Bathsheba Bathed in Grace: How 8 Scandalous Women Changed the World by Carol Cook (Review)

YOU'VE HEARD THEIR STORIES ALL YOUR LIFE BUT DO YOU REALLY KNOW THE BIBLE'S "REBEL" WOMEN?

Adultery, lies, deception, scandal, murder, cover-up, heartache, pain, and loss--stories with these sordid elements are relevant today. And women with shady pasts--labeled, shamed, and linked with tragedies--are part of our heritage. Bathsheba, a victim or temptress, Eve outside of Eden, Tamar posed as a prostitute, Leah stole her sister Rachel's fiance...Sarah gave Hagar to her husband and Rebekah masterminds a grave deception.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:
The title of this book, I feel, is very misleading. For it to be called Bathsheba Bathed in Grace gives the reader the impression that the book is going to be about Bathsheba, not Bathsheba plus seven other biblical women randomly put together. I couldn't find any reason to title it this way, there was no connecting to Bathsheba with every story or anything similar to that. I would have much preferred it had the book been titled Bathed in Grace, then I wouldn't have felt mislead.

Another thing I found strange was the order of the stories, they were in such an odd order: Bathsheba, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah Rachel, Tamar, Eve. This by itself wouldn't have effected my enjoyment, but I just found it to be a strange and confusing order to put them. Here are my thoughts and rating for each individual story:

Bathsheba - 2 stars
The story is told strictly from Bathsheba's point of view, there was no narrative telling us things that she didn't know. I found this hard to enjoy. The story covers all of Bathsheba's life with David, but it is such a short story that so much of it is glossed over or skipped.

I also thought it was strange when Bathsheba says one of her favorite of Solomon's writings was Ecclesiastes 3, since I pretty sure they weren't divided that way until much later in history.

I know the story is a novella, but the wasn't much to it and I didn't care for it. I never connected with the story, there wasn't anything brought out in it that stuck with me.

Sarah - 2 1/2 stars
The story begins with Abram and Sarai travelling to Egypt and continues until near the time of Sarah's death. It was a little more enjoyable to read than Bathsheba's story, but not by much. I honestly couldn't tell a difference between Bathsheba's and Sarai/Sarah's "voices", if not for the fact that the locations and people surrounded them were different I would have mistaken them for the same person.

I read a book about Sarai/Sarah a little over a year ago that made a huge impact on me, and has stuck with me since. The book was Sarai by Jill Eileen Smith and it is FANTASTIC!

Hagar - 4 stars
At first, some parts of Hagar's story seemed to contradict Sarah's, but then I realized that it was how it was from each woman's perspective.

This was one of the best stories in this book. It was moving and very interesting. Hagar's "voice" is definitely different than the first two. I can't imagine having to be in her shoes, having someone order you to have relations with someone and having no choice in the matter.

This story gave me a deeper understanding of Hagar and I would have loved to have had a full novel just about her.

Rebekah - 1 1/2 stars
After the first third of Rebekah's story it seemed more as though I was reading a story about Jacob & Esua than about their mother. Plus, I think the story gave Rebekah too much foreknowledge, that she had a feeling something important was going to happen at the well so she rushes to beat every other girl to it and greet Abraham's manservant just didn't feel right to me.

I know there isn't much to work with when telling Rebekah's story, but even so it just wasn't that good.

Leah - 3 stars
This story was well told, yet so much was added to her story that I had a hard time recognizing it.

It's nice to think that the sisters were close before Jacob came into the picture and that later in life they made up, but I don't see any evidence of that and personally find it hard to believe that they ever would be close again.

Rachel - 2 stars
This story felt very redundant of Leah's, since it covers almost completely the same timeline just from a different perspective. This wouldn't have been a problem if her perspective had been more interesting or different, but it felt and sounded almost identical to Leah's which made it kind of boring. Overall, still an okay read.

Tamar - 4 stars
With some of the key parts of Tamar's story being on the edgier side (Onan spilling his seed and Tamar impersonating a prostitute), I was curious and slightly concerned how they would be portrayed. I thought they were welled written, with just enough details given so I understood what was happening but not too much to make me uncomfortable.

The reason this story isn't receiving five stars is it made it sound as though Onan & Tamar were together only once before the Lord killed him for his disobedience, when the Bible says "Then Judah said to Er's brother Onan, "Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother." But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother's wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. But the LORD considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the LORD took Onan's life, too." Genesis 38:8-10 (NLT) - which very much sounds as though it happened more than once.

Overall, it was still a very enjoyable story and one that made me think deeper about these people - which is always great.

Eve - 1 star
This was by far my least favorite in this book. Eve came across as a simple-minded person, she didn't know what tears were and the way she interacted with Adam was just strange.

The eating from the tree scene was interesting, with the way the author portrayed the serpent, but even this wasn't that good and didn't help my opinion of this story.

I know the Bible doesn't give specifics on when and how many daughters Adam and Eve had, but when Cain left with his wife, whom I personally believe was his sister (otherwise where did she come from?), I thought it odd that Eve was only mourning the loss of her two sons, Abel in death and Cain is his exile, not her daughter.

Overall, I didn't care for this story.

On the whole I give Bathsheba Bathed in Grace 2 1/2 stars.

 ***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

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CFBA: The Judgment Stone by Robert Liparulo

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing The Judgment Stone Thomas Nelson (May 14, 2013) by Robert Liparulo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Former journalist Robert Liparulo is the best-selling author of the thrillers Comes a Horseman, Germ, Deadfall, Deadlock, and The 13th Tribe, as well as The Dreamhouse Kings, an action-adventure series for young adults. He contributed a short story to James Patterson’s Thriller, and an essay about Thomas Perry’s The Butcher’s Boy to Thrillers: 100 Must Reads, edited by David Morrell and Hank Wagner. He is currently working on the sequel to The 13th Tribe, as well writing an original screenplay with director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive).

When not writing, Liparulo loves to read, watch (and analyze) movies, scuba dive, swim, hike, and travel. He lives in Monument, Colorado, with his wife Jodi and four children: Melanie, Matthew, Anthony, and Isabella.

 ABOUT THE BOOK

What if praying became a curse instead of a blessing?

Former Army Ranger Jagger Baird thought he had his hands full with the Tribe—the band of immortal vigilantes fighting to regain God’s grace by killing those opposed to Him. But that was before he encountered the ruthless group of immortals called the Clan. The Clan is after a prize that would give them unimaginable power—a piece of the Ten Commandments known as the Judgment Stone.

Those who touch the Stone can see into the spiritual world: angelic warriors, treacherous demons, and the blue threads of light that signal the presence of believers in communion with God.

By following the blue beam radiating from those closest to God, the Clan plans to locate His most passionate followers and destroy them.

Jagger quickly realizes his high-tech gadgetry and training are no match for these merciless immortals. But how can he defeat an enemy who hunts believers through their prayers . . . and won’t stop until they’ve annihilated all those close to Him?

In this high-action thriller, best-selling author Robert Liparulo examines the raging battle between good and evil on earth . . . and beyond.

MY THOUGHTS:
I haven't had the time to read this one yet, but once I do I 'll post my review.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Judgment Stone, go HERE.

Waiting on Wednesday (May 22, 2013)

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Into the Whirlwind by Elizabeth Camden

Bethany House Publishers (August 1, 2013)

After her father's death, Mollie Knox takes over his watchmaking company and uses her head for business to solidify the good name of the 57th Illinois Watch Company. Her future looks bright until the night her beloved city is destroyed in the legendary Great Chicago Fire. With her world crumbling around her, Molly must do whatever it takes to save her company in the aftermath of the devastating fire.

Zack Kazmarek is an influential attorney with powerful ties to the political, mercantile, and ethnic roots of Chicago. His only weakness is Mollie Knox, a woman who has always been just beyond his reach. However, all bets are off after the fire destroys Chicago, and Mollie is in desperate need of assistance. Just as Zack finally begins to pursue the woman he loves, competition arises in the form of a hero from her past who can provide the help she needs to rise from the ashes.

While Mollie struggles to rebuild, the two men battle for her heart. One has always loved her, but the other has the power to save her. In the race to rebuild the city, can she survive with her business and her heart intact?

CFBA Tour: Follow the Heart by Kaye Dacus

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Follow the Heart B&H Books (May 1, 2013) by Kaye Dacus

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Humor, Hope, and Happily Ever Afters! Kaye Dacus is the author of humorous, hope-filled contemporary and historical romances with Barbour Publishing, Harvest House Publishers, and B&H Publishing. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is a full-time academic advisor and part-time college composition instructor for Bethel University.

Kaye Dacus (KAY DAY-cuss) is an author and educator who has been writing fiction for more than twenty years. A former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, Kaye enjoys being an active ACFW member and the fellowship and community of hundreds of other writers from across the country and around the world that she finds there. She currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, which she co-founded in 2003 with three other writers. Each month, she teaches a two-hour workshop on an aspect of the craft of writing at the MTCW monthly meeting. Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is an academic advisor and English Composition instructor for Bethel University.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Set during the Industrial Revolution and the Great Exhibition of 1851, Follow the Heart is a “sitting-room romance” with the feel of a Regency-era novel but the fashions and technological advances of the mid-Victorian age.

Kate and Christopher Dearing’s lives turn upside down when their father loses everything in a railroad land speculation. The siblings are shipped off to their mother’s brother in England with one edict: marry money.

At twenty-seven years old, Kate has the stigma of being passed over by eligible men many times—and that was before she had no dowry. Christopher would like nothing better than to make his own way in the world; and with a law degree and expertise in the burgeoning railroad industry, he was primed to do just that—in America.

Though their uncle tries to ensure Kate and Christopher find matrimonial prospects only among the highest echelon of British society, their attentions stray to a gardener and a governess.

While Christopher has options that would enable him to lay his affections where he chooses, he cannot let the burden of their family’s finances crush his sister. Trying to push her feelings for the handsome—but not wealthy— gardener aside, Kate’s prospects brighten when a wealthy viscount shows interest in her. But is marrying for the financial security of her family the right thing to do, when her heart is telling her she’s making a mistake?

Mandates . . . money . . . matrimony. Who will follow the heart?

If you would like to read the first chapter of >Follow the Heart, go HERE

CFBA Tour: Jennifer: An O’Malley Love Story by Dee Henderson

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Jennifer: An O’Malley Love Story Bethany House Publishers (May 1, 2013) by Dee Henderson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dee Henderson is the bestselling, award-winning author of 15 previous novels, including the acclaimed O'MALLEY series and UNCOMMON HEROES series. These days, most authors are out there energetically promoting their books in print and broadcast and via social media—wherever they can get attention. But Dee Henderson keeps a low profile. She avoids telephone interviews because of hearing problems, declined to provide a current photo, and will say only that she lives in Illinois.

 ABOUT THE BOOK

It's a summer of change for Jennifer O'Malley. The busy physician has a pediatrics practice in Dallas, and meeting Tom Peterson, and falling in love, is adding a rich layer to her life. She's sorting out how to introduce him to her family--she's the youngest of seven--and thinking about marriage.

She's falling in love with Jesus too, and knows God is good. But that faith is about to be tested in a way she didn't expect, and the results will soon transform her entire family.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Jennifer: An O’Malley Love Story, go to HERE.

Bout Of Books 7.0: Acrostic Poem Challenge

Hosted by: Harley Bear Book Blog

Remember back in elementary school when you would write your name vertically down the page then next to each letter you'd write an adjective describing yourself that starts with that letter? Well that's the idea for today except with...wait for it...books!

Raison Strain

Elyon's waters

Desert Dwellers 

Waiting on Wednesday (May 15, 2013)

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

On Distant Shores (Wings of the Nightingale #2) by Sarah Sundin

Revell (August 1, 2013)

Lt. Georgiana Taylor has everything she could want. A comfortable boyfriend back home, a loving family, and a challenging job as a flight nurse. But in July 1943, Georgie’s cozy life gets decidedly more complicated when she meets pharmacist Sgt. John Hutchinson. Hutch resents the lack of respect he gets as a noncommissioned serviceman and hates how the war keeps him from his fiancée. While Georgie and Hutch share a love of the starry night skies over Sicily, their lives back home are falling apart. Can they weather the hurt and betrayal? Or will the pressures of war destroy the fragile connection they’ve made?