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katiebella_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
4 stars 🌟
996Bc
" No pain exists without purpose, no grief without comfort."
This is the biblical story of Bathsheba retold as a fictional work of art.
The story begins with our Bathsheba's marriage to Uriah the Hittite, a soldier in King David's army. The word play is beautifully done, easily putting you into the beautiful setting that was her life. Her description of Uriah, both physically and emotionally, makes him an easy man to like and respect. Leaving the reader feeling Joy for Bathsheba that she found love in an arranged marriage.
Bathsheba's story truly begins with the longing for the child that was promised to her by a prophet when she was a baby. A child that would change the course of history. (If you know your Bible, you know who this amazing child was!)
The second POV we hear from is Nathan, a prophet of the Lord. First, as a friend and wedding guest, then in service to King David.
he is a righteous man, struggling with his human desires and human failing. Loving Bathsheba from afar, but holding onto the fact that they are both married to other people, he keeps his longings to himself, dedicating himself to God's work and her future protection.
I wish we had had a POV of King David! telling how he first laid eyes on Bathsheba through a vision from God to Nathan didn't quite do it for me. though I could feel Nathan's perturbedness and could easily understand the significance, I would have preferred it from David. So much of the story revolves around the king and his moods and whims that not having him as a POV felt like a disservice.
Bathsheba's rape by the King, though not graphic, was heart wenchingly vivid.
" I neither wanted nor welcomed his. attention, but he was a king, and I a mere woman. All I could do was surrender."
" I closed my eye and felt my heart turn to ice as the king of Israel used me for his personal pleasure."
Yet this is not the end of her pain. When Uriah dies, David takes her for his wife.
This whole book is wrought with pain and heartache. No one is spared the agony of life when surrounded by royal people who believe themselves to be infallible. Beautifully written, a treasure to read. An old tale with a new life breathed into it. Sorrow mixed with jubilation and learned forgiveness. This book teaches peace in the mist of turmoil.
996Bc
" No pain exists without purpose, no grief without comfort."
This is the biblical story of Bathsheba retold as a fictional work of art.
The story begins with our Bathsheba's marriage to Uriah the Hittite, a soldier in King David's army. The word play is beautifully done, easily putting you into the beautiful setting that was her life. Her description of Uriah, both physically and emotionally, makes him an easy man to like and respect. Leaving the reader feeling Joy for Bathsheba that she found love in an arranged marriage.
Bathsheba's story truly begins with the longing for the child that was promised to her by a prophet when she was a baby. A child that would change the course of history. (If you know your Bible, you know who this amazing child was!)
The second POV we hear from is Nathan, a prophet of the Lord. First, as a friend and wedding guest, then in service to King David.
he is a righteous man, struggling with his human desires and human failing. Loving Bathsheba from afar, but holding onto the fact that they are both married to other people, he keeps his longings to himself, dedicating himself to God's work and her future protection.
I wish we had had a POV of King David! telling how he first laid eyes on Bathsheba through a vision from God to Nathan didn't quite do it for me. though I could feel Nathan's perturbedness and could easily understand the significance, I would have preferred it from David. So much of the story revolves around the king and his moods and whims that not having him as a POV felt like a disservice.
Bathsheba's rape by the King, though not graphic, was heart wenchingly vivid.
" I neither wanted nor welcomed his. attention, but he was a king, and I a mere woman. All I could do was surrender."
" I closed my eye and felt my heart turn to ice as the king of Israel used me for his personal pleasure."
Yet this is not the end of her pain. When Uriah dies, David takes her for his wife.
This whole book is wrought with pain and heartache. No one is spared the agony of life when surrounded by royal people who believe themselves to be infallible. Beautifully written, a treasure to read. An old tale with a new life breathed into it. Sorrow mixed with jubilation and learned forgiveness. This book teaches peace in the mist of turmoil.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, and Murder
cerilouisereads's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Violence and War
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