A Light on the Hill

A Light on the Hill
Connilyn Cossette
Bethany House, 2018

Since the age of thirteen Moriyah has borne a scar on her cheek that never ceases to remind her of her abduction to Jericho and the cruelty of the pagan priestess she encountered there. Branded a temple prostitute, though rescued before she could be used for that purpose, Moriyah has lived a quiet, unobtrusive life behind her veil. She is largely content, despite her lingering shame and fear, until her father announces her betrothal to a widower who will overlook her blemish for her generous dowry.

But just as she begins to hope for a normal life as a Hebrew wife, a horrifying mistake sends Moriyah fleeing for her life. She must reach the refuge of a sanctuary city and soon finds herself traversing the perilous journey with an unexpected protector. But even he cannot keep her safe from all perils. Her only hope is to deepen her trust in Yahweh and learn to listen for His voice, even when it seems to send her away from her only chance at happiness.

This post contains affiliate links. Read more about that here. Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing a copy of A Light on the Hill in exchange for an honest review.

Let me just start by saying that I inhaled this book in two days flat. And lest you think I laid aside all other commitments, this week has been no less busy than any other. But I was so enthralled by this story that I made time for it, staying up too late and stealing extra pages whenever I had a single moment of downtime. It was so worth it!

This story follows a young Hebrew woman battling shame and fear, hiding her face from anyone who might judge her or spread gossip about her time in Jericho. The blasphemous mark makes her undesirable as a wife, so she lives with her father, quietly helping those in need. Much of the narrative of this book revolves around her realizing that her appearance is of no consequence to God and that it shouldn’t be to anyone who serves Him either. It’s inspiring to watch her confidence grow alongside her faith and understanding until she truly believes she no longer needs to hide her face. Her humility and genuine desire to be pleasing to God make her easy to root for, even when she falls short of the mark.

A Light on the Hill is set in Canaan after the walls of Jericho have fallen and Israel has begun to divide the land between the tribes. There is so much historical detail, and from I can tell it appears to be biblically accurate. Part of Moriyah’s story relies on her having met Rahab while imprisoned in Jericho, and there are multiple references to Moses, Joshua, and their journey through the wilderness to reach the land they are currently inhabiting. It all comes together so nicely, especially for anyone familiar with the Bible.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this book is the role that food plays. Moriyah loves to cook and loves playing with new spices, seasonings, and flavor combinations. She is known for her delicious meals and even when she is on the run for her life the author managed to work in comments on the cuisines of different cultures she encountered and what foods she enjoyed. That just struck all the right chords for me as food/book blogger.

My only criticism of this book lies in the kissing. Now, don’t hear me saying that I think kissing has no place in Christian fiction, because I’m really fine with it. The only reason I didn’t like it here was because it felt inauthentic in this context. I was expecting Moriyah and her beau to be a little more demure and chaste, so it caught me off guard to see a few lip-locked scenes. None of it was shocking or anything like that, it just felt out of place.

This book is the first in a new series called Cities of Refuge, and I will definitely be reading book two whenever it comes out. In the meantime, I plan to check out another similar series by this same author, since I enjoyed A Light on the Hill so thoroughly. And if you are looking for more biblical historical fiction, I can confidently recommend this series to you as well, by beloved Christian fiction author Janette Oke.

Do you enjoy biblical historical fiction?