Backing Books: Isaiah's Daughter- Review and Blog Tour

Book Summary: Gifted Bible teacher and award-winning author Mesu Andrews reaches into the pages of Biblical prophecy and Hebrew tradition to unearth a rags-to-royalty story of the devastated orphan, Ishma—meaning “desolation”—in Isaiah’s Daughter (Jan. 16, 2018, WaterBrook). At just 5 years old, Ishma’s life crumbles around her when Israelite soldiers violently kill her family and take her into captivity. Upon her release, the royal prophet Isaiah welcomes her into his home where she meets Prince Hezekiah (Hezi)—a boy who has also experienced great tragedy. Ishma and Hezi bond in their suffering, and as they grow in age, so does their love for each other. Aware of their developing relationship, Isaiah adopts Ishma as his daughter and presents her with a new name that will qualify her to marry royalty—Hephzibah (Zibah), meaning “delight of the Lord.” Hezi and Zibah marry, but after difficult times of barrenness, Assyrian aggression, disease and challenging prophecies from Isaiah, Zibah remains trapped by fear. Can she entrust everything to the only One who gives life and delivers both a captive heart and a desperate nation?

My Thoughts: Every time Mesu has a new book, she gives us a glimpse into lives of people who we would otherwise know little about. In Isaiah's Daughter, Mesu shows how difficult it would have been to be the daughter of a prophet who spoke in what might have been viewed as unpopular and condemning riddles. How safe could it have been for that daughter under the reign of Ahaz and how humiliating would it have been to see your father march naked through the streets of Israel like one crazed?

The theme of recognizing God's voice is strong within the narrative. Both Hephzibah's parents hear from the Lord while her and her husband struggle to distinguish His voice from all the others around them. Yet even through Isaiah hears the voice of God, he is often tempted to turn the narrative in the direction he would like it to go.

My one issue with this depiction of Isaiah and Hezekiah is that while Isaiah receives prophecies meant to criticize and warn Hezekiah about sins of pride, Isaiah never receives them for himself. For someone who hears the word of God so audibly, I felt that reprimands, such as the one Hezekiah gave him about proclaiming his opinion as freely and forcefully as he did the word of God, should have also been addressed by God in the manner that Hezekiah was.

Beyond that, I thought that Isaiah's Daughter was a fantastic read, one that brought both Ahaz and Hezekiah's reigns to life. Now that I have read this, I believe I have a better understanding of what occurred and can better remember the order in which events transpired.

I have provided an honest review after having received an ARC copy of the book from the author.

Author Bio: Mesu Andrews’ deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for her readers. She and her husband, Roy, live in a log cain snuggled into the beautiful Appalachian Mountains with their dog, Zeke. The Andrews’ have two married daughters and a small tribe of grandkids. Mesu loves movies, football, waterfalls, and travel.
Biblical fiction is her favorite genre to read and write. Her first novel, Love Amid the Ashes (Revell, 2011), tells the story of Job and won the 2012 ECPA Book of the Year for a Debut Author. Love’s Sacred Song (Revell, 2012) relates the poetic Song of Solomon in story form, and Love in a Broken Vessel (Revell, 2013) sets the story of Hosea and Gomer in biblical Israel. The Shadow of Jezebel (Revell, 2014) displays God’s sovereignty over Jezebel’s daughter, Queen Athaliah. The Pharaoh’s Daughter (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2015), the first in The Treasures of the Nile series, unveils Moses’ early years through the eyes of his Egyptian mother, and Miriam (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2016), the second book in the series, introduces Yahweh’s prophetess during the ten plagues and the Exodus as she struggles to trust this God she doesn’t understand. In January 2018, Isaiah’s Daughter: A Novel of Prophets and Kings (Waterbrook/Multnomah) reveals the little-known personal life of the prophet Isaiah and introduces readers to his captivating daughter.

Website: www.MesuAndrews.com

Check out these stops below to see other people's reviews, as well as a number of blog specific giveaways!

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