Judah's Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees (The Silent Years)

Leah never felt safe in the home she grew up in. So when she marries a kind man named Judah, she believes she can finally experience a life of peace. But when Judah is challenged to fight for his people's sacred way of life, Leah's hopes for peace are threatened in Judah's Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees by author Angela Hunt.

I was intrigued by The Silent Years series from the get-go, as I'd never read Biblical Fiction that addresses the four hundred years of (apparent) "silence" between the biblical books of Malachi and Matthew. I liked the first novel in this series, and have either liked or loved every novel I've read by Hunt, so I started anticipating this book way before its publication.

I was quickly drawn into the place, the show more period, and the setup of dual first-person narrators, which I've seen in other novels by this author. Although I'm sure I would have enjoyed this book at a different time, I only got a fifth of the way through before I decided not to continue. I've heard of the Maccabees and was most interested in reading about their revolt, but I'll admit there are some aspects of Biblical Fiction I find much harder to read now than I used to.

As I recently said about another novel in the genre, my struggle with this book is reflective of a changing reader, not the quality of the story. While this likely means I'll have to take a personal step back from the genre for now, I wouldn’t discourage other ChristFic readers from checking this novel out.
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Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review. show less

The second book of the Silent Years series is the story of Judah Maccabaeus and his brothers’ battles to reclaim the Temple in Jerusalem for the Jewish people — told through the eyes of Judah’s wife.

Leah has grown up in a home full of violence. When she gets the chance to escape her father’s rage by marrying into a new family, she prays that the man she has chosen will treat her better than her father did her mother. Judah is kind and gentle, and Leah has only known him to fight in defense of those who can’t protect themselves. But everything changes when the king passes new laws that forbid the Jews from living according to God’s Law, and Judah finds himself at the center of a rebellion. Leah struggles between her desire show more for peace and safety and her calling to support and love her husband. Above all, she strives to understand God’s will for her, her husband, and her people.

Angela Hunt’s retelling of history through the perspective of Leah, with her background of abuse, adds layers of depth to the narrative that really brought the characters to life and made their struggles more vivid for me. I don’t know much about this period of history, and I know Hunt didn’t include every detail of all the battles, but I felt that she portrayed the how and why of the most significant events in a way that was captivating and informative. It is a story that once again shows that God is never silent when our hearts are willing to listen. show less

"A safe and sheltered life . . . was a boring life"

I've been interested in learning more about the Maccabees and the origins of the Hanukkah festival, and I feel this book did the job brilliantly.

This is historical fiction telling the story of the Maccabean Revolt, mostly through the eyes of Judah Maccabee (and based on historical record), and also through the eyes of his wife "Leah" (a fictional character, Judah was most probably married but nothing is known of his wife)

I found it well-written and engaging, the characters were likable and the military tactics of the Maccabees were easy to visualise.

Recommended to anyone with interest in the period, and safe for teens (contains romance but no graphic sexual content)

This book is part of show more "The Silent Years" series which deals with events happening between the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible. It is pre-Christian and not at all "preachy", though the characters are people of faith.

"‘Two are better than one,’ wrote Solomon, ‘in that their cooperative efforts yield this advantage: if one of them falls, the other will help his partner up—woe to him who is alone when he falls and has no one to help him up. Again, if two people sleep together, they keep each other warm; but how can one person be warm by himself?’” show less

Continuing in my search for good historical fiction, I found another amazing book by Angela Hunt. The first book I read and reviewed was the first in the Silent Year series called Egypt’s Sister, and because of her vivid writing and descriptive characters there are certain points of the story that still stick in my mind. Judah’s Wife is no different, and I was thrilled to receive it as a review copy.

The Silent Years are, well, silent, and we don’t know much about them, but Hunt takes the life of Judah Maccabees and surrounds it with courage, passion, and sacrifice through the eyes of his wife and himself. While many of the female characters were fictional (in the sense that we don’t know anything about them), Leah was a show more beautiful picture of redemption and hope throughout the story. Raised in an abusive household, Leah’s mental and spiritual thoughts are twisted by a father who beats his wife but appears righteous in public. Leah also struggles to understand her role as a wife since all she saw in her home was her mother submitting to the abuse from her father.

Through the turmoil and political unrest in Judea and surrounding Israel, Leah desperately wants peace, and finally finds some measure of security and rest in her marriage. But that is about to change. Hunt write this book alternating points of views for each chapter between Leah and Judah, and I love reading the different perspectives. Judah isn’t a particularly ambitious man in the sense of leading a nation of men, but he’s courageous and is willing to die for his faith. He doesn’t seek a fight, but yet will give his all when HaShem’s glory is blasphemed. I also love that once Judah finds his purpose, he waits for God’s moving in his heart before he acts, and nothing dissuades him from doing HaShem’s will.

I’m guessing that the research and history necessary to flesh out Judah and Leah’s life must have been fascination. I knew the name of Judah Maccabees and the political unrest during that time was somewhat familiar to me, but to finally see a glimpse inside a potential family’s life was so insightful.

Angela Hunt writes for older minds and includes war and romance scenes. They are real (and war includes death), but neither are overdone. I appreciate finally seeing good romance between husband and wife, as I have always been uncomfortable reading intimate scenes between non-married couples or just flirtatious behavior in general.

This book is powerful as it recounts Hebrew history as it intertwines with the struggles and battles that it will always face. Judah faces his calling and gives his all for it and Leah finds purpose in a God who loves her perfectly. A well written book with detailed history among fiction and non-fictional characters. Can't wait to read more from Angela Hunt!

*Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. show less

Oh my goodness. This book, y'all. THIS. BOOK. Angela Hunt is an amazing author. Her style is so incredibly unique. I was blessed to have EGYPT'S SISTER and now I've been doubly blessed to get to read another incredibly moving, mind altering novel by the uberly talented Ms. Hunt.

In this incredible novel, we get to see Judah and Leah. I had a deep sadness for all Leah went through. As someone who has dealt with an abusive man before, I felt all her trust issues, I felt all her pain and suffering. I can't imagine what it was like during that time period to be abused by your father and not be able to trust.

And Judah....oh, how I loved his flaw filled self. He was not someone I would have normally enjoyed seeing in a book, but as I read the show more story, I fell in love with him hard. He was such a wonderful person for the story. Seeing him with Leah, well I cheered them on throughout the book.

Ms. Hunt has, once again, hit the Biblical fiction nail on the head. This book will shake you to the core, and leave you with all the feels that a book can leave you with. The inspirational messages from the Lord are perfectly pieced together within the pages of this book. If I could give this book 5 million stars I would. Go grab it now! You won't be sorry!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.* show less

Judah’s Wife by Angela Hunt was my book club’s selection this month. We have read a number of Hunt’s books — all genres — before and have always enjoyed great discussions from them. This novel was no exception. Even though it was not a favorite of a couple of our members (they are not big historical fiction fans), the majority liked the book. For most of us the events depicted were new, and the author did a good job of making us think about the years between the Testaments of the Bible.

Judah’s Wife begins in 168 BC, a time when the Hellenistic influences of the era were undermining the culture and worship of Israel. The novel introduces the reader to Judah Maccabeus and his family. The author drew from the history recorded show more in the Apocrypha. That and the historical details she included gave an authenticity to the book. The story is told through the first person POV of Judah and his wife, Leah. The two were at odds for most of the book, a fact that my book club felt was more a product of a 21st century understanding than would have been true during their own time period. That and a couple of odd scenes (you’ll know them when you read them) were the only negatives we found. The story was heroic, the characters complex, and the history enlightening and interesting. We did wish for a happier ending, but that would have been untrue to the essence of the story. The main characters learn to trust God with their problems and doubts, even as they struggle to adjust to His will over their own.

Judah’s Wife is the second book in Hunt’s Silent Years series. Each novel is a standalone and can be read independently of each other. They do progress chronologically, so reading them in order may help with historical context. My group is going to read book 1, Egypt’s Sister, next year. I look forward to another great story from Hunt.

Recommended.

Audience: adults. show less

If you have ever wanted to know more about the Maccabees, this is a fascinating read. This story occurred during the silent years between Malachi and Matthew. In the narrative of I, after Antiochus IV issued his decrees forbidding Jewish religious practice, a rural Jewish priest from Modiin, sparked the revolt with rebel Jewish warriors against the Seleucid Empire by refusing to worship the Greek gods.

I remember the first time I heard this story and I can see now that it was quite slanted. AS I read the story and studied the history, some things had been omitted and some details had been added. For instance, I had no idea how brutal these Jewish warriors were. They were beheading people and slaughtering people who oppressed Jewish show more worshippers. I had no idea how many battles this revolt entailed and how gruesome they were. The small Jewish army defeated large opposing forces with superior weapons repeatedly.

The Jewish festival of Hanukkah celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple following Judah Maccabee's victory over the Seleucids. According to Rabbinic tradition, the victorious Maccabees could only find a small jug of oil that had remained uncontaminated by virtue of a seal, and although it only contained enough oil to sustain the Menorah for one day, it miraculously lasted for eight days, by which time further oil could be procured. According to our author, there is no historical evidence for this and may have been added for drama at a later date.

Reading about the how harsh Antiochus IV (remember him from Daniel?) was made me praise God all the more for religious freedom. He was having everyone who practiced Jewish law killed. If you circumcised your son, you were all killed. Jews were turning on Jews for fear of being killed by the government. Some of those in the priesthood were also corrupt. It is always disparaging to see the people who are supposed to be shepherding God's children killing them.

I thought the book was fascinating. Of course, there are added portions to make it a work of fiction, but all of the battles and events are true. I highly recommend it. It made the story remarkably real to my mind's eye. show less