Deborah Rising: A Novel Inspired by the Bible by Avraham Azrieli

It was the author’s family trip to the ruins of the ancient city of Shiloh in Israel, which vividly reawakened the stories he had been told, and brought back to life the Holy Tabernacle. Inspired by what he had seen, and motivated by his imagination, the author felt compelled to write this outstanding story about Deborah, one of the most remarkable women in biblical lore.

In this fascinating novel, the author asks the reader to join him on a journey, a voyage of the imagination, to ponder on the past of Deborah, an amazing woman whom the Book of Judges describes as “a prophet, a judge, and a military leader who liberated her people form Canaanite oppression.”

She was the first woman in the history of mankind to lead any nation to freedom. What would it take to make a woman so strong, empower her to follow the strength of her convictions, against all the odds? Well in this book, the author offers a fictional hypothesis.

Set in ancient Israel, an amazing scene plays itself out in front of the reader from the very beginning, as it opens with young girls collecting stones and putting them in a pile near the Pit of Shame.

The story unfolds of the plight of Tamar, Deborah’s sister, and how, at the tender age of 14, Deborah is forced to observe her fate. Brutally misjudged, solely because of a claim made by her new husband, Seesya. Tamar has no opportunity to defend herself, and no one to speak in her defence, and in accordance with the law, Deborah looks on as Judge Zifron pronounce her fate.

With the realization of what the future may hold for her, Deborah, decides she must take her destiny into her own hands, before it is too late…

However, what can she do?

This intriguing question is the subject of this captivating novel, as, with the arrival of her womanhood, we follow her desperate flight from what appears to be her only fate.

Bravely travelling strange lands, a woman alone, her adventures unravel before the reader’s eyes as she urgently seeks a slave, who it is told, has magical powers, and may be her only hope, whist being relentlessly pursued by Seesya.

Her strength and fortitude, fueled by conviction and the knowledge that her father dreamt that she was destined to be a prophet of God, leads her down a very hard path, but one which is to be her destiny…

In the modern world we are used to women being equals, however this has only happened in very recent history. This enthralling story gives the reader an amazing insight into what life was really like for women at this fascinating time in history.

I found this book absolutely absorbing and highly recommend it.

About the Author: 

Avraham Azrieli’s new novel, Deborah Rising, will be published by Harper Collins on September 27. 2016. A graduate of Columbia Law School in New York City, Azrieli tried many complex court cases before publishing his first novel, The Masada Complex (a political thriller) in 2010. A full-time author since then, his other books include the Israeli spy novels The Jerusalem Inception and The Jerusalem Assassin, as well as Christmas for Joshua (a family drama dealing with interfaith conflicts), The Mormon Candidate (a political thriller), Thump (a courtroom drama featuring sexual harassment and racism) and The Bootstrap Ultimatum (a mystery involving the commercialization of Memorial Day). He also authored Your Lawyer on a Short Leash (a guide to dealing with lawyers) and One Step Ahead – A Mother of Seven Escaping Hitler’s Claws (a WWII biography, which inspired the musical By Wheel and by Wing). Azrieli grew up in Israel, where he received extensive Talmudic education, served as an intelligence officer and, after attending law school, clerked for the Israeli Supreme Court in Jerusalem. Residing primarily in the United States since 1990, he currently lives near Washington DC with his wife and children. Like Ben Teller, the protagonist in The Mormon Candidate, Azrieli often rides his motorcycle in the mountainous forests of western Maryland. To learn more, visit www.AzrieliBooks.com

About the Book: 

Set in ancient Israel, Deborah Rising (HarperCollins, 2016) portrays the dramatic (and unlikely) rise of the first woman to lead a nation in recorded human history. In the tradition of The Red Tent, The Fifth Mountain,and The Mists of Avalon, this absorbing novel delivers an inspiring story of suspense and adventure in pursuit of freedom and self-determination, starring a courageous 14-year-old girl who would become the most powerful woman in biblical lore.
Before he was murdered, Deborah’s father had dreamt that his daughter would one day become the leader of the Israelites. But the social and religious mores of her time dictated that a girl must marry–even against her will–and obey her husband in all matters. When Deborah is forced to marry the violent son of the local judge, she rebels, determined to forge a path of her own.
Captivated by the notion of escaping the arranged marriage and fulfilling her late father’s dream, Deborah embarks upon an epic journey to find a mysterious elixirist, one rumored to be blessed with the ability to turn women into men. It is a journey that proves increasingly perilous–filled with wild beasts, lustful men, unscrupulous priests, and warring tribesmen. Yet Deborah manages to attract unlikely allies, including lepers, slaves, Moabite traders, and even a dead tiger, while she persists in the face of seemingly insurmountable setbacks and continues to pursue her daring quest.
Part historical novel, part adventure story, part visionary fiction, Deborah Rising is a captivating tale about a girl on the cusp of womanhood, whose unrelenting struggle to overcome discrimination, sexism, and paternalism speaks to the lives of girls and women today.

Available from:

Amazon in Kindle format https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Rising-Novel-Inspired-Bible-ebook/dp...

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deborah-rising-avraham-azrieli/1123...

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Kobo Books https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/deborah-rising?utm_source=l...

Harper Collins https://www.harpercollins.com//9780062563552/deborah-rising#