Book Review - A Passionate Hope

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Hannah and her husband, Elkanah, share a deep and abiding love, for each other, for their God, and for his tabernacle at Shiloh. Greatly disturbed by the corruption of the priests, they long for restoration and pray for a deliverer. But nothing changes as the years pass. Years that also reveal Hannah to be barren.

Pressured by his family to take another wife, Elkanah marries Peninnah, who quickly begins to bear children. Disgraced and taunted by her husband's new wife, Hannah turns again to prayers that seem doomed to go unanswered. Do her devotion and kindness in the face of Peninnah's cruelty count for nothing? Why does God remain silent and indifferent to her pleas?

Travel back to the dusty streets of Shiloh with an expert guide as Jill Eileen Smith brings to life a beloved story of hope, patience, and deliverance that shows that even the most broken of relationships can be restored.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of The Wives of King David, the Wives of the Patriarchs, The Loves of King Solomon, and The Daughters of the Promised Land series. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan. Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com

MY REVIEW:

I was so excited to read this book because I read the book, "The Prophetess" about Deborah by the same author and it was a book that really resonated in my heart. I feel the exact same say about this book, A Passionate Hope!

This book focuses on Hannah from 1 Samuel and her story of sadness yet hope in the Lord. In her bareness, she is personally sad but when her husband's family turns against her and encourages her husband to take another wife, it's a horrible thing for her. When the new wife has children, with no problems, it's a personal blow and devastating - especially when the new wife starts to ridicule her.

The author portrays such a real portrait of all the characters in the book. You feel like you truly know each and every one of them. I found myself hurting for Hannah and feeling her pain, just like I did for the other characters in her other book I read. I like how she gives us an understanding of why Hannah's husband and his family treat her that way, as well as his second wife, Penninah. Even though she treats Hannah horribly, you get an understanding of why because the author gives us a fully dimensional person rather than one dimensional.

I highly recommend this book. I read a lot of books and when I remember a story and it's characters in such a deep way, I know it's because of the quality of the writing. You will truly enjoy this book!
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by Revell Books



Blessings - Julie