A review by bellesmoma2021
Up from Dust: Martha's Story by Heather Kaufman

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Up from Dust by Heather Kaufman is an outstanding piece of literature. I have always been intrigued by Martha, Lazarus, and Mary in the Gospels. Naturally, I want to know more about this group of siblings and their uniquely personal relationship with Jesus. What a blessing to have been counted as close friends of God! Kaufman does a fantastic job weaving fictional “might have been” with well-researched historical and Gospel detail. I appreciate how Kaufman envisions an emotional and plausible childhood and young adulthood for Martha, Lazarus, and Mary. Kaufman does a good job crafting legitimate Jewish characters who could have lived in Israel in the time of Jesus who also feel life-like and pull at the reader’s heartstrings. My heart hurt so badly for Martha. Her pain runs deep. Many times I wanted to enter into the story just so I could give her a big hug and tell her, “I see you!” And her moments with Jesus…tears streaming down my face! These moments are so, so good. To know that Jesus sees you and acknowledges all you’ve been through, could anything be more satisfying?

This is my favorite message of the novel: Jesus knows our pain and suffering. He sees how all the events in our lives connect to make us who we are today. There is no “I don’t like you because you make mistakes” kind of judgement. There’s grace and mercy. And there is correction, sure, but it is clearly born out of love. I admit it, I’ve judged Martha for being “mean” to Mary in Luke 10. I’ve wondered how she could not get sitting at Jesus’s feet was the better option. Kaufman’s story, however, taught me what grace in the moment looks like by reminding me that a single moment is just that, and it is preceded by many, many moments I didn’t see. I need to be very careful when judging a moment, and a person in that moment, because I often don’t see the whole picture. But God does. Jesus speaks to Martha with compassion and grace in Luke 10. He isn’t yelling at her or scolding her like she is a recalcitrant child, but rather He is instructing her in grace and love. And I need to do the same. I need to see people as hurting people who are in a moment, and I need to come at them with grace and love just as Jesus does. What a wonderful reminder from a very exceptional story!

There is no way to do this book justice in one review. I have barely cracked the surface! Up from Dust is a wonderful story that will stick with me long after the final page has turned. This is a story not to be missed.

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Bethany House, via NetGalley. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.