Providence: Hannah's Journey
[d-h12055]

4 of 5 Stars Seventeen year old Hannah is considered unmarriageable and an embarrassment to her well respected family. Her father believes her disability is punishment for an ancestor’s crime, but he’s careful to avoid any idea that he might’ve been the one who sinned. When the visiting prophet refuses to heal her, saying that it isn’t her time, she somewhat naively sets out to convince him otherwise. To help her, she enlists the help of the only man who’s ever shown kindness to her. Like her father and brothers, Gilead respects the Law but realizes there are times when it needs to be ignored through need. It reminded me of the disciples picking grain on the Sabbath so they could eat.

Providence is a nice romantic novel, with twists, turns, unexpected friends, and close to home enemies. It’s a mostly easy read but it is also brutal at times, with mentions of adultery, rape and sexual idolatry. Gil and other slaves are mistreated by their captors. The physically weak commander treats them slightly better but I was surprised he’d not already been deposed by men stronger than him. I did notice that the prophet Hannah seeks is never named we don’t know who he is or where his place is in the Bible.

Thank you to Pelican Book Group for my complimentary electronic copy of Providence: Hannah’s Journey, which I received in exchange for my honest review.

Sally L McCombs