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Ordinary Women of the Bible
The Last Drop of Oil: Adaliah's Story
A DEVASTATING FIRE threatens the lives of Adaliah’s four-year-old son and her abusive husband. In a desperate effort, she faces the raging inferno to rescue her son from certain death. But her husband is left to the fate of the flames and does not survive.
Did she hesitate a moment too long? Could she have saved him if she’d truly wanted to?
Left to cope with the aftermath of the fire, the condemnation of her husband’s relatives, and her own guilt, Adaliah struggles to scrape out a living from the ashes of her former life. She is an outcast in the village, thanks to the vicious rumors spread by her stepdaughter. When she and her son face starvation, a prophet of Yahweh appears, asking for her last drop of oil.
Did she hesitate a moment too long? Could she have saved him if she’d truly wanted to?
Left to cope with the aftermath of the fire, the condemnation of her husband’s relatives, and her own guilt, Adaliah struggles to scrape out a living from the ashes of her former life. She is an outcast in the village, thanks to the vicious rumors spread by her stepdaughter. When she and her son face starvation, a prophet of Yahweh appears, asking for her last drop of oil.
255 pages, ebook
Published April 7, 2020
About the author
Virginia Smith
127 books356 followersUSA Today bestselling author Virginia Smith has written over fifty books with sales exceeding 1 million copies worldwide. Her book, Guilty Secrets, was recently produced as a movie now streaming on Lifetime. She lives in Kentucky with her husband, 27 chickens, a barn kitty, and a barky Maltese named Max. Learn more about Ginny and her books at www.virginiasmith.org
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 29, 2022
The Last Drop of Oil is the story of the woman that made bread for Elijah out of the scant remains in her jar. This is part of the women of the Bible series. As with the others we know very little it is an imagined story. Yet it teaches truths, to trust the Lord, to love and obey Him. To forgive wrongs done to you. Adaliah's father married her to a widowed potter, he was abusive. Her stepdaughter, Tanytha bad mouthed Adaliah to one and all. When Itthobaal's (the husband) shop goes up in flames Adaliah can only save her four year old son Danel. Tanytha accuses her of murder. The town turns against Adaliah and when she down to enough grain and oil for two small loaves for herself and Danel Elijah comes into her life. He promises that God will not let her oil or grain run out He will provide. Elijah takes a room in her house and the grain jar and the oil do not run out. Elijah teaches Adaliah and Danel about his God. When Tanytha discovers who actually started the fire she comes to Adaliah who forgives her. Adaliah has returned to her grandmother's God. Her life has altered for the better. This story was by Virginia Smith.
April 27, 2020
I LOVED this book! An incredibly easy read. And an important one! In this time of the Corona virus and people scared of what’s to come in the future, this is a VERY good book to read! Wry faith building! The story of Elijah has always been one that fascinated me. I’ve always been intrigued by the widow who was asked to give what little she had to him. This story feels so real. You can see it happening just like this all those years ago! So good!!!
November 27, 2024
When I first read The Last Drop of Oil, I warned readers of my reviews I was going to "gush" over it like Adaliah's overturned jars. I'll give new readers the same warning. Buckle up, because this particular novella made me gush. It makes my top ten of the series and probably top five (though that decision is almost impossible)!
Adaliah, however, might be my favorite heroine of the entire Ordinary Women series. She hits the mix of capable and vulnerable I look for in any well-written heroine, but she's got much more than that going on. She's a battered wife, but she's far from a victim, dedicating herself to raising her son and keeping the best home she can. She's steadfast and determined, but has understandable limits. She seeks God with all her heart, but naturally struggles with Who the real God is and what a huge spiritual change would mean. She has a soft heart, but is in no way short on grit. In other words, Adaliah is the kind of heroine whom, in her era, I would seek out as a mentor, neighbor, and friend.
Beyond that, the other characters are as real as it gets; they pop and sparkle as only the best characters do. Virginia Smith's attention to the Biblical accounts bring Elijah to life. I absolutely loved his interactions with Danel, as Elijah shared the stories of Yahweh with people who had fresh eyes. I also appreciated and identified with Elijah's more vulnerable moments. I loved Danel's determination to protect his mom; I wanted to sweep that kid into a hug. He reminded me of my nephew, who is several years younger, but who I can already see growing into that kind of sweet, helpful young man.
Even the characters I disliked at first, or villainous characters, still stick out to me months after my first reading. Adaliah's sister-in-law, especially, surprised me with her contribution to the novella. And Itthobaal, horrible person though he was, provided a great impetus for a few twists and turns, plus a contrast to Elijah and some more upstanding men throughout the story.
I'd like to offer Virginia some particular kudos on both her spiritual threads and her plot. These are a bit easier to separate than I have seen, but both are well worth the five-star rating I gave The Last Drop of Oil. The plot itself vibrates with little "popping" scenes, such as a tearjerker of a scene between Adaliah and Boz the goat, and a chiller of a scene where Adaliah observes several prophets and devotees of Baal praying, and realizes the contrast between Baal and Yahweh anew. I was also struck with how neatly and uniquely Virginia wrapped an unexpected mystery into the plot, then cleared Adaliah's name when I didn't expect it to need clearing.
As for the spiritual threads, they are as spot on as they could be. I remember thinking throughout the book, even as a longtime Christ-follower, how deep Virginia was going with her spiritual questions. I remember praying and asking God, "Yes, why would You allow this drought if You knew so many people would continue following Baal as a result? Why have you ever allowed gods like Baal at all?" Of course, I knew the "Sunday school answers," but my prayers and Virginia's writing pushed me to go beyond those. I'm not going to pretend I got neat, easy answers, because those don't exist. But my faith was strengthened and my emotions uplifted, so kudos again.
I could continue gushing, but I think my "jar" is empty for now, though not for lack of love for the book. I'll leave you with a confident recommendation for this book and again, the series.
Adaliah, however, might be my favorite heroine of the entire Ordinary Women series. She hits the mix of capable and vulnerable I look for in any well-written heroine, but she's got much more than that going on. She's a battered wife, but she's far from a victim, dedicating herself to raising her son and keeping the best home she can. She's steadfast and determined, but has understandable limits. She seeks God with all her heart, but naturally struggles with Who the real God is and what a huge spiritual change would mean. She has a soft heart, but is in no way short on grit. In other words, Adaliah is the kind of heroine whom, in her era, I would seek out as a mentor, neighbor, and friend.
Beyond that, the other characters are as real as it gets; they pop and sparkle as only the best characters do. Virginia Smith's attention to the Biblical accounts bring Elijah to life. I absolutely loved his interactions with Danel, as Elijah shared the stories of Yahweh with people who had fresh eyes. I also appreciated and identified with Elijah's more vulnerable moments. I loved Danel's determination to protect his mom; I wanted to sweep that kid into a hug. He reminded me of my nephew, who is several years younger, but who I can already see growing into that kind of sweet, helpful young man.
Even the characters I disliked at first, or villainous characters, still stick out to me months after my first reading. Adaliah's sister-in-law, especially, surprised me with her contribution to the novella. And Itthobaal, horrible person though he was, provided a great impetus for a few twists and turns, plus a contrast to Elijah and some more upstanding men throughout the story.
I'd like to offer Virginia some particular kudos on both her spiritual threads and her plot. These are a bit easier to separate than I have seen, but both are well worth the five-star rating I gave The Last Drop of Oil. The plot itself vibrates with little "popping" scenes, such as a tearjerker of a scene between Adaliah and Boz the goat, and a chiller of a scene where Adaliah observes several prophets and devotees of Baal praying, and realizes the contrast between Baal and Yahweh anew. I was also struck with how neatly and uniquely Virginia wrapped an unexpected mystery into the plot, then cleared Adaliah's name when I didn't expect it to need clearing.
As for the spiritual threads, they are as spot on as they could be. I remember thinking throughout the book, even as a longtime Christ-follower, how deep Virginia was going with her spiritual questions. I remember praying and asking God, "Yes, why would You allow this drought if You knew so many people would continue following Baal as a result? Why have you ever allowed gods like Baal at all?" Of course, I knew the "Sunday school answers," but my prayers and Virginia's writing pushed me to go beyond those. I'm not going to pretend I got neat, easy answers, because those don't exist. But my faith was strengthened and my emotions uplifted, so kudos again.
I could continue gushing, but I think my "jar" is empty for now, though not for lack of love for the book. I'll leave you with a confident recommendation for this book and again, the series.
May 29, 2020
This is part of the Ordinary Women of the Bible. This one covers the widow of Zarepath from First Kings chapter 17. I really liked this book. The story is true about how God sends Elijah to help her after her husband has died. Although it does not say in the Bible how her husband died, in this book the author supposes he was burned in a fire in his pottery shop. The widows stepdaughter blames her and turns the town against her so she and her son are starving to death. Because she is honest with Elijah and shares the little she has with him about her lack of bread, God blesses her and her grain and oil never run out.
March 18, 2022
I really enjoyed this story which fleshed out the widow of the famous miracle and the proper Elijah. It made me wonder what the prophet was really like in real life. I enjoyed his Bible story telling and genuine faith in the Lord. In our current difficult times, I felt comfort from reading this book.
October 23, 2024
This story highlights God’s compassion and provision through the well known story of Elijah, a widow, and her son. This book made it easy to feel for the people in this story, taken from 1 Kings 17, and emphasizes God’s faithfulness, even when we have doubts. Though fiction, there are many components of this that would help an individual remember to trust in the One True God and His promises.
June 1, 2020
This is a fantastic retelling of the widow of Zarephath’s story and the years Elijah lived with her. You experience the desperation of a widow in that time period. It is also fascinating to think what Elijah’s miracles looked like through her eyes.
June 26, 2020
Love how these bring the stories of the BIble familiar. Down right down to earth.
August 18, 2020
This is the fifth in a series of Women of the Bible. I have enjoyed all of them so far. This one was one of the least familiar Bible stories I recall. I enjoyed this book very much.
October 11, 2020
I loved this book! Elijah the prophet came to life in this story as did each character. I cried as the book began to come to a close. Beautiful.
April 15, 2022
This one was so good. I read it in less than a week!
August 21, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Any book that points you back to your Bible is a good book. It made me reflect on God’s provision to the widow.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews