A House Divided

by Diane Stringam Tolley

[sstaley]

The second book in this series picks up where the first one left off. I loved the first book where we got to know Hannah and her struggle being the wife of Lemuel. In this book we see the continual rise of conflict between the Nephites and the Lamanites. I love seeing the Book of Mormon come to life in novels such as this. There is much to be learned from Hannah's example of having hope, faith, and relying on the hand of the Lord to guide your life. She suffered a lot physically and mentally during her marriage to Lemuel.

This story is so beautifully written, along with many scriptures laced throughout it's pages. I would suggest to readers, even those familiar with the stories from the Book of Mormon, to read the first book in the series, Daughter of Ishmael: Promised Land, Broken Hearts, before starting A House Divided. Even though it could be read as a stand alone, reading the first book gives you greater insight into what kind of woman Hannah is and how she could endure so many hardships so well. There is some violence and mildly graphic content from war battles and animal attacks. This book is appropriate for adults and older teens.