Product Details
- Title: Daughter of Ishmael: Promised Land, Broken Heart
- Author: Diane Stringham Tolley
- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (January 10, 2017)
- Genre: Religious/ Historical Fiction
- ISBN-10: 1462119662
- FTC, FYI: I received a review paperback copy in exchange for an honest review.
Book Details:
Growing up around prophets and prophecies, Hannah and her sisters are excited to be betrothed to sons of Lehi and to journey to the promised land.
In one statement, Father Lehi and Ishmael had stripped away her gentle, girlish dreams and replaced them with stark reality.
She was marrying a stranger.
When Hannah learns she will be given in marriage to a son of Lehi, she dreams of raising children in the paths of righteousness with a worthy priesthood holder. Instead, she is met with unimaginable hardship: an arduous journey, a cowardly husband, and possible infertility. Hannah had promised herself long ago that she would follow the Lord and His prophet, but when she thinks her journey is over, she is faced with an impossible choice between faith and family.
My Review:
This historical fiction book is based on people from The Book of Mormon, a book that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) believe to be scripture. Many of the characters in this story, mainly the women, are not discussed as much in the actual Book of Mormon. This is what I enjoyed greatly in Daughter of Ishmael in that we got to know the strong women behind the men.
The story is told through many years, from the time main character Hannah is a young girl until she is a grown woman. All along you can see that Hannah is a very loyal, brave, and dedicated daughter, sister, wife, and servant of the Lord. The author writes about all of Ishmael's family and how they eventually leave Jerusalem with Father Lehi's family.
This story flows so well from chapter to chapter as it engages the reader into the heart of both families. I had a hard time putting the book down. It is over 300 pages, but I never felt like the story was bogged down with details as the pacing of the book was perfect. The character's relationships with each other take center stage in this novel, as family members decide whether or not Father Lehi and Nephi are Prophets of God. I aways love to see scenes from The Book of Mormon brought to life in a novel where you can see how people are thinking and feeling about what is happening.
The overall message I was left with, is how truly the choices we make not only affect our lives, but also those of our children. I also was greatly touched by how as we keep the commandments of God our lives will be blessed. This beautiful perspective of familiar Book of Mormon stories will be faith promoting to those that read the book. Anyone, LDS or not, could enjoy reading this compelling novel of a strong woman being tested by the trials of life.
You can find a copy of Daughter of Ishmael online or at your local LDS Bookstore.
Trained in journalism and raised by a family of storytellers, Diane Stringam Tolley has spent her life writing. From her first published work, The Scary House, penned in Mrs. Hainsworth's grade six class, to her tenth novel due to be released by Cedar Fort early in 2017, Tolley has dipped into every genre from sci-fi/fantasy to spiritual. Her Christmas book, Carving Angels, has been featured on the "best of" holiday lists for Edmonton Public Libraries since its first release in 2011. And her follow-up novel, Kris Kringle's Magic (2012) is currently a standard for discussions on prejudice and bullying throughout the Black-Gold region. Drawing on her upbringing on one of the last of the great old ranches of Southern Alberta, Tolley's stories are filled with unforgettable characters, warm, family connections, and the strength of faith and love.
Learn more about Diane at these sites:
Thank you so much for this wonderful review, Sheila!
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