Of Fire and Lions
Mesu Andrews
Waterbrook, 2019
400 pages
When Belili is exiled to Babylon along with a group other young people taken from Jerusalem, she wonders if Yahweh is truly able to care for His children so far from the Holy Temple. Daniel’s faithfulness inspires her as he continues to follow the statutes of his faith despite potentially deadly consequences at the hand of the pagan kings they now serve. But when Belili and Daniel are separated by a dangerous turn of events, she finds herself falling away from the one true God as she does what she must for survival in the midst of idol-worshipers.
Though Daniel and Belili eventually find their way back to each other, a lifetime of secrets combined with an increasingly dangerous political climate means life is never easy. And though her children scorn her unfairly, Belili has witnessed enough miracles to know that Yahweh is real. Now Daniel faces a harder test than any so far. Will Belili be able to tell him the truth and stand beside him even if his fate is in the lions den?
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Thanks to Waterbook & Multanomah for sending me a copy of Of Fire and Lions to review. All opinions are my own.
Of Fire and Lions is one of the best biblical fiction books I’ve ever read. It is the fictional account of the true story of Daniel recorded in the Bible, told mostly from the perspective of Belili, Daniel’s wife. This book is written in a combination of first and third person narratives, which is not a structure I see very often. It gives the reader a detailed look into Babylonian culture during and after the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar and the impact that had on the people of Jerusalem.
This book is full of beautiful examples of the power and grace of Yahweh. I’m fascinated by the characters that are fleshed out in way that they aren’t in the Bible (that’s the fiction part) while still keeping true to scriptural accounts of events. It has inspired me to re-read the book of Daniel and think about what’s actually happen in more detail. This is the first book I’ve ever read by Mesu Andrews, but I’m excited that she has more.
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I think my favorite thing about this story is how it focuses on truth, forgiveness, and faithfulness. Belili discovers how painful secrets can be, and that it can be just as difficult to forgive oneself as it is to receive forgiveness from other. I loved how God drew her to Himself so many times and in so many different ways, no matter how many times she doubted or strayed. It really underscored the truth of God’s love for us and that He is faithful to forgive those who seek Him. It’s a truly inspiring book that I will be recommending often.
Wow. I’ve never heard of this book. Biblical fiction has certainly been around for a number of years. It’s quite entertaining. The only danger is that people rarely go to the scriptural account to get the facts.
It’s only been out for a week or so, which is probably why you haven’t come across it yet. And I agree, it’s so important to read the scriptural account for yourself and not let it replace real study. I do think it can be a great gateway for people who don’t read the Bible to maybe want to find out more.
I always love when characters I’ve followed in other writings are fleshed out more fully in novel form. It helps me build an image in my mind about what they looked like, acted like, and makes the original writing so much clearer for me. Though I have not read the book of Daniel, I can imagine that this novel will make those writings come alive in a very different way the next time you revisit them.
Definitely! That’s one of the things I like about historical fiction in general, is how it can flesh out events or figures from real life.
The book def catches your eye. Sounds like a good read and we can all learn a little something on forgiveness.
You’ve got that right!
I’m finishing a book at the moment so I will add this to my list x
Hope you enjoy it!
I’ve never read Biblical fiction but it sounds fascinating!
It is fascinating! I can’t wait to check out more of her books.