This is the third book in the “Living Water” series and at this point I am now a solid fan of the author’s work. Although, she calls this a series, all three books are standalone novels which does not really require you to read them in sequence.
This I think was my best out of all three books. ‘The Tomb’ is another retelling of a biblical story, the story of Lazarus whom Jesus Christ raised from the dead. However, the author did more than that in this fictionalized version of the story as she focuses mostly on Martha, one of Lazarus’s two sisters who was also a major player in the life and times of Jesus Christ in the Bible. She weaves a believable tale around Martha’s character where we find that Martha is hiding a deep secret that if found out, may not only alienate her but also destroy her family’s reputation. She then beautifully connects this narrative to, yet another bible character who she names Isa and identifies him as the man who Jesus cast out a legion of demons from in the region of Gerasenes. Through Martha and Isa’s story, we experience God’s unfailing love and grace which he has made available to all mankind through his son Jesus Christ.
While I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, I am still left with the question of why the author chose to depict Martha’s character as she did in this story. I think it may be because it was a totally different way from how I had ever imagined her to be (quite extreme). I kept on wondering why she chose that narrative, and this is leading me towards doing some research on Jewish culture and religion at the time. Nonetheless, the story was beautifully written, quite intriguing and touching especially at the point where Jesus eventually showed up in Bethany and called Lazarus out of his Tomb. It made me feel like I was standing right there as a witness to this extraordinary and life changing event. Thank you, Stephanie, for writing this story. You brought it all to life in this book and it was awesome.
I highly recommend to all Christian/biblical/historical fiction lovers.
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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