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Daughter of Lachish
The mighty Assyrian army has invaded the tiny kingdom of Judah to crush the rebellion against the great king Sennacherib. After a long siege, the Assyrians capture the fortified city of Lachish. They show no mercy to the vanquished people. But one girl is able to escape-Rivkah. She hides in the hills and finds refuge in the company of other survivors. In a devastated land they seek to rebuild their lives. The words of the prophet Micah-spoken to the people over many years-speak to Rivkah anew, allowing her to see the events in a new light. Drawing on extensive scholarly research, Daughter of Lachish brings to life the world of Ancient Judah. It melds archaeology and biblical studies to tell a story of the people who first heard the words of the Psalms and Prophets. It is a story of one girl, her search for a place in the world, and her quest to make sense of loss and joy. Through her eyes we experience the daily tasks, the seasons of the agricultural year, the bonds that hold together a household and a village, and the tensions that threaten to tear them apart. You who live in Lachish, harness the chariot. You were the beginning of sin to the Daughter of Zion, for the transgressions of Israel were found in you. Micah 1:13
370 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2010
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May 17, 2011
Rivkah’s story begins in the violence of war. After being saved from death, enslavement or worse through the sacrifice of a caring woman of ill repute, the young girl sets out on her own into a war-torn countryside…the sole survivor of a destroyed city.
We follow her through several years and passages of life. Through others she meets on her journey, Rivkah learns about the one true God; experiences the excitement of first love and the pain of betrayal; finds the fellowship of an adoptive family; and agrees to an arranged marriage—a union which brings her both great joy and intense sorrow.
The story moves a little slowly in the beginning. It contains a tremendous amount of detail specific to the era—which is to be expected in a tale of biblical fiction. However, processing all those unfamiliarities while also mentally navigating multiple sub-plots is a bit overwhelming. But after Rivkah finds a place to call home and the story weaves itself around that city and those people, it becomes more compelling. The author provides some moments of surprising humor, expectation, and genuine emotion that forced me to reach for the tissues and yearn for a happy outcome.
I was mentally ripped from the storyline a couple of times by turns of phrase that seemed out of place for the time period. Also, while I love old Micah’s character, his conversations with Rivkah become predictable—obvious soapboxes on which to introduce the old man’s prophecies. There is a confusing array of secondary characters, a couple of which make a definite impression, and deserve stories of their own.
The author’s obvious knowledge of biblical times, tools, and events is woven seamlessly throughout this tale, which is undeniably well-written, though it contains more “telling” than “showing”—which is why I had difficulty losing myself in the storyline.
Ultimately, Daughter of Lachish is not the book for readers who prefer edge-of-the-seat suspense or a fast-moving, unrelentingly gripping storyline. But those who like an easy forward pace and lots of historical detail will love this novel.
We follow her through several years and passages of life. Through others she meets on her journey, Rivkah learns about the one true God; experiences the excitement of first love and the pain of betrayal; finds the fellowship of an adoptive family; and agrees to an arranged marriage—a union which brings her both great joy and intense sorrow.
The story moves a little slowly in the beginning. It contains a tremendous amount of detail specific to the era—which is to be expected in a tale of biblical fiction. However, processing all those unfamiliarities while also mentally navigating multiple sub-plots is a bit overwhelming. But after Rivkah finds a place to call home and the story weaves itself around that city and those people, it becomes more compelling. The author provides some moments of surprising humor, expectation, and genuine emotion that forced me to reach for the tissues and yearn for a happy outcome.
I was mentally ripped from the storyline a couple of times by turns of phrase that seemed out of place for the time period. Also, while I love old Micah’s character, his conversations with Rivkah become predictable—obvious soapboxes on which to introduce the old man’s prophecies. There is a confusing array of secondary characters, a couple of which make a definite impression, and deserve stories of their own.
The author’s obvious knowledge of biblical times, tools, and events is woven seamlessly throughout this tale, which is undeniably well-written, though it contains more “telling” than “showing”—which is why I had difficulty losing myself in the storyline.
Ultimately, Daughter of Lachish is not the book for readers who prefer edge-of-the-seat suspense or a fast-moving, unrelentingly gripping storyline. But those who like an easy forward pace and lots of historical detail will love this novel.
Displaying 1 of 1 review