Book Review: The Triumph of Deborah by Eva Etzioni-Halevy

The Triumph of Deborah
by Eva Etzioni-Halevy
Copyright 2008
Plume
358 pages
ISBN: 978-0-452-28906-2
Historical Fiction

Synopsis: Deborah a highly respected Israelite leader and judge, has convinced military leader, Barak to attack the neighboring Canaanites. With Barak's success comes more trials,including the love triangle between Barak and the two captured Canaanite princesses, beautiful Asherah and loving Nogah. On top of it all, Deborah finds herself increasingly attracted to Barak which leads her husband to divorce her. Deborah exhibits much strength and character and independence that many modern women of today strive to achieve.

My Review: First off let me say that if you are a reader of Christian fiction you may not like this book because there are some love scenes although not romance novel descriptive, they are still there nonetheless. As for the story of Deborah I have to admit that I'm not all that familiar with her story in the Bible however, I thought that Eva did a wonderful job capturing Deborah and her spirit.

It is amazing to me that Deborah was revered among her people when today, even in our society women aren't as respected as much as their male counterparts. We often tend to think that people of ancient society were more backward in their societal views but in truth they really were not in some aspects.

That being said, I think Ms. Etzioni-Halevy did a really wonderful job capturing the dilemmas that Deborah had to face as a judge, wife, and woman. The story of Barak, Nogah, and Asherah were also woven together neatly, although I felt at times relationships were rushed and there was a little bit too much lust for me to handle. Barak was not a likable hero (if he can be called that), he was just too much of a womanizer for my tastes.

But if taken just from a fictional point of view as it is meant to be taken, The Triumph of Deborah is a good book for those who like well researched historical romances! Seeing as she lives in the Middle East it's pretty easy to see how she could so aptly describe homes, towns, and scenery. If I come across any of Eva's books in my travels I'll probably pick them up and see what she does with the story of Ruth and the life of Hannah.

To learn more about Eva Etzioni-Halevy and her other books visit her website:
http://www.evaetzionihalevy.com/

*Many thanks to the author for providing me with my copy to review!*