Old Testament era fiction

It has been over seven years since Jericho was taken and Moriyah was kidnapped and branded as a temple harlot.  Calling out to Yaweh to either save her or kill her, no one could stop her tormenters from branding her face, giving up her dreams, and then hiding behind a veil.  Even today, her home with her father was Moriyah's refuge and she dared not step out into the small town unless she was ready for the words and stones to be thrown at her since no one took time to get to know Moriyah and just assumed her brand was the story of her past.

When an event is held calling all young maidens to wear veils, Moriyah is convinced to join in the festivities.  Her father has finally found someone willing to marry Moriyah, a widower with children, so this will be her last opportunity.  During the even, Moriyah meets a kind young soldier whose father is the father of her intended.  Assuming Darek is her intended makes her impending marriage not only tolerable but one to anticipate.

When the formal introductions are made, there are surprises in store for both Darek and Moriyah, and not pleasant ones.  When Moriyah accidently poisons two young men with her cooking, she is forced to flee for her life, leaving all the security of home and the people who love her.

I believe, because of the time period, it took me a bit of time to get into the story and the author's way of writing but, once I did, I didn't want to put down A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette.  I loved the characters, the unexpected events, and how Moriyah blossomed and grew into a woman of faith after feeling as if God had abandoned her in Jericho as well as how she examined how she had judged others just as she had been judged.  With that said, this book definitely isn't a "preachy" one and I found it interesting how some of the Biblical characters such as Joseph and Abraham were called by what I assume to be their Hebrew names in this novel.   While this is the first book in the "Cities of Refuge" series, I believe it stands alone quite well.  It will be interested to see if Cossette pulls any of the characters from this book for the second.  The novel also contains thought-provoking discussion questions perfect for personal reflection or to use with a book discussion group.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and am in no way obligated to write a positive one.