Reviewed by readingwithwrin on
Thank you to Revell for a Physical ARC in exchange for my honest review.
"How did women give Adonai Tzva'ot, the Lord of Hosts, control of everything she longed for? Everything she healds dear?"
Hannah's story is one we've heard before, but it's also one we know next to nothing about. We know she was the mother of Samuel and that she was barren for a very long time, but besides that, she is hardly mentioned.
Hannah is in love with Elkanah and he loves her just as much. But they can't seem to conceive a baby no matter how many sacrifices they give, or how much they pray to God. With pressure from his family about not having any children Elkanah takes another wife and starts procreating like crazy. All while still having Hannah be his favorite wife, causing a lot of resentment and anger in his second wife.
Peninnah was one of those people you instantly dislike. She was told so many times to choose someone else, that he would never love her, but she still insisted on Elkanah or no one. This made her extremely bitter as time went on and things just got extremely messy for her with her own mother and his family.
"Even her bitterness could not give her what she wanted most. Elkanah's love."
As time goes on and his second wife gets angrier, and angrier at Hannah and Elkanah is at a loss as to what he should do. He wishes he had never given in to his parents and taken a second wife.
"I do not love you less because you haven't given me children. What can a son give you that I do not? A son grows up and marries and loves a wife more than his mother. As I love you more than mine. Never forget that."
More time goes on and Hannah makes a promise to God that if he gives her a son, she will give him back to him to serve all the days of his life. This works and she is granted a child, but she knows she must fulfill her promise, breaking hers and Elkanah's hearts.
While this breaks the rest of the families hearts as well, because they knew how much Hannah wanted a child and how deeply she loved this child, they also supported their choice to fulfill the promise Hannah made.
While Elkanah's family was having these struggles. The priests were running wild and not following the laws put into place. Sacrifices weren't being done right, the priests were raping young women and having multiple illegitimate children, and ruining many lives along the way.
This greatly upset many people, but they had no idea how to stop it. Hannah hopes that her son will be the one that changes things, and she feels like that is why God finally answered her prayers.
Overall I really liked this story. Hannah is one of the women in the bible I've always wanted to know more about. While this is a work of fiction, I felt like certain parts of it could be true. Women are left out of the bible a lot, and because of that, we get to have fictional stories such as this one that in a way answer some of the questions that I have about them. While I'll never get definitive answers to my questions, even knowing that at least one other person has the same assumptions about them is comforting.
"No child of Israel is meant to be enslaved all of their lives. I am giving you your freedom whether you like it or not."
I also liked all the side characters added in. Nava was a servant who felt more like a child and best friend to Hannah than a servant. I really liked that because we got to see more of Hannah's true feelings instead of just her inner thoughts and what she would tell Elkanah.
"We can all feel as though our lives have become a burden to others, especially when they seem to have no purpose."
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 7 February, 2018: Finished reading
- 7 February, 2018: Reviewed