Book description from Book Bub:
“The Old Testament book of Daniel comes to life in this novel for readers of Lynn Austin’s Chronicles of the Kings series or Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series.
Survival. A Hebrew girl first tasted it when she escaped death nearly seventy years ago as the Babylonians ransacked Jerusalem and took their finest as captives. She thought she’d perfected in the many years amongst the Magoi and the idol worshippers, pretending with all the others in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court. Now, as Daniel’s wife and a septuagenarian matriarch, Belili thinks she’s safe and she can live out her days in Babylon without fear–until the night Daniel is escorted to Belshazzar’s palace to interpret mysterious handwriting on a wall. The Persian Army invades, and Bellili’s tightly-wound secrets unfurl with the arrival of the conquering army. What will the reign of Darius mean for Daniel, a man who prays to Yahweh alone?
Ultimately, Yahweh’s sovereign hand guides Jerusalem’s captives, and the frightened Hebrew girl is transformed into a confident woman, who realizes her need of the God who conquers both fire and lions.”
My Review:
Mesu Andrews’ novels are always a delight to read. Her storylines are mesmerizing and she is able to bring Bibilcal characters to life in a unique way. The research that she does for her books is meticulous. I’ve come to look forward to the “Author’s Notes” at the end of each book as she explains how her research affects her portrayal of the characters in each story. Mrs. Andrews exceeded my high expectations about this book based on the events in the book of Daniel. Her love for the Truth found in Scripture shines brightly all the way through this creative retelling of Daniel’s story.
After reading this book, I felt as if I had experienced the joys, hardships, and wonder of that time period for the exiled Jews. I also came away with a better understanding of the timeline of events in Daniel’s life. The integrity and faith of Daniel is the shining light all throughout this book. The author chose to give Daniel a wife, Abigail, and it’s through her story that we experience the emptiness, evil, and on-going intrigue of living in the splendor of Babylon. As Abigail struggles to survive in such a wicked culture, she finds that faith in the true God of Israel is the most precious treasure of all.
This would be a great book for a Reading Circle or book club. There are some very good discussion questions included in the book.
Reading again of Daniel’s faith has strengthened my own and challenged me again to rely closely on God to guide me through our own modern day culture which resembles Babylon in so many ways.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.