Sinners and the Sea

Sinners and the Sea by Rebecca Kanner
2/5 stars
Howard Books, 2013
303 pages
Adult Historical Bible-Inspired

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy retellings of biblical stories but have never read one about Noah or his wife so that is what grabbed my attention in this instance. Then I saw comparisons to Anita Diamant's The Red Tent, a book I read but did not review two years ago. I hated that book so it did not get me started auspiciously.

But I tried to be optimistic. However I almost put the book aside when the main character is almost raped in the first chapter. Luckily the next chapters revealed a surprisingly tender father/daughter relationship that made me a little teary until the daughter is given in marriage to Noah. They journey to Sorum where he preaches to the sinners around the area to repent. As the pair have three children who grow to manhood, Noah struggles to build an ark to bring the family to safety while the rest of the world is flooded.

I feel like the comparison to Anita Diamant is apt because I had a similar reaction to this book, i.e. not positive. I liked the beginning (before she marries Noah) and the very ending (after the flood, when they're back on land) but the bulk of the book was just awful for me. I didn't care about the characters, I hated the portrayal of religion (I was under the impression that this was a Christian inspirational novel-it is not), and this was just so dark. I think that if it had been a Christian novel, I would have ended feeling inspired and more loving toward humanity but instead I felt more separate and dejected about the state of the world.

Overall: I cannot recommend this book to people who share my reading taste nor to Christians. It might be good for people who like dark historical fiction (be warned there is a lot of fighting and sexual immorality).

Iscariot

Iscariot by Tosca Lee
4/5 stars
Howard Books, 2013
314 pages
Adult Christian Historical Fiction

Source: Received an e-copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read Lee's Havah previously, which focused on Eve and the Garden of Eden. I remember seeing at that time that Lee was working on a novel focusing on Judas Iscariot so I've been waiting for that to be released and it is finally here! Does Lee bring you to understand and/or sympathize with the traitor?

The beginning of the book certainly leads to empathy as young Judas' family is ripped apart in the face of Roman oppression. He lose his father and older brother while his mother turns to prostitution to keep them alive. As Judas grows up, he struggles with his feelings of guilt over his family's path. Then he hears about a mysterious Nazarene who with one look pierces Judas and brings him on an unforgettable journey.

By far my favorite part of this book was reading about Jesus (no surprise as my favorite biblical stories are also all about Jesus) in that Lee tells some of the familiar scriptural stories but as seen by Judas. The love that is Jesus brought me to tears several times-he heals leprosy, paralysis, and blindness. Judas' descriptions here bring home how revolutionary Jesus was and how he didn't meet the expectations of the Jewish leaders who were looking for a messiah. They wanted a man to take up arms and forcibly destroy Roman rule and instead they got a man who hangs out with lowly fishermen and the despised tax collectors and prostitutes, a man who talks in parables instead of learned language, and a man who does not bow down to them. Of course I already knew that I loved Jesus but I would say this helped me fall ever deeper.

What I didn't like about this book was the beginning focusing on the childhood of Judas just because I didn't really care. I can see how that was supposed to give Judas more depth and lay the foundation for why he eventually betrays Jesus but I really just wanted to read about Jesus' ministry.

Meanwhile I originally had disappointment about the ending, which I thought would force Judas to bear witness to Jesus' crucifixion (I might be a bit fuzzy on when he hung himself). When I read it for a second time, I was much more content. It is a meditative reflection with Judas recognizing that he will be remembered as a traitor but that Jesus still loves him. That Jesus does not conform to our pat assumptions and expectations but is instead so much more. That Jesus came for us.

Overall: A really fascinating book and recommended to read during the lead-up to Easter for Christians. What expectations of yours might be overturned?