Book Review: Keepers of the Covenant

Have you ever read any of Lynn Austin's books?  She is a writer capable of bringing flesh and blood to long forgotten history.  Having read her series Chronicles of the Kings, I eagerly anticipated that Keepers of the Covenantwould do the same.  I was not disappointed.

Keepers of the Covenant (The Restoration Chronicles)is a biblically accurate account, fleshed out through fictional characters, of the second wave of Jewish settlers returning to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity.  Through a close study of scripture and imagining how the lives of individual people may have been lived, the author does a great job of drawing the reader into the historical drama.  It is a rare novel that causes me to search my Bible in understanding of the actual events.  Due to the graphic content in parts, I would recommend this book to high-school aged and above, for anyone interested in one author's interpretation of this portion of scripture.

In one life-changing moment, the lives of the exiles in Babylon are thrown into despair when a decree from the king's palace calls for the annihilation of every Jewish man, woman, and child throughout the empire in less than one year.

Ezra, a quiet but brilliant scholar, soon finds himself called upon to become the leader of his people. Forced to rally an army when all his training has been in the Torah, he struggles to bring hope in a time of utter despair, when dreams of the future--of family and love--seem impossible.  (description from the publisher.)

For the story of the first wave of Jews returning to their homeland, read Lynn Austin's Return to Me (The Restoration Chronicles) (Volume 1).  The story of Zechariah's return to Jerusalem and the people that surrounded him is a fascinating precursor to Keepers of the Covenant.

I really enjoy historical fiction, especially when it's based on the true accounts in scripture,  I do hope Ms. Austin continues to research and write more books of this type.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
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