A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette

A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette ISBN-13: 9780764219863 Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Released: Feb. 6, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Seven years ago, Moriyah was taken captive in Jericho and branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods. Now the Israelites are experiencing peace in their new land, but Moriyah has yet to find her own peace. Because of the shameful mark on her face, she hides behind her veil at all times and the disdain of the townspeople keeps her from socializing. And marriage prospects were out of the question . . . until now.

Her father has found someone to marry her, and she hopes to use her love of cooking to impress the man and his motherless sons. But when things go horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee. Seeking safety at one of the newly-established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face, and the enemies--and unexpected allies--she will encounter on her way.


My Review:
A Light on the Hill is biblical fiction with romance and suspense. This novel was set 7 years after "Wings of the Wind" and followed what happens to Moriyah, a character from that story. The Israelites have taken much of Canaan and the first cities of refuge have been established. Moriyah has isolated herself out of shame for the brand on her face and feels no one can see past the rumors to see and love her. After an accident results in the deaths of the twin 13-year-old sons of a man who might have married her, Moriyah flees into a hostile land in disguise as she tries to survive until she can reach a city of refuge.

Moriyah was often guided by her emotions. For example, when a faithful friend was injured, she didn't want to leave him in someone's care even though doing so would be the one chance for everyone to survive. However, she started hearing God's guiding voice again and decided to follow His instructions and laws, no matter the cost. She falls in love with someone who helps her as he admires her courage and can see both her inner and outer beauty. They agonize that, no matter what happens, they could never marry. (After building these obstacles up so high, I would have liked it if the author had taken a little more time to resolve them rather than basically dismissing them at the very end.)

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but the characters did some things that I don't think would have been allowed in that culture. For example, Moriyah's Egyptian father married a woman from Judah but was given some land in Ephraim for a special reason. Then a man from Naphtali was told he'd inherit this land when her father died if he would marry Moriyah. The Bible makes a strong point that the land should remain with (owned by someone of) the tribe that inherited that territory, so I can't imagine the elders allowing this. Also, since her potential husband will live on and eventually inherit land several days journey away, this isn't a very desirable deal for him (though they act like it is). I can't understand why the author didn't just make the man from Ephraim! I had similar doubts about several aspects of the trial and what happened after it. Unfortunately, I found this distracting from the good insights (mercy, atonement) the author brought out.

There was no bad language or sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this exciting novel.


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.


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