About the book:Title: Before the King
Author: Heather Kaufman
Series: Women of the Way
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 344
Joanna's wealthy family aspires to Herod's inner circle, but when her father's esteemed position in the Sepphoris Sanhedrin is threatened, her family resorts to harboring a dark secret. As Joanna navigates the complexities of aristocratic life and an arranged marriage, she is caught between loyalty to her family and her own desires. When tragedy strikes, leading to a life-altering injury and a startling encounter with Herod's financial minister, Joanna must grapple with a new future--one that challenges her sense of duty and hope for love.
Years later, Joanna is forever changed when a rabbi comes preaching a new kingdom and healing the sick. Yet, she treads a perilous path between a court that mocks Jesus of Nazareth, a community of believers who views her with suspicion, and a husband who guards his own secrets. As pressure increases, Joanna must protect her allegiance to the Christ, whose message is as compelling as it is dangerous.
In this gripping narrative, rising author Heather Kaufman weaves a tale of faith, resilience, and love amid the danger of King Herod's court.
My Thoughts:
Heather Kaufman has quickly become a go-to biblical fiction author for me; in the company of Mesu Andrews, Jill Eileen Smith, Tessa Afshar, and Tosca Lee.
Joanna is mentioned twice in scripture; Luke 8:2-3 and 24:10 and those mentions sparked a curiosity that Heather Kaufman wove into a beautiful story of resilience, hope, forgiveness, and love.
While I love the character of Joanna, I adored her little sister, Dalia. You see, Dalia has epilepsy like I do, and Heather Kaufman handled the illness with care and love, she also showed it realistically including the stigma and fear families go through.
This book is like a full-course meal. Ms. Kaufman shows a lot of Herod and his palace's inner workings. She also has a lot of interactions with the disciples. Which was both interesting and wonderful.
I love biblical fiction for a lot of reasons, but mainly because it makes me go to the Bible.
With the amazing cast of characters and riveting plot, this book is not to be missed.
While this is book two in her Women of the Way series it stands alone, however, I highly recommend reading Up From Dust.
About Heather Kaufman
Heather’s passion for storytelling started at an early age, from scribbled poetry at age six, to a full-length novel by sixteen. Over the years, her love of writing grew, eventually leading her to earn a BA in English from McKendree University and an MA in English, Writing Studies from the University of Missouri—St. Louis.
Heather is the author of multiple books and devotions and delights in highlighting the goodness of God through storytelling.
She is married to Andrew and together they have three adorable children and one persnickety dog. When not reading, writing, editing, or accumulating mounds of books, Heather can be found exploring new parks with her family, enjoying yet another cup of coffee, or working on a home improvement project. She and her family make their home in St. Louis, Missouri.
You can connect with Heather on the following social media accounts.
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