The Prince and the Prodigal - Jill Eileen Smith

Jill Eileen Smith is well known for her novels about Bible characters and her latest volume shows why her book sales have reached over 400,000 copies. The Prince and the Prodigal tells the story of Joseph and also follows his older brother Judah who tries to make a new life and forget about his role in the evil done to Joseph. 

Something I really like about good novels set in Bible times is the way they encourage me to think about a well-known Bible story differently. In this case, the early part of the book made me think much more about Joseph’s brothers and the reasons why they hated him, while the part following Judah caused me to look up his story  as I’d not really taken it on board before.

 

The author has a real ability to create a sense of place with her descriptive writing, and her characters spring to life off of the pages. Highly recommended for any fan of Biblical fiction, and a superb introduction to anyone who hasn’t dipped a toe into this genre before.

9780800737634, Revell, out now

Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own. 

The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water - Erin Bartels

I’ve been a fan of Erin Bartels’ novels since her first was published.  They’ve each been complex and compelling reads and The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water is equally so.  

 

This story, though, is a darker tale than Erin’s previous books.  It begins with what seems a quite simple if not very nice problem – a letter from A Very Disappointed Reader about Kendra Brennan’s first, and very successful, book.  

One ‘hate mail’ letter could be brushed off, but the writer of this particular letter makes accusations which stick in Kendra’s mind. Stick so intrusively that she is struck with writer’s block while the deadline for her next book looms ominously before her.  

So she heads back to her grandfather’s old cabin on Hidden Lake, the place where she spent all her childhood summers, to face the demons of her past and settle in her mind the accusations made in the letter.  To do so will mean facing Tyler, the brother of her childhood friend Cami, and facing the breakdown of her friendship with Cami.

 

Just as Kendra is getting settled in she has a further challenge to deal with when the German translator of her first book, someone Kendra thought was Andrea-the-girl, but who turns out to be Andreas-the-guy, arrives unexpectedly on her doorstep.

 

This is a book which you need to keep focussed on. It’s not an easy read and deals with some very tough issues of which the key one is sexual assault. It explores a number of relationships, not just that of Kendra and Cami, and the connections of  the wider community around Hidden Lake.  It’s a book which makes the reader ask themselves questions when they come up for air. 

 

Tightly-written, moving, and powerful, this is a strongly recommended read. It would be an excellent book for a reading group or book club read. 

9780800738372, Revell, Pub date: 28 February 22 in the UK, out now in the USA

Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own. 

Ramah - Rob Munday

Sarah, a young woman abandoned in love, is returning home to Bethlehem with her young son Issa when she meets young couple Mary and Joseph on the road and is warned of coming danger.  This is the start of a connection between Issa and Yeshua which will last their whole lives.  

 

In the face of rejection, suspicion and hatred, Sarah and Issa struggle to survive, eking out an existence on the fringes of Bethlehem both physically and socially.  They meet kind shepherd Daniel, who apprentices Issa, and deaf-mute Moshe who is at the birth of Yeshua in the cave stable where he tends his animals and who becomes almost a brother to Issa.

 

Moshe was my favourite character of the whole story, and I was constantly curious as to who he was and what would happen to him.  Despite his disability he is shown to be caring, supportive, and able.  

 

This is a fascinating and compelling read.  The author’s gift for descriptive writing immerses the reader into the dust, heat and struggle of the Bible lands so effectively that you can almost feel and taste it.  The story brings biblical characters to life in sometimes surprising ways with depth and richness in the telling.  I loved the use of song and Psalm throughout  and it lifts the text.  This is a hard-hitting novel, sometimes shocking and often unexpected.  An excellent read for both male and female readers.

9781912863907, Malcolm Down Publishing

Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.