The Bronze Bow

I finished a book last week that I really enjoyed - "The Bronze Bow" by Elizabeth George Speare. She also wrote "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" which I have probably read 10 times because it is such a sweet love story told in colonial Massachussetts. You might call it my escape book. When I just want to lose myself in someone else's life, I pull it out. Knowing how much I enjoy that Speare book, and then the fact that "The Bronze Bow" is a Newberry winner, I bought it about two years ago.

I finally read it, and it was great! Long story short - it tells the story of a boy named Daniel who lives during the time of Christ. Because of some family tragedies, he gets caught up with a zealot group that is trying to free Israel from its Roman conquerors by force. The characters were believable and lovable - I especially thought the development of the hero's sister, Leah, was sweet, and the development of Daniel as he cared for his sister was touching. One of the things that I liked the most about reading it, was hearing about that time in Israel from the perspective of someone who was waiting for a Messiah - not the Messianic role that we recognize, but someone who would save them from Roman rule. Reading good things opens our minds and our worlds. I love it -