Historical Fiction with a Surreal Twist

What Blooms from Dust by James Markert

Jeremiah Goodbye walks away from prison and his penalty for murder when the electric chair malfunctions and a tornado blows down the building.  Along the way he ends up adopting an unusual young boy, and with the flip of a coin, he heads home to settle a score with his twin brother.  Meanwhile, his hometown is being devastated by the dust bowl.  Neither the townspeople nor his brother are happy to see him. Jeremiah and the boy seem to be the only ones who can rescue the town from its fate.  But will the town let him?

Fans of Billy Coffey will enjoy this book, which struck me as being a bit unusual.  The author paints a surreal picture of the unfolding events.  Although some of the book was rooted in history, much of it seemed like a nightmare.

The characters, especially Jeremiah, were fascinating. I kept reading, hoping to understand his motivation better.  Peter was another one who kept me wondering.  I also found Jeremiah’s father unusual.

 

The plot was fast-paced and even a bit confusing at times, adding to the nightmare-like quality of the book.  It was unpredictable and surprised me at every turn.

There was a lot of symbolism in the book, and it should foster lively book club discussions.  The book’s message was different than I had expected.

Even though this was an unusual book, it hooked me from the beginning to try and understand it.  Readers who want something different should try it.  I received a copy from the publisher for my honest review.       

Encouragement for the Hopeless

The Rescue, Seven People.  Seven Amazing Stories by Jim Cymbala with Ann Spangler

Feeling hopeless?  Read this book.  Nothing is impossible for the God of the universe who loves you and can change your life forever.  These seven people, before God’s touch, were at the bottom of any list of those most likely to live a meaningful life.  That touch is available to you and me.  Jim Cymbala shares these stories of hope to encourage others that a life of joy and peace is available to everyone, no matter the circumstances.

Excellent Biblical Historical Fiction

A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette

The Hebrew people are settling into their new land, with some cities yet to be conquered.  Moriyah, a vintner’s daughter in Shiloh, leads a sheltered existence, hiding from those around her because of her previous captivity in Jericho.  There, she was branded with the mark of Canaanite gods and her shame locks her away from her community.  Her father desires to provide her with a stable future and arranges a marriage to a widower desiring a mother for his two sons.  Although she is not in favor of the marriage, she submits to the idea and plans a dinner to welcome them into her family.  While the father and his boys are in her home, a terrible tragedy changes the course of her life and everyone surrounding her.  She must flee for her life.  Along the way she will encounter more dangers than she has dreamed of, and will be separated from those she loves.  Yahweh must have a plan, but will it cost her life?

The author creates a very real set of characters that captured my attention.  They were multi-faceted, and satisfyingly complex with both admirable qualities and flaws.  They intertwined themselves around my heart and I look forward to seeing them again in future books.

The plot hardly allowed any time for me to catch my breath, racing from one dangerous situation to the next.  Although parts of it could be guessed, the author included many surprises and kept me engaged as a reader until the end.  Even then, I am hoping for another book to answer my questions about what  happened in Moriyeh’s future.

The author’s writing style is very read-able and very descriptive.  I could easily picture the different settings in my mind. Included in her style is her ability to educate the reader about life in Israel’s early history.  I learned much about the culture and geography of Moriyeh’s day.  Cossette has done copious research to make her stories accurate.  It definitely pays off in how the book resonates with scripture.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to others who enjoy historical fiction.  I anticipate her next book in the Cities of Refuge series.  I am grateful to the publisher who gave me a free copy in exchange for this, my honest review.