Friday, Feb 20, 2009

Book Review: The Triumph of Deborah

Author:           Eva Etzioni-Halevy

Publisher:      Plume/Penguin Group USA, Inc.

Website:        http://www.evaetzionihalevy.com/

Type:             Fiction: Historical/Biblical

ISBN #:          978-0-452-28906-2

Pages:           358 Trade Paperback

Purchase:      $11.20 at Amazon.Com (HERE)
  

 The Story Line

In ancient Israel, war is looming. Deborah has coerced warrior Barak into launching a strike against the neighboring Canaanites, who threaten their people with destruction. Against all odds he succeeds, returning triumphantly with two daughters of the Canaanite King as his captives. But military victory is only the beginning of the turmoil, as a complex love triangle develops between Barak and the two princesses. 

Deborah, recently cast off by her husband, develops a suprising affinity for Barak.  Yet she struggles to rebuild her existence on her own terms, while aslo groping her way toward the greatest triumph of her life: the attainment of peace.

(Above excerpt from Eva Etzioni-Halevy’s Website)

My Review

I recently had a conversation with Lisa of Books on the Brain about my taste in books. I was stating aloud in our Book Club Meeting that I didn’t like historical fiction. I did, however, mention to a member that I liked The Lost Diary of Don Juan, which I read as a part of a book tour. I relayed that I was surprised that I liked that book as much as I had and recommended it. Lisa, however, took the opportunity to gently correct me. She told, albeit this may not be verbatim, “Sheri, I think you do like historical fiction and you just don’t realize that what you are reading is historical fiction.” HUH? She explained to me that she reads my book reviews and that many of the books that I claimed to enjoy actually were historical fiction books. She gave me a few examples, like Snow Flower & The Secret Fan. So, I put some thought to it. She was right; there are many books that I’ve read of late that I really liked that would fall under that category. Perhaps I am a fan.

When I agreed to review this book for the author, who contacted me directly, I wasn’t 100% sure that this book would be “up my alley.” When I started to read it, I worried that this may not be the right book for me. But, I was determined to find out. As I read on, I did discover that I really liked this story. It was rich with history, especially biblical. I found myself craving it and loving the knowledge that I discovered in the story. What’s more, I very much enjoyed getting to know the characters. I picked out my favorites almost immediately and found myself pulling for their happiness in this long, winding tale.

What did I enjoy about the book? The characters come to mind first. Well, Deborah is quite the strong prophetess. She was a fair and insightful judge who craved glorification to the Lord. In this story, Deborah was revealed as this strong leader, but also one with a woman’s heart. I also enjoyed Nogah, the daughter of a Canaanite King and Israelite slave. Nogah is my type of gal and I most related with her in this book. I admired the brashness and devotion of Barak, Deborah’s appointed military leader of Israel’s tribes. I became endeared to Uriel, the elderly scribe who became a grandfather in heart to Nogah.

The book was a lengthy, detailed story that held my attention the entire time. However, there were times that I hoped it would move faster because I wanted certain outcomes to occur sooner than they did. This is of no fault of the author; rather it was my impatience that good things happen to my favorite characters. This story also held some “sauciness” (is that a word?) that I think spiced up the story. This book also prompted me to call my best friend, Lori, and get her opinion on the biblical background of the story. She referred me to the book of Judges, Chapter 4. Secretly, I wished that there was more information in the Bible than there was on this story… but, it is a short story that I found. The author does take the time at the end of the book to explain how she gathered up her background to develop this story.

On Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale”:

Personally, I liked this book. It gave me a different “flavor” from my standard reading. As mentioned above, I liked the storyline and the characters and that is my recipe for a good read. I enjoyed the biblical infusion and learning about customs in this period in history. Therefore, strictly from my PERSONAL viewpoint, I am awarding this book for the genre Fiction: Historical/Biblical a 8.75 out of 10. Almost a 9… really, it was good. If you like the content of this type book, I would definitely recommend it!

I Found A Giveaway of this Book:

Another blogger is giving away a copy of this book.  Time’s short, but click HERE to enter.

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