Continuation of Isaiah's lineage

Isaiah’s Legacy by Mesu Andrews

King Manessah of Judah was one of the most notorious kings mentioned in the Old Testament.  His life is the subject of Isaiah’s Legacy, a novel of prophets and kings.  Andrews continues the tale of King Hezekiah and Queen Hepzibah and their godly rule of Judah, which she began in Isaiah’s Daughter.  What puzzles readers of the Old Testament is why a godly king would have such an evil son.  The author has her reasons, which she develops within the context of what scripture tells us.

Her characters have depth and personality.  I both loved and hated King Manessah.  Shulle, his wife, especially seemed very complex in her ambivalent feelings toward her king husband in different parts of the story.  Zibah, the Queen Mother was a character to admire.  Her testimony shone throughout the book.

This story gave me much to ponder.  How would I respond to a husband or son who had such a blatant disregard for the laws of God or the lives of others?  How would I live in a culture that was so adamantly opposed to the God that I loved and served?  How would I survive if my husband or son were imprisoned in a foreign country for a decade?  How would I love my son if he cold-heartedly sawed my father asunder?  Hepzibah dealt with these issues and others--and lived a grace-filled life.  Although it was a dark time in her country’s history, she remained faithful and God honored her faithfulness.

This book was well-written, although it contained many dark topics.  They were handled sensitively, but still gave the reader a sense of the difficulty of the times.  A thread of hope wound its way through the story and made me want to read the passages about Manesseh in the Bible.  Readers who enjoy Biblical fiction will appreciate this book—even those who haven’t yet read Isaiah’s Daughter.

I was part of the author’s launch team and given this book in exchange for this, my honest review.