Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews

Many of us who grew up in the church are very familiar with the Bible stories of Daniel being thrown into the lions den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being cast into the fiery furnace. But how many of us have actually thought about what these amazing stories where like for the real people that lived them? New this week, Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews is a novel that takes the reader through these very stories, and helps the reader's mind to imagine what life would of been like for these Hebrew captives in the land of Babylon.

From the Back Cover:
Belili wears her children's disdain like a heavy cloak. The weight of their contempt threatens to crush her spirit, but she has perfected the art of survival. She first learned it when she escaped death nearly seventy years ago as the Babylonians ransacked Jerusalem and took its finest young people as captives. Years later she survived among idol worshippers and in King Nebuchadnezzar's court by donning an identity that shrouded her with guilt and shame.
She's kept secrets from Daniel, her childhood friend and the love of her life, but as the Medo-Persian Army invades, the thread of Belili's deception unravels and her tightly wound secrets begin to unfurl.
When tensions mount in the land of their exile, Belili will do anything to keep her family safe even though each step leads them closer to the truth. Will Daniel die in a pit of lions before she can make things right between them? Or will the God who rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego save her husband and replace her spirit of heaviness with a garment of praise?

My Thoughts:
This story was so interesting in spite of being a story that I've known since I was a child. Reading through this novel with all the added historical context was eye-opening since my western mindset has a hard time understanding all the religious and cultural differences that would of been present in the land of Babylon. I think this story helped me to think through the Biblical context better and brought the Hebrew captives' story to life. Of course, the author has filled in the details we do not know and given her perspective of what could of possibly been going on behind the scenes.  So we must read keeping that perspective in mind. I thought this book was a fun read, and it made me want to re-read the biblical story of Daniel and his Hebrew friends to see what we actually do know from scripture.

My Rating: ★★★★

About the Author:

I’ve been married to Roy Andrews since 1984—who I’ve known since we were both third-graders. You can read more about our story in my Personal Testimony. We have two grown daughters. They’re married now and presenting us with adorable grand babies—our reward for not killing them when they were children. Family adds the spice to my life and keeps my nose buried in my Bible!
During my younger years, I was an over-the-top extrovert; however, in 1997 My Chronic Illness Battle began a transformation that changed the core of my being. I once thrived on people, teaching, speaking. DO-ing ministry of every kind, but when I could no longer DO ministry they way I’d once done it, I had to learn a new way to BE content. You can download a free copy of the Daily Scripture Prayer that helped me through that transition.
God never wastes our suffering, and it was during those long hours, days, and weeks in bed that my passion for biblical novels awakened. Now I love to read it AND write it.

Visit her website: Mesu Andrews

***I received this complimentary book from Waterbrook. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.