Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty by Angela Hunt

-
Product Details

Oh boy, I like to have positive reviews for the book I read, but I'm just not sure I can on this book.  I'm not a big fan of Biblical fiction for starters, so this book immediately had my bias against it when I started it, but I have read some really good Biblical fiction and thought I would try it.

I would say Angela has a very good writing style and definitely stuck with the facts that we know for sure in the Bible.  It was just some of the fictional liberties she took didn't strike me.  The story is written from Bathsheba and Nathan the Prophet's perspective flipping back and forth between chapters.  To me, while Nathan the prophet was very instrumental in Bathsheba's life as far as correcting David for his adultery, I didn't think writing half the book from his perspective made a lot of sense.  I also didn't care for the idea that Nathan was in love with Bathsheba and had made plans to marry her until God told him otherwise.  I definitely think this could have been the case, but it just seemed weird to me. Angela also had Bathsheba as the granddaughter of Ahithophel and I couldn't find that that was true anywhere.

I think I do appreciate the way that she played Bathsheba as the victim of a royal rape and not as inciting his passion by purposely bathing outside where everyone can see.  From the research Angel had done, it was common for the women to do their ceremonial bath outside because they would bathe in the animals water trough and that generally wasn't located inside the home.

I don't think this book is unscriptural in any way, it just didn't resonate with me and I doubt that I will pick up anymore of Angela's Biblical fiction.

This book was a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fragrant Whiffs of Joy by Dorcas Smucker (It's Giveaway time)

-
Image
Ah yes, this was just what the doctor ordered. I've wanted to review Dorcas' last book or two and was always too chicken to ask, but this time I threw caution to the wind and said, "Yes, I want to review your book." And I'm so glad I did. It was the perfect book for this stage in my life. Short, easy to read chapters that can be picked up and read whenever and wherever. They are guaranteed to either make you laugh, smile, cry, or or just give you that ah-ha feeling that someone else experiences life like that too.  I could quote from pretty much every chapter something that struck me in one of those ways, but I really want you to go buy the book so I won't do that many spoilers. I only want to give you a hint of what is to come in the book. First off, isn't the cover beautiful? I can dream of a kitchen table like that with the apple pie still steaming and the tea pot, or coffee pot more likely, full to the brim and a beautiful arrangement of flowers ...
Read more

All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth

-
Image
I haven't posted a book review in over two weeks, I must be lazing off!!! Actually, I had two books going at once and also read a non-review book in between. Not that I think anyone missed me or anything. But just to be clear, I am back and have about six books to review in the next few weeks. Okay, "All the Pretty Things". When I started this book, I loved it. I thought it was an amazing story and it is. Edie was born to an alcoholic father. She rarely saw him sober, but she loved him and enabled him until his dying day. She missed that father figure in her life and attempted to salve that wound by working hard at everything she put her hand to except her marriage. She was raised in rather extreme poverty. Her parents divorced and both remarried, but divorced again. She was abused as a child, though it became a repressed memory that came out through recurring nightmares. She was introduced to Jesus and would often respond to altar calls to make sure she was saved. Sh...
Read more

PRECIOUS CHILD

-
In my dreams, you are alive and well Precious child, precious child In my mind, I see you clear as a bell Precious child, precious child In my soul, there is a hole That can never be filled But in my heart, there is hope 'Cause you are with me still In my heart, you live on Always there never gone Precious child, you left too soon Tho' it may be true that we're apart You will live forever... in my heart In my plans, I was the first to leave Precious child, precious child But in this world, I was left here to grieve Precious child, my precious child In my soul, there is a hole That can never be  filled But in my heart there is hope And you are with me still In my heart you live on Always there, never gone Precious child, you left too soon,  Tho' it may be true that we're apart You will live forever... in my heart God knows I want to hold you,  See you, touch you And maybe there's a heaven And someday I will again Please know yo...
Read more