Desired: The Untold Story of Samson and Delilah (Lost Loves of the Bible, #2) in David C Cook

Oct 15, 2013 Deborah rated it it was amazing

Meet the legendary Samson as you've never known him before … through the eyes of the three women who loved him.

Before Samson was an Old Testament legend, he was a prodigal son, an inexperienced suitor, a vengeful husband, and a lost soul driven by his own weakness. This is his story as told by three strong women who loved him—the nagging, manipulative mother who pushed him toward greatness, the hapless Philistine bride whose betrayal propelled him into notoriety, and the emotionally damaged sedu Meet the legendary Samson as you've never known him before … through the eyes of the three women who loved him.

Before Samson was an Old Testament legend, he was a prodigal son, an inexperienced suitor, a vengeful husband, and a lost soul driven by his own weakness. This is his story as told by three strong women who loved him—the nagging, manipulative mother who pushed him toward greatness, the hapless Philistine bride whose betrayal propelled him into notoriety, and the emotionally damaged seductress—the famous Delilah—who engineered his downfall and propelled him to his destiny. Desired celebrates the God of Israel's to work powerfully in the midst of hopes, fears, desires, and sorrows.

My Review:

Anyone who has lived knows about Samson and Delilah. They are a couple destined to live forever in the public eye with Samson playing the hero and Delilah the seductress who was his ultimate demise. Boys are told the story and warned not to fall to the wiles of women. Girls are admonished by their mothers to never "become" what Delilah was. But no one has bothered to look at Samson's story from the time it began, to the point he lost his life because of a woman.

That being said, this book is not for the younger set. If you have unmarried daughters, this novel will only feed their imaginations in the areas of sensuality, etc. I would definitely say "mature readers only!" This was an astounding portrayal and look at the life of Samson before he fell to Delilah. I never realized how much I enjoyed getting to know the man until I read of his life with Amara, and of course, his mother. This was a brilliant work of fiction and I appreciated the distinctive voice Garrett lends to Samson. While it is not a book that will leave you gratified with a happy ending, as a reader of thousands of Christian fiction, I have to say I am sick of happy endings. Life doesn't always end on a high note, and we are each called and chosen for a purpose. This novel manifests the mercy of God despite our sin, and the consequences of our sin despite His mercy.

This book was provided by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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May 31, 2012 Jeanie rated it it was amazing

The story of Samson & Delilah was told in such a way that you could actually put a face to a name. A personality. We have all read the story over the years but this brought it to a different light. You felt very connected to the characters and also more of an understanding of what God was doing.

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