A Fresh Perspective on Solomon's Loves

Jill Eileen Smith has always been a go-to author for me for Biblical fiction. Her books offer a fresh view on well-loved Bible stories and they often help me to see these historical figures in a new light.

Her way of describing what life was like in ancient Israel (down to what foods they would eat, etc.) helps me better understand the whole story, where we are often given just a taste in the Bible.

She hits it out of the park again with the story of Solomon in The Heart of a King. While we know he had many wives and foreign wives were his downfall, how did that work exactly? Who were these women?

This book gives us a fresh perspective on those questions. While fictional, I really enjoyed this story on the kingdom and especially on the women in the kingdom. Their treatment and lifestyle is so intriguing, and Jill Eileen Smith does a great job of immersing us in this world.

The Heart of a King draws the reader through the stories of four of the women Solomon loved: Naamah, a desert princess; Abishag the shepherdess; Siti, daughter of a Pharoah; and Nicaula, Queen of Sheba. While I definitely related more to some of these women than others, each unique journey was fascinating.

I really enjoyed this book, not only to better understand Solomon and learn from his shortcomings, but better understand the beginning of the line of David and what life would have been like in this time.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.