Synopsis:
She lost it all in one agonizing moment…
Princess Michal is used to getting everything she wants, and she has her heart set on the young hero David. But their passionate love affair is destroyed by her father’s murderous rage. Will David’s departing promises be enough?
David the King is no longer the charming harpist she gave her heart to. The most powerful man in Israel, he falls into the arms of the beautiful Bathsheba.
Temptation comes in the form of a dashing Philistine warrior. Michal vows to be the only woman in David’s heart, but does she know her own?
A novel of betrayal, forbidden love, and redemption, Michal’s Window is an imaginative retelling of King David’s story through the eyes of the woman who loved him first.
Content advisory: sexual situations, blood and violence
Michal’s Window by Rachelle Ayala
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Let me begin by saying that in my time, I have read many books that would be classified as Biblical fiction. Oftentimes, I really like them, and it is often a treat to see how someone else envisions a familiar story from the Bible. This book is probably the most fascinating book in this genre that I have ever read. I found myself considering many portions of the story of David that I have never thought of before. When most people think of King David, they think of Goliath and Bathsheba. And we are often reminded that David was a man after God’s own heart. We might also think of his being in the line of Christ. And he did right the majority of our Psalms in the Bible. What I appreciate about this story is that we see David in all his humanity and folly. He was a sinner, and he was a human just like us. He made a myriad of mistakes, and yet God still chose to use him. What a comfort that should be to us.
I don’t want to give away the story, but I had not even given much though to Michal. After all, she was Saul’s daughter, David’s first wife, and she despised him in her heart when the Ark came back to Jerusalem. And she also loved David. I always had her characterized as a pretty vindictive woman, and I figured her life ended after Scripture recorded that she would remain barren. But somehow seeing the well-known (and not so well-known) stories of David through Michal’s eyes, gave me a very different perspective on things. I have just finished a study on the life of David, and this was a great follow-up. Do I think that the story is 100 percent accurate? Probably not. But I have never had Biblical fiction make me think so much. And although I knew David was flawed, perhaps he had more flaws than I realized.
I only have a couple minor criticisms. Since this book is an Old Testament story, there should have been an Old Testament understanding of the afterlife. That is a hard thing to accomplish, but I would have preferred not seeing Michal talk about mansions and angels. It was a small part of the book, and I can’t complain too much. But she would have had no knowledge of such things. I also found that the dialogue was very modern as opposed to B.C. Again, this is a minor issue, but I did want to bring it up. I loved the interactions between the characters, but sometimes it was definitely not “period.”
This book is thankfully free of profanity and descriptive violence. I am so pleased to say that, but let me warn you that there are sexual encounters that occur that are sometime hot and heavy. Most of the time, these occur between married individuals–usually David and Michal. I was never offended. In fact, I can only hope that David was truly that great of a lover! But this book would not be intended for young adults–definitely adult readers only. And rest assured that all bedroom scenes are incredibly tasteful.
This book is one that I can whole-heartedly recommend to anyone who loves the Bible, history, and even romances. There is no preaching in the book, and the story is extremely readable.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
For more information, please check out the author’s blog and facebook.
Interested in buying the book?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007CVT9F2/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007CVT9F2&linkCode=as2&tag=rachswind-20
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