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    Judah's Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees
    Judah's Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees
    Judah's Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees
    Audiobook11 hours

    Judah's Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees

    Written by Angela Hunt

    Narrated by Rachel Botchan

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    To Be Silent Would Be to Deny Their God, To Defy Would Bring the Wrath of the King.

    Seeking quiet and safety after a hard childhood, Leah marries Judah, a strong and gentle man, and for the first time in her life Leah believes she’ll have peace. But the very nation Judah was named for has been conquered by a cruel king, who decrees that all Jews are to conform to Syrian laws or risk death for following the laws of Moses.

    Judah’s father resists the decree, igniting a war that will cost him his life. But before dying, he commands Judah to pick up his sword and continue the fight—or bear responsibility for the obliteration of Israel. Leah, who wants nothing but peace, struggles with her husband’s decision—what kind of God would destroy the peace she has sought for so long?

    The miraculous story of the courageous Maccabees is told through the eyes of Judah’s wife, who learns that love requires courage … and sacrifice.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJan 2, 2018
    ISBN9781501965883
    Judah's Wife: A Novel of the Maccabees
    Author

    Angela Hunt

    Angela Hunt is the bestselling author of more than 100 books, including The Tale of Three Trees, Don’t Bet Against Me, The Note, and The Nativity Story. Her nonfiction book Don’t Bet Against Me, written with Deanna Favre, spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Angela and her husband make their home in Florida with their dogs.

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    Reviews for Judah's Wife

    4.5/5

    39 ratings6 reviews

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    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      "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 "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?’”
    • 4/5
      "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 "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?’”
    • 4/5
      Leah, daughter of the cheesemaker has had a hard life living with a violent father. Leah marries Judah and finds protection and care. But the land is controlled by Antiochus IV, who is descended from one of Alexander the Great's generals. When he issues a decree that all Jews are to comply with Syrian laws, the devout Jews chance it all to follow the law of Moses.

      Judah's father Mattathias decides to move his family from Jerusalem Modein to flee the punishment for defying the decree. By defying the decree, it begins a war that will cost many their lives. Before his death, Mattathias commands Judah to continue the war, otherwise, the Jewish lineage and their lands would be annihilated. Leah wants peace and wrestles with her husband's decision to be the commander of the army. Will there ever be peace?
      This is the incredible chronicle of the Maccabees, told through the wife of Judah, who learns what courage and sacrifice are all about.

      The author Angela Hunt has done an incredible amount of research and has produced a powerful history lesson entwined with her own creative writing. The author has a way of captivating the reader's attention while teaching us historical content. I like the way the author writes her novels through the eyes of people that were actually there, teaching us history through their eyes.

      This is an excellent read, especially for those who love history.


      I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
    • 5/5
      Again Angela Hunt takes a person from the Bible and makes them real. I did not want to put this book down. I needed to know how these people might have lived there lives for God. Leah finally gets away from her abusive father and then marries a man who has to fight to get freedom for his people. This would be hard to handle for anyone. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
    • 5/5
      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 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.*