Rebel Daughter by Lori Banov Kaufmann – 400 pages
Book Blurb:
Rebel Daughter is Esther’s story. An aristocratic young woman, she comes of age during the Jewish revolt against Rome. Esther dreams of so much more than the marriage her parents have arranged to a prosperous silversmith. Yet she is torn between her family duties and her own desires.
Meanwhile, the growing turmoil in Jerusalem threatens to tear apart not only her beloved city, but also her own family. As the alleyways turn into a bloody battleground between rebels and Romans, Esther’s journey becomes one of survival. She remains fiercely devoted to her family, and braves famine, siege, and slavery to protect those she loves.
My Review: 4.5 stars
Rebel Daughter by Lori Banov Kaufmann is a book I didn’t know I needed to read until I hungrily consumed each page. I learned so much about the history and destruction of Jerusalem in the first century. Kaufmann has meticulously researched this story and besides dialogue, all historical detail is accurate. It’s a tremendous feat to take on this story and not have it read in an encyclopedic manner. Instead, the story wraps itself around the history making everything come alive in vivid detail.
This book is filled with suspense, rebellion, history, survival skills, friendship and romance. The city was alight with fighting against the Romans, Jews fighting against Jews, factions against factions. It was unreal and describing with precision. Learning about Josephus and Claudius was remarkable.
My personal book club discussed this book and it was one of our greatest and longest discussions to date. For anyone looking for a richly detailed historical novel, I’d highly suggest this gem.
Quotes I liked:
Maybe the past isn’t only what you remember, but what you chose to forget.”
“Let me tell you something: once before– a long, long time ago–the people of Jerusalem were defeated. The first Temple, the one King Solomon built, was destroyed. The people were taken captive to Babylon. Do you know what the prophet Jeremiah told them?” […] “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat the fruit. Marry and have sons and daughters.” He paused, then continued, “in other words, live. Live… And remember.”
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