have made some of the decision they did.  The best part was getting a better understanding of two crucial characters in the history of Israel.  This is one of my favorite books so far.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Available February 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Michal, Abigail and Bathsheba, all part of the Wives of King David series, and of Sarai, book in the Wives of the Patriarchs series.  Her writing has garnered acclaim in several contests.  Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.  Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Sarai Book Review

SUMMARY:  He promised her his heart.  She promised him a son.  But how long must they wait?
     When Abram finally requests the hand of his beautiful half sister Sarai, she asks one thing - that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives.  Even Sarai's father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if she makes a promise in return - to give Abram a son and heir.  Certain she can easily do that, Sarai agrees.
     But as the years stretch on and Sarai's womb remains empty, she becomes desperate to fulfill her end of the bargain, lest Abram decide that he will not fulfill his.  To what lengths will Sarai go in her quest to bear a son?  And how long will Abram's patience last?
     Combining in-depth research and vivid storytelling, Jill Eileen Smith brings to live the beautiful and inscrutable Sarai in this remarkable story of love, jealousy, and undaunted faith.

REVIEW:  Have you ever wondered what went through Sarai's head when her husband told her they were moving but he didn't where, when he asked her to call him brother while they were in Egypt, and when decades had passed and the child promised by God had not come?  I know I have.  The author gives us great insight as to what Sarai's thoughts might have been, the struggles she faced, and the decisions she made that looked and sounded good but ended up causing more grief.  Even though this is fiction and the author does take some liberty as the backgrounds of Hagar and Lot's wife, I feel I have a better understanding of this section of Genesis as a whole.  Sarai was a woman who loved her husband deeply and struggled with the stigma of barrenness.  She wanted to do the right thing but instead of trusting God and His timing, when it looked like nothing was ever going to happen, she decided to make it happen and do what was acceptable at that time in the culture around her.  But, God's ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts; and He sees the whole picture where we see only a VERY small portion.
     This is an awesome book that I think will help you understand one of the most pivotal characters of the whole Bible just a little better.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Available March 2012  at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba, all part of the Wives of King David series.  Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.  Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.  To learn more about Jill or for more information about her books, visit her website at www.jilleileensmith.com.  You can also connect with her on Facebook (Jill Eileen Smith).