She went to the well for water. What she found there would change her life forever.
Marah is a young girl in love with her childhood friend, Jesse. When she is forced to marry an older man, she must abandon her dreams of happiness. At the mercy of men who are often only interested in using her, Marah must fight for survival. Will she ever meet a man who can save her?
The story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well is one of hope, redemption, and a life changed in an instant through a remarkable encounter. Jesus told her "everything she'd ever done," but we are left to wonder at the circumstances that led her life on such a tragic path to begin with. Now from the creative mind of Diana Wallis Taylor comes the full story of the woman at the well.
This well-researched portrayal of a woman's life in the time of Jesus opens a window into a fascinating world. Taylor's rich descriptions of the landscapes, lifestyles, and rituals mesh easily with the emotional and very personal story of one woman who desperately seeks to rise above the difficult circumstances of her life.
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KATY'S REVIEW:
Wow! This book gets a high 5 star rating from me! I was swept up in this tale of the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well. Having never read a book on this particular story in the bible before, I loved what Diana Taylor has created! From the very first chapters of this book, I was hooked! Turning page after page, I eagerly read about Marah's life before she met the Savior at the well - the story behind why she had 5 husbands, and was currently living with a man she wasn't married to.
The author is gifted in writing believable scenes that transport you back in time - writing it as the characters might of thought and spoken like back then! It added a wonderful touch to the book that I really enjoyed. The characters were all believable and so well described - I felt like I knew each one of them! I loved the background Taylor gives on Marah's husbands prior to them coming into the picture - it isn't long winded or wordy, but gives you enough detail so you know who the characters are when they appear in Marah's life.
This should go without saying (As this is the story of a woman who was married 5 times and living with a man who wasn't her husband when Jesus met her), but there were some adult content in this book. It couldn't be avoided, given this woman's story, but Taylor wrote it so well! Nothing explicit is described and things are kept on a very practical basis. But this may be a problem for younger teens - so I simply urge caution for them!
This is the first book I have read by Diana, but I know it won't be my last! Her writing style and the stories she tells are so unique and warm - I enjoyed every moment in Journey to the Well and have already picked it back up to re-read a few parts. When thinking of all the biblical fictions I have read, this book is definitely in the top 5! I highly recommend it!
4 comments:
Sounds like a good one! I'd love to read it. I will if I ever find it anywhere!
This is in my TBR pile. Need to do this one next. :O)
Ohh - this sounds very good.
Charity - yes! Be on the look out for one!
Diane - That's great! Yes, you won't regret reading it. A wonderful story within its pages!
Joanne - It is really good!
~ Katy
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