Martha: A Novel

I'd like to say I know my stories from the Bible, but I didn't recall Martha at all. However, I did want to learn more and see how an author fleshed out her life and made her into a whole person, so I was happy to be able to review Martha by Diana Wallis Taylor.

I'll admit it, the only person I really recognized by name was Lazarus. But as I read along, I became deeply interested in reading about Martha, her quest to become married, her love affair and her dedication to her family.

Jesus does not play a part until later in the novel. The author does a fantastic job as painting him as more human - I believe that that fact gets lost in the face of who he eventually turned out to be. We see that he worries and has other very human emotions.

I show more also appreciate that the author painted Jesus as understanding that others may doubt that he had risen. Both Martha and the disciple Thomas had to touch Jesus' wounds to be sure that he was actually in front of them. The godly aspect of Jesus understood that most would need to touch to believe, and that's the part of Christianity and forgiveness that I appreciate - we are human, we may err, but ultimately we believe.

I also did learn more about the Jewish faith. While I did know a decent amount, and I'm sure much has changed in the past 2000 years, I did learn how much such occasions like the Sabbath are still observed the same way in modern America.

I would recommend Martha to anybody who is interested in learning about the history of Christianity. I also look at this as a historical piece, describing what life was like generally at the time that Jesus walked the Earth. I would like to read more about other female figures from the Bible, especially the ones we don't know much about, so I will be looking up Diana Wallis Taylor's other books.

This review is provided as part of the blog tour. I received this book in order to perform a review. This did not influence my opinion in any way. All thoughts are 100% my own. show less

While staying true to the Biblical account of the story of Martha, so much more was added to bring this story to life. And the part where Lazarus is raised from the dead was even more incredible when seen through Martha's eyes. Technically we don't know what Martha was really thinking, however, the author did a great job of showing what she may have thought at the time. It was very believable and showed her motivations and reasons for her struggles and frustrations very well.

What I loved most about this story as well as Ms. Taylor's other story about the woman at the well was the way that she took a lot of the assumptions people have made over the years about both of these women and made their stories come to life in a way that made show more sense regarding those accounts. The author put flesh on the characters, showed their motivations, and made them so human that they are easy to identify with. No one is all evil just as no one is all good. This story will change the way you may have always thought about Martha. I love stories that challenge my assumptions. I found that very refreshing. show less

From the first page the reader is immediately immersed in the New Testament time and customs of a well known character of theological and moral teachings - Martha the sister of Mary. The story of Mary choosing the better path is so well taught that we often forget to glean the goodness of sacrificial service for others.

Within these pages the often looked down upon Martha has a chance at her story being told. I do not know of any older sibling who could not relate to the struggles that Martha faced as she the responsibility that fell upon the eldest of the household.

The book is well written and the story long over due. The encounters with Jesus presented in this book offer the reader a different feel of an old story. For once they are show more able to see the heart of Martha who lived to complete the service of her family. She must learn that the important things in life aren't always completing the task - but knowing the task master. In this book walk with Martha and learn to lay down your own self-imposed responsibilities of perfection and order to better understand the Master and His work. Work through the bitterness that often accompanies being the eldest and feeling held to a different standard. Cry with Martha and rejoice with her - and as an eldest see life in a new light - that of the Savior.

Thank you Revell for this review Copy. show less

Diana Wallis Taylor has that talent that is beyond belief. She has that talent that will grip the readers SOUL, not just their attention. She pulls you to the story with just one sentence and you hang on every word, and when the end of the book comes, you are left in awe, with a feeling that will stay with you to the end.

Reading this beautiful, tender story of Mary and Lazarus' sister, Martha, I fell in love with Biblical fiction all over again. Why? Because Taylor brought Martha to life, like watching a historical Biblical film. I saw life through the eyes of Martha. Watching what she had to go through, running a household at such a young age after her mother passed away, keeping up with Mary, her wayward younger sister, and still show more trying to prepare herself for marriage someday, well, it just really moved me. She was such a wonderful person, and one who seems to be so overlooked in the Bible now a days. Her faith in God was what moved me the most.

When Jesus comes to the home of Martha, we see how knowing Him and how the resurrection of both Lazarus and Jesus affect Martha. I could feel each and every emotion that Martha did. I was in tears at times, and at others, I just held on to the feeling that this spectacular Biblical fiction novel left me with.

Martha is a book that will hook you and you won't want to put it down. If you're like me, you'll grab it and be down with it in a day. Taylor truly keeps the Biblical aspect of this story real, while mixing in a slight bit of fiction. This 5 star novel is superbly written, extremely captivating and magnificently moving. My faith in God is so much stronger now, and my knowledge of Martha in a new light is amazing. I can't wait to see more work like this from this fantastic author! show less

This is someone from the Bible I've always thought I could relate to. I thought Diana Taylor did an excellent job of helping us to see what it would have been like to walk along side of Martha and Mary. Her description of the area and the events were interesting and believable. I loved the way she took the known Biblical facts and embellished on them to enhance the story. After finishing "Martha" I couldn't wait to start another novel by Diana.

From the first page the reader is immediately immersed in the New Testament time and customs of a well known character of theological and moral teachings - Martha the sister of Mary. The story of Mary choosing the better path is so well taught that we often forget to glean the goodness of sacrificial service for others.

Within these pages the often looked down upon Martha has a chance at her story being told. I do not know of any older sibling who could not relate to the struggles that Martha faced as she the responsibility that fell upon the eldest of the household.

The book is well written and the story long over due. The encounters with Jesus presented in this book offer the reader a different feel of an old story. For once they are show more able to see the heart of Martha who lived to complete the service of her family. She must learn that the important things in life aren't always completing the task - but knowing the task master. In this book walk with Martha and learn to lay down your own self-imposed responsibilities of perfection and order to better understand the Master and His work. Work through the bitterness that often accompanies being the eldest and feeling held to a different standard. Cry with Martha and rejoice with her - and as an eldest see life in a new light - that of the Savior.

Thank you Revell for this review Copy. show less

NCLA Review - This is a beautiful story with reference to Martha of Bethany, her sister Mary, and brother Lazarus. The author uses Bible dialogue and fiction to portray life in Jesus’ time on earth. We are brought into the daily experiences of fixing meals and sharing conversations with family and friends, which included Jesus and the disciples. Martha’s devotion to family keeps her from marrying before her siblings. While Martha and Mary did the necessary work in preparing food for company, we can feel the frustration of Martha’s concern for all to be ready, while Mary is sitting listening to one of the guests. Events of the families and surrounding cities were topics of discussion. There is disbelief and fear as they learn their show more friend Jesus has been crucified. There is excitement and joy as they hear Jesus has risen from the dead. It is an amazing account of faith in the life of Martha and her loved ones. Rating: 4 —BE show less