This is my first book by the author, and I decided to read this book because I have always been curious about the woman Jesus met at the well. I wanted to see how her character would be depicted in a fictional story and also how that would tie into the overall message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
‘The Well’ is a retelling of the biblical story of the woman Jesus met at the well in front of a small Samaritan village. Nava’s life is totally transformed after she meets Jesus at the well who treats her like a human being despite her many sins and being shunned by the villagers. However, this does not still change how the villagers feel about her and does not stop them from stoning her for her past sins. Her daughter, Mara is determined to save her mother, so she goes on a journey to find the mysterious Jewish teacher with the help of Shem who is also at crossroads in his life and is desperate to make meaning of it all.
This was a heart wrenching yet comforting story that would stay with me for a very long time. I particularly enjoyed learning more about the cultural differences and similarities between the Jews and the Samaritans. It also threw more light on why Jesus made certain statements during his time on earth as he interacted with both Jewish and Samaritans. In addition to the main theme which highlights the transforming power of Jesus Christ, my biggest take-away from this story would be the historical aspects of the story that were well researched and written. The characters were so believable that I had to continually remind myself that it was fictionalized and stop myself from going to the bible to check for some references. This book is the first in a three-book series which are all standalone novels with some characters appearing multiple times in two books or all three. This was the beginning of my journey with this author and it sure was an enjoyable ride.
If you love Christian/biblical fiction, I highly recommend this book and this author. You will definitely enjoy it. Reviews of the other books in the series will follow this one shortly so watch out for it.
Rating: 5 stars
Published: June 4, 2013 by Howard Books
Pages: 304
Genre: Biblical/Historical Fiction
The Author:
Stephanie Landsem writes about women in history for women who love history. Stephanie has traveled on four continents and dozens of countries. When she can’t travel, she reads fiction and history and dreams of her next adventure — whether it be in person or on the pages of her novels.
Her upcoming release, Code Name Edelweiss, is based on a true story. In 1933 Los Angeles, a Jewish lawyer and his band of amateur spies foil Hitler’s plan to take over Hollywood.
In A Far-Off Land, is a story of murder, mystery and mercy set in the glamour of 1930s Hollywood and the grit of the Great Depression.
The Living Water series — The Well, The Thief, and The Tomb, a Novel of Martha—are stories of women transformed by encounters with Jesus.
Stephanie lives in Minnesota with her husband, random adult children, two bold cats and a neurotic dog. When she’s not writing or speaking about her novels, she’s gardening, cooking, and dreaming of travel to far-off places. You can find out more about Stephanie and her books at StephanieLandsem.com.
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