I love Angela Hunt's work. Her ability to draw you back into Biblical times and open your eyes to see what might have been is simply a gift. When I've completed a book by Angela Hunt I always feel like I've invested my reading time wisely and I've gained something - be it perspective, knowledge, or an emotion I hadn't related to that particular Bible story before.
The Shepherd's Wife is book two in the Jerusalem Road series. Daughter of Cana is book one (another book I read and really enjoyed based on the miracle of Jesus turning the water to wine). The Shepherd's Wife is about Jesus' sisters and what their lives may have looked like. What would they have felt being related to Jesus? How would it have impacted their social standing that that of the men they married? How would it have affected their marriage prospects? This was a very interesting read. Of course, the Bible doesn't really mention much about Jesus' sisters, only that he had some. Therefore, this book is a lot of speculation, but woven into the story are many historically accurate facts about sacrifices and Jewish holidays and traditions.
I really enjoyed this novel and felt enriched by it. I would certainly recommend Angela Hunt to anyone looking for a strong Biblical fiction. Thank-you to Graf Martin Communication and to Baker Publishing House for a complimentary copy.
Can she discover the purpose of the life she's been given?
Yeshua of Nazareth has two sisters: Damaris, married to a wealthy merchant's son, and Pheodora, wed to a simple shepherd from Bethlehem. Damaris can't understand why her younger sister settled for such a poor existence, but she does what she can to share her abundance. When her husband is invited to join the Pharisees, she is excited by the opportunity to elevate the family's status, even though some aspects of the lifestyle seem contrary to what she has always been taught.
Pheodora has long felt inadequate compared to her beautiful sister but has no regrets about the life she chose. When Pheodora's husband is unexpectedly thrown into debtors' prison, she is shocked to learn that a loan from her generous sister would jeopardize her brother-in-law's religious aspirations. Forced to pin her hopes on two she-goats whose spotless white offspring could be sold for an upcoming Yom Kippur sacrifice, Pheodora must struggle to keep the animals--and her family--alive.
When horrific reports about Yeshua reach the sisters in Nazareth, Pheodora and Damaris each grapple with their relationships to God, their radical brother, and their own questioning hearts.
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