About the Book
Recently widowed, Rivkah refuses to submit to the Torah law compelling her to marry her husband’s brother and instead flees Kedesh, hoping to use her talents as a scribe to support herself. Without the protections of her father, Kedesh’s head priest, and the safety of the city of refuge, Rivkah soon discovers that the cost of recklessness is her own freedom.
Malakhi has secretly loved Rivkah for years, but he never imagined his older brother’s death would mean wedding her himself. After her disappearance, he throws himself into the ongoing fight against the Canaanites instead of dwelling on all he has lost. But with impending war looming over Israel, Rivkah’s father comes to Malakhi with an impossible request.
As the enemies that Rivkah and Malakhi face from without and within Israel grow more threatening each day, is it too late for the restoration their wounded souls seek?
Excerpt
“Rivkah!” My older sister, Lailah, approached, arms outstretched and saffron-colored headscarf billowing around her. “You look lovely.” She kissed both my cheeks, then leaned to whisper in my ear, “Smile. You look as though you are headed to your execution, not your betrothal.”
Are they not one and the same?
I attempted to comply, wiping away any trace of trepidation in favor of a passably bright expression. She curved her palm over my cheek, as if to emphasize the four-year gap between us and the maternal role she’d slipped into since our mother died. “I know you miss Gidal, but this union will be pleasing to Yahweh,” she said. “And I am sure you and Malakhi will be blessed with children very soon as well.”
With a smile that bordered on condescension, she laid a hand over her own rounded belly, her second child with her husband, Oded. I’d once adored my older sister, but when our ima died seven years ago, she’d transformed from sibling to authority overnight, and the sisterly bond between us was gradually ground to dust. Her public display here now served only to sharpen the ever-present ache for my mother. Keeping my expression placid, I accepted her well-wishes but inwardly questioned why I must be passed off like a used sandal in order to please the Almighty—especially to Gidal’s smug, irritating younger brother.
“That she will,” said my father. “Her obedience to the Torah will be rewarded.” He smiled down at me warmly, but his rebuttal to my arguments against this marriage would linger in my memory. They cycled over and over in my mind as my family and Malakhi’s gathered around us.
“I have chosen what is best for you, daughter, even if you do not understand all my reasons now. You must trust that Darek and I have only your good in mind. Malakhi is able and willing to take on this responsibility, so the betrothal will go forward. And you, my daughter, have a duty to honor your husband, your family, and your God in this manner.”
However, even as I prepared to declare my willingness to be bound in covenant to the boy across the courtyard, my heart vowed differently. If there were even the slightest opportunity to escape this prison my father had built for me, I would take it.
Review
Connilyn Cossette was firmly established as one of my must-read authors by the time her second book released, but it says something for the quality of both her writing and her stories that this book is her sixth and I’m still saying that. Her stories don’t just bring biblical history to life; they do so through characters and struggles that are wholly relevant to the modern reader. At the same time, they often shed the light of understanding on laws and traditions that can otherwise seem incomprehensible, even harsh, to our twenty-first century ears.
I especially love that this series is based around the cities of refuge and has continued to follow the lives of Moriyah and Darek, from A Light on the Hill, through their children. Although you definitely don’t need to have read the previous books in the series to read this one, there are some ties, particularly to A Light on the Hill, that will be better appreciated if the series is read in order.
As for this book in particular, it is a riveting “prodigal daughter” story. The Rivkah we first meet is bitter and selfish—well characterised, but tempting the reader to whisper, “It serves you right.” But through both Rivkah’s father and Malakhi, we have the opportunity to witness the kind of love that perseveres in spite of everything. Even as Malakhi works through his own bitterness at Rivkah’s betrayal, he is prepared to do whatever it takes to see Rivkah restored to her family. That’s the kind of hero I love to see!
But there are consequences to Rivkah’s earlier choices, no matter how she has matured and no matter how much her family wishes to see her restored to them, and once again Connilyn Cossette uses this to weave a story that only becomes more engrossing the longer you read. Needless to say, I’m thrilled there’s going to be a fourth book in this series!
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Previous Books in the Series
About the Author
Connilyn Cossette is the CBA-Bestselling, Christy Nominated author of the Out from Egypt Series and the Cities of Refuge Series. When she’s not engulfed in the happy chaos of homeschooling two teenagers, devouring books whole, or avoiding housework, she can be found digging into the rich ancient world of the Bible. She delights in discovering new gems of grace that point to Jesus and weaving them into an immersive fiction experience. Although she and her husband have lived all over the country in the last twenty-plus years, they currently call North Carolina home.
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I’m looking forward to reading this. I’m loving this series! Thanks for the lovely review!