Saturday, April 21, 2012

MICHAL: A NOVEL (JILL EILEEN SMITH)



Baker Publishing Group|March 1, 2009|Trade Paperback|ISBN 978-0-8007-3320-9

Story Description: 

As the daughter of King Saul, Michal lives a life of privilege--but one that is haunted by her father's unpredictable moods and by competition from her beautiful older sister.  When Michal falls for young David the harpist who plays to calm her father, she has no idea what romance, adventures, and heartache await her.  As readers enter the colorful and unpredictable worlds of King Saul and King David, they will be swept up in this excitiing and romantic story.  Against the backdrop of opulent palace life, raging war, and desert escapes, Jill Eileen Smith takes her readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride as Michal deals with love, loss, and personal transformation as one of the wives of David.  A sweeping tale of passion and drama, readers will love this amazing story. 

My Review: 

Fifteen-year-old, Michal, was the daughter of King Saul.  He had a violent temper and was prone to outbursts of yelling, madness, and cruelty to anyone who was nearby including his wife and daughter.  Michal, her sister, Merab, and her brother knew he wasn’t a good King.  Ever since King Saul had returned from a battle with the Amalekites, he was a changed man who had been shaken to his core and never spoke of the battle.  Michal questioned her brother Jonathan as to why the Lord seemed to have forsaken their father rather than help him? 

King Saul was being tormented by something and his screams could be heard throughout the palace.  The only thing that would calm him was, David, the harpist.  He had already been sent for and everyone in the grand palace was awaiting his arrival so they could gain some peace from the sounds of her father’s raving madness that carried even through the open windows.  David finally arrived and his sweet music and the strings of his harp mimicked the melodic trill of a nightingale.  Michal closed her eyes and pictured a cascading waterfall. King Saul was no longer the crazed man he had been. 

As David played his head lifted and glanced in Michal’s direction, her breath caught as their eyes connected.  Could he tell how her heart yearned for him?  His gaze then moved past her and lingered on her sister, Merab, and Michal saw the look that passed between them, a look that told her more than words could say.  David, the man who had captured Michal’s heart, was in love with her sister! 

Goliath of Gath was a huge man, larger than anyone had seen before.  Goliath was taunting King Saul and his army for someone brave enough to stand up and fight him and try to kill him.  No one was volunteering for the job.  King Saul had promised riches, tax exemptions, and his daughter, Merab’s hand in marriage to the slayer of Goliath.  David, the harpist couldn’t understand the fear in everyone in fighting Goliath.  He said: “What difference did a man height make?  The Lord is on our side, we have nothing to fear”.  The men looked at David as though he had lost his mind.  David retrieved his sling-shot from his pocket and placed a large stone in the sling and fired, hitting Goliath dead centre in the forehead and bringing the large man down to ground where he then beheaded him. 

Determined to not allow Merab to marry David, Michal, unbeknownst to Merab and David, told her father the King, that Merab loved someone else.  The King immediately sought this man out and ordered Merab and Adriel to marry.  Michal had played her cards well, or had she?  She had no idea what heartache awaited her. 

This is a beautiful story from the Bible which you can read the original version of in 1 and 2 Samuel.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".


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