Judah's Wife

     BOOK REVIEW:   To be silent would be to deny their God. to defy would bring the wrath of the king.   Seeking quiet and safety after a hard childhood, Leah marries Judah, a strong and gentle man, and for the first time in her life Leah believes she'll have peace. But the very nation Judah was named for has been conquered by a cruel king, who decrees that all Jews are to conform to Syrian laws or risk death for following the laws of Moses.
     Judah's father resists the decree, igniting a war that will cost him his life. But before dying, he commands Judah to pick up his sword and continue the fight---or bear responsibility for the obliteration of Israel. Leah, who wants nothing but peace, struggles with her husband's decision---what kind of God would destroy the peace she has sought for so long?
     The miraculous story of the courageous Maccabees is told through the eyes of Judah's wife, who learns that love requires courage.....and sacrifice.

     MY REVIEW:   This book looked interesting because of who it is written about. I've heard a little about the Maccabees, and they always sounded like an interesting people in a time we know very little about. Angela Hunt took much of her material from 1 and 2 Maccabees, which are found in the Apocrypha. Mattathias and his five sons are historical figures, as with several other characters. There are a few fictional characters as well to lend perspective. The wives are fictional in account, though these men were most likely married.
     This book is written from both Judah and Leah's perspective, and in first person. I am not a huge fan of first person, but this book was done quite well. The author also refrained from making her pages stretch with an overload of "he was wearing this" and "she was wearing this" and "this is how the other person's clothes affected the first person".
     Judah's father started the stand against the king's decrees, and led his family and the remnant of faithful Israel into the desert to train and prepare an army. Upon his death, he commissioned Judah to carry on in his stead. Judah led his fledgling army of farmers courageously, relying on "HaShem" to grant them victory. There was a time or two near the end when they were defeated for entering battle in the wrong courage, but as a whole they were devoted to their God. When Israel determined to name Judah their king, or high priest, he refused. The honor goes to God; he was content merely to be a vessel.
     Judah seemed a little unrealistically "good" to me, but at the end of the book, it comes out that Angela fashioned him to be a type of Christ. His defense of his people, unconditional love and care for his family, and leadership aura now make sense.
     Leah struggles to the point of bitterness with her loss of a peaceful life since Judah is leading the army of Israel, but as she learns of God's Love for her and talks with her mother-in-law, she comes to realize peace comes in many forms. She can eventually see Judah's love for Israel is a reflection of God's love for His people.
     Angela Hunt has written over 100 books. This book is the second of her "Silent Years" series. The first  is Egypt's Sister, a novel of Cleopatra. This is the first of her books I've read, and I think I may have to keep my eye out for more from her.

I received a copy of this book from BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS, and was not required to write a positive review.