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Fourteen-year-old Deborah witnesses the wrongful stoning of her sister Tamar. It is Seesya, Tamar's cruel husband, who not only perpetrates Tamar's demise, but also murdered the sisters' parents two years earlier. Deborah and her family once lived on Palm Homestead, a fertile area of land that Seesya now covets. Since Deborah is the remaining family member, Seesya forcibly betroths her. Remembering her father's mantic dream, Deborah can't fathom how his prediction of her becoming one of Yahweh's prophets will be fulfilled as long as she's under Seesya's control. Convincing the priest Obadiah to help her escape to Shiloh, Deborah determines to find the Elixirist, the only one who can turn her into a boy. But just when Deborah figures out where the legendary man lives, she bumps into none other than Seesya.
"A novel inspired by the Bible," Azrieli's latest book takes a look at a side of Deborah no one has seen. In fact, the only information linked to the prominent and solitary female warrior and prophet can be found in chapters four and five of the Book of Judges. The small but powerful Bible segments highlight Deborah's reign as a fair and trustworthy judge. What Azrieli attempts to do is to provide a fictional account zeroing in on probable yet poignant events in Deborah's life that may have played vital roles in molding her character, especially in the area of compassion. Divided into seven sections, Azrieli's believable narrative guides his audience on a journey through the life of a teenaged girl living within a cruel and unconscionable male-dominated realm. Closing his riveting plot on a cliffhanger, Azrieli offers a sure indication that more novels are forthcoming. Deborah Rising is a perfect read for Bible and history enthusiasts.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review