Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cossette

Shadow of the Storm by Connilyn Cossette ISBN-13: 9780764218217 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Released: October 18, 2016

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from NetGalley:
Having escaped Egypt with the other Hebrews during the Exodus, Shira is now living in freedom at the foot of Mt. Sinai, upon which rests the fiery glowing Cloud containing the shekinah glory of God. When the people disobey Yahweh and build a golden idol, the ensuing chaos gives Shira an unexpected opportunity to learn the arts of midwifery. Although her mother wishes for her to continue in the family weaving trade, Shira's gifts shine brightest when she assists with deliveries. In defiance of her mother, Shira pursues her heart's calling to become an apprentice midwife.

When a delivery goes horribly wrong, Shira finds herself bound to a man who betrayed her, the caretaker of three young children, and the target of a vengeful woman whose husband was killed by Shira's people, the Levites. As contention between the Hebrew tribes and the foreigners fans the flames of another dangerous rebellion, Shira will come face-to-face with the heartbreak of her past that she has kept hidden for so long. How can she let go of all that has defined her to accept the love she's denied herself and embrace who she truly is?


My Review:
Shadow of the Storm is biblical fiction (with a romance) set when the Israelites were at Mount Sinai. This is the second book in the series. You can understand what's going on in this book without having read the previous book. However, this book spoils some major events in the previous book, so I'd recommend reading these books in order.

The author stayed true to the description of events given in the Bible and wove vivid, everyday-life details into the story. She's clearly done her research (thank you!). The characters acted realistically and were complex. I sympathized with their struggles. Shira feels undesirable due to a past event and the knowledge that she's barren. Her love interest has made some bad decisions in the past and is paying the price. The underlying theme was forgiving oneself for past sins once God has forgiven us.

There was no bad language. There were no sex scenes, though there was some minimally graphic descriptions leading up to "off scene" sex. Overall, I'd highly recommend this novel to biblical fiction fans.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.