Literary Insights

Literary Insights: A Book Lovers Review



Tuesday, April 7, 2015

The Pharaoh’s Daughter by Mesu Andrews




              Mesu tells the story of Moses through the eyes of Pharaoh's daughter and brings a brand new perspective to the biblical narrative. What I appreciate most about Mesu's writing is how she holds God's Word in high regard. Her artistic liberties do not in any way change or take away from the truth as it is revealed in Scripture. Readers think about how to apply God's truth to their current life and circumstances.

              This story takes a plausible look at how that may have happened. With political intrigue and a thread of romance, I was taken back into time into the workings of Egyptians royal family and court. This story does not shy away either from the cruelty of some of these leaders. 

              When she finds a baby floating in a basket on the great river, Anippe believes Egypt’s gods have answered her pleas, entrenching her more deeply in deception and placing her and her son Mehy, whom handmaiden Miriam calls Moses, in mortal danger.
             
             As bloodshed and savage politics shift the balance of power in Egypt, the gods reveal their fickle natures and Anippe wonders if her son, a boy of Hebrew blood, could one day become king. Or does the god of her Hebrew servants, the one they call El Shaddai, have a different plan for them all?
I appreciate the authors’ notes at the end of the book and I look forward to the next in this series of A Treasures of the Nile and to reading her previous books.

             The Pharaoh’s Daughter is also a story about love between man and woman, parent and child, and God and his people—and those willing to sacrifice for loved ones. Along with heartbreak and pain, there is also kindness, grace, and forgiveness.  I was able to see God’s hand at work in a new and refreshing way. I believe there is a depth to this story that will keep impacting readers long after they reach “the end.” A great story and I recommend this book. I received a copy of this book from Multnomah Press in their Blogging for Books program for my review.


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Thursday, April 2, 2015

The Amish Clockmaker by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner



    
         I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Amish Clockmaker by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner from Harvest House Publishers. This book was the first book of this genre I have read from a man's point of view. In a wonderful way, the story is told in the perspective from two men, decades apart that become inextricably wound together.

            The story is present day, but flashes back to the re-telling of a tale from the fifties about the clockmaker. Clayton Raber was a man who seemed to have been dealt with the wrong hand in the game of life. Left lame from a childhood buggy accident he was also scarred on his face; a scar that gave people impression he was small in many ways. He was gifted in his craft but his work was renowned for its beauty as well as craftsmanship. He was a thoughtful man who loved very deeply with a genuine heart. He never dreamed of marrying and when he did, it was no less than to the woman he loved beyond the gate of their adjoining farms. The circumstances of their marriage and her untimely death shrouded Clayton in such controversy that he left home, never to return.

            The two main themes of the story are God’s will and true love. The characters did quite a bit of praying and soul searching, but still sometimes struggled with letting God have complete control. God’s love is true and we should love people like He does, whether they love us back or not. It felt natural and I could easily relate to the characters. This is the third book in the Men of Lancaster County series and is a stand-alone story I am on the lookout now for books one and two. A really great Amish story with a lot of twist and turns  I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Amish Fiction.
            I received digital copy of book from Harvest House Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my review.