Final Book in The David Chronicles! A Response from the Reader...

He is my firstborn, the one I am bound to trust, above all others. There is nothing I will withhold from him, especially now, when he is so weak, so susceptible. Besides, even if I’m making a mistake, what’s the worst that can happen? I ask for a quill so as to write a note to Tamar. 

Jonadab has it right there, at the ready. It has been neatly sharpened, so as not to waste any time. “Come to the house of your brother Amnon,” I tell her in my note, “and prepare some food for him.” I consider for a moment if I should replace the word food with dumpling. I decide against it, perhaps because for me, it evokes the unpleasant sight of Amnon licking his lips. And so, without delay, the note is sealed and on its way.

The conversation with Amnon keeps haunting me as I climb uphill, back to my palace. I find his last question disturbing, without being able to explain why. It seemed innocent enough, at first. 

“Would you do anything for me?” 

To which I said, “Of course, son.” 

“How much are you willing to sacrifice?” 

“What kind of a question is that?” In place of an answer, he pressed on. 

“Would you become my accomplice?” 

“To do what?” I wondered, because no crime had been named. I mean, his mind is far from being transparent! How was I supposed to guess what he...

“Where’s Tamar?” I ask, in a voice that is thick with worry. “And Amnon? You seen him? Where’s he?” She waves her dripping hand at me, but it is unclear if this is meant to indicate that there is no one inside—or that I, too, should leave the place. 

I shout at her, hearing my voice echo, with great urgency, throughout the house, “Your master, Amnon, where’s he?” 

The maidservant brings a finger to her wrinkled lips, perhaps to calm me down, which is when, for the first time, I start listening. Like me, she cups her ear. There is a sound out there, barely human—but somehow I recognize that it is not the wind, wailing with such despair, such sad lament. 

At last, “There. There she is,” the maidservant whispers, breaking her silence. 

“Tamar?” I say, hoping the answer would be No.

“Tamar,” she says, her voice cracking. “I was told to do it.” 

“Do what?” 

“Was it my fault? My job is to obey orders.” 

“What was it your did?” 

I can barely hear her, as she says, “I had no choice but to put her out and bolt the door shut after her. She was wearing an ornate coat, a coat of many colors, the kind of garment virgin princesses would wear. 

Once she found herself on the street Tamar ripped it. She put ashes on her head and put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.”

~~~

As soon as I had reviewed three of the Inspired by Art books in this series, the last of which complemented this book, I knew I wanted to read the novels. As with the Art book, I found the third book, The Edge of Revolt, the most provocative and filled with new information...for me... I admit that somehow I had missed the impact of what happened to David in his later life...and to his children...

I knew also that I wanted to discuss the books with the author, so began arranging a spotlight to be held on my blog...(that activity has been streaming since the 15th and shows many of those pictures from the Inspired books as well as Poznansky's own art works in different mediums--Take time to check everything out!

In creating questions to discuss, I made my first comment about David, as he had aged... I thought he was weak and although that opinion differed from the author, I continued to feel that way. I admit, however, that I found myself responding to the book as a contemporary rather than historical book. Indeed, reading the book in contemporary language emphasizes just how little many of us have changed over hundreds of years...

The book is brilliantly written, so much so that I could not help forming opinions about the main character based upon my personal concerns of today. More so than in other books, I found I was unable to accept David's part in the rape of Tamar, his daughter. While recognizing that the role of women was different at that time, it was hard to accept the rape of women happened then, in the King's family, and is not only still going on but seems to have taken on a new dimension as Human Trafficking reigns across the world.

Other reviewers may provide a totally unbiased overview that I find I do not want to do for this book...so do check out all the other reviews this book has received... This is an opinion piece, a reader's response to the story, as opposed to my regular review... That is caused by today's chaotic environment where hate, prejudice and injustice seems to rule... openly and with little regard for others.

David had worked hard, first to kill Goliath, and then to go on leading many wars to gain more territory. I raised the hypothesis at the time of David's first murder. What if God's plan was to have the very young David not kill Goliath, but go and stand before him in friendship... Many laugh at the thought...but God is a God of love...after Jesus came...So what change did God have in mind when Jesus died for each of us? For it now seems that little has changed across the world...

Was the death of Jesus in vain, since wars have gone on and on after His Crucifixion? 

David was a man favored by God and it was prophesied that he would be King...Yet David followed the path of his peers, he sought power almost immediately, even while sharing his words in Psalms... He married often as well as had a harem, as was what occurred at that time...

But then he chose to have an affair with a married woman, and after impregnating her, had her husband murdered so he could marry Bathsheba. It is evident from the original story that they fell in love...it happened then and it happens today... Murder was done then...and murder continues across our world, oftentimes through wars that now are even more dangerous with weapons out of control and people using weapons as a sign of power...

But when Tamara was raped... I was forced to consider that the world may never change... For Tamara was raped by her step-brother...forced out of his home, left to be seen as a ruined girl, now no longer worthy of marriage...and receiving no justice for her assault! 

Tamara's father was King at the time. It was up to him to provide justice for his daughter...Not only did he not act as appropriate to convict his son, he made no real effort to comfort his daughter... I see the same thing today, as justice does not seem to be done, rather it is questioned as judgments are made that do not make sense...

David had two positions in his older life. He was King. He was a father.

As King, it was his responsibility to act on behalf of Tamara. He didn't; he allowed it to fester for years, until another son, Absalom, took his brother's life on behalf of Tamara, and, in my opinion, to reveal David's weakness in not handling his duties as King. And when Absalom had his brother killed...David continued to do nothing...as the country's leader.

My favorite Psalm is 121...Written by David, as was his many others, he speaks eloquently, powerfully, and with inspired words...I have a Thomas Kinkaid painting behind me as I type this...In it, he has combined what could be my home in this cabin and adds the legend from Psalm 121: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills...

Psalm 121 King James Version (KJV)
121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
King James Version (KJV)

But David was also a father...It is in that role that he also failed to act, loving all his children and not being able to act to raise his hand against any of them... In this too, I saw that David was weak... for does it not also say...

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.--KJV

And as I read on, I didn't change my mind that David should have acted differently, especially toward Tamar. And yet, there is so much to learn from this third book... Just as David had chosen once to kill for selfish reasons, taking Bathsheba as his own, those decisions of free will continue on and on as we come to face ourselves in this world today... The Tamars of today are many more than at that time--my heart cries for these women pulled today into sex slavery and human trafficking...

And I realize, and as the author indicated in her book descriptions,  that this book is brought to us today to see what our own decisions have brought forth in the world... to clarify and use the stories of what occurred years ago, to look and see the real world that is today... Thank you Uvi Podnansky.

And, that, in every way, we are still in the position of making our own choices, our own decisions. We cannot see David as a man of God as well as dismiss him as a weak man, for if we eliminate that David sought his own forgiveness, we forget that so we must also seek forgiveness and strength when we fail...

As my thoughts continued, I found that it had been time for me to read this book. To recognize that we are each, only human...and weak... We must learn from David's story and decide what we want to say and do in response to David. We can be charmed by his poetry, his music but now there is a bit of darkness in his words as we constantly must adjust to the reality that even men of God are not perfect, no not one... and it is only God that we can look to for perfection...  

And we discover, after all, that we are like David himself... We are weak in our own desires and loves and it is only through God--His Grace-- that we can continue to abide in His Love.

Read The David Chronicles! See what message, what inspiration you will find from these literary books, based upon the original Hebrew, of God's words. There is little about God in David's story... It is you who must seek your way by knowing more, learning more, and opening up yourself to the reality then and our reality...right...now...

Many of you know that I have been very concerned about the chaos happening in America, especially after the Charlottesville violence just this week... David was obviously a man of God, but he acted as he should not have when he had a man murdered. Was that first murder what led to what occurred between and among his children... We must right now choose... will we speak out against evil or do we remain silent, as David did... If is often said that the Bible is the inspired Word of God...and with that comes the opportunity for the Holy Spirit to work through each of us to discover how we are being led...

Are we on The Edge of Revolt?

Uvi Poznansky has written her story as she was inspired to do... Read the entire trilogy... It is great literature of historical events. It is thought-provoking, provocative, and timely and just may have words that will speak to you, as this book did for me... Highly recommended...


GABixlerReviews

From the Bittersweet Hollow Trilogy--Devil's Spring--by Aaron Paul Lazar

The woman who'd been checking Grace popped her head up. "You're six centimeters, Mrs. Rockwell. You're having a baby today."
Anderson recognized the woman as Dr. Rosenthal, Grace's obstetrician...
Grace's face twisted and she moaned. "Oh my God. I'm having another one."
Dr. Rosenthal nodded. "Good, they're coming regularly now. Let's get her up there." She backed out of the room and gave a little wave. "See you soon."
"Good?" Grace screamed. "This hurts!" She leaned forward and grasped her belly. "Anderson, make it stop!"
He glanced helplessly at the nurse, who smiled and shrugged. "Nothing you can do, sweetie. Just move back so we can get her up to the third floor. We'll probably get her some paid meds when it gets really bad."
Grace's face reddened. "When it gets really bad? Are you kidding me?"
The move to the Maternity ward proceeded swiftly. Someone shoved a packet of sterile clothing into Anderson's arms. "We'll tell you when to put these on."
He followed them to the elevator, where they whisked Grace's gurney efficiently to the third floor... He noticed he'd been dragging the suitcase behind him the whole way, and with a rush, he realized he had a job to do. He flipped it open and took out the photo Grace had chosen to be her focal point. Carefully, he set the picture on the shelf opposite her bed. It was a picture of her mother, Daisy, sitting in a bed of wildflowers as a young woman.
Daisy wanted to be with Grace when she gave birth, but her New York city doctor, a specialist in cancer research, had advised against it. She was in remission, but still frail. And the meds she was on lowered her ability to fight off viruses and bacteria. The photo was the closest thing Grace would have to her mother.
"I want my mother, Anderson," She started to cry.
"I know." He moved to her side and took her hand. "But your sister's on her way up honey. And we'll keep your mom informed the whole way,"
"I want to hear her voice. Call her, please.
Anderson glanced at his watch. Ten past six. Daisy would be up, because her husband, Dirk, always rose at five to tend to their horses and start his long day of barn work tending the fields. "Okay, hang on." He dialed Daisy's cell.
She picked up instantly. "Anderson? is my baby okay?"
"She is Daisy. She wants to talk to you."
He pressed the phone into his wife's hands and took a stop back.

~~~

Devil's Spring

By Aaron Paul Lazar

When financial problems hit an entire extended family, there is only one way to deal with the situation...family pulls together to help... When Anderson and Grace had their first child, they were both thrilled, but soon became concerned that they could not make it financially. 

At the same time, both of the farms were having trouble due to weather conditions that had wiped their crops out. Grace's sister, Portia, had a suggestion, since their baby was now older, for Grace to go back to riding horses for show...and the result was that Anderson, Grace and the baby moved into the bunk house to have their own space... Grace started training with her father, hoping that their farm's name would again became known for good quality horses... 

Portia also got a job at a local nursery... In order to allow that, one of the grandmothers agreed to babysit...but they were still afraid of losing their farms...

And then one day, it must have seemed a small miracle had happened...

A photographer in town noticed the two babies and exclaimed how beautiful they were... She noted that she thought she could use them for models to sell their photos to companies selling baby products...

Everybody was worried at first, but then decided to try it. And soon they were on their way to start...

The female photographer knew just exactly how to help the grandmother relax...and soon the children were happily playing with toys... The photographer asked the grandmother to leave so they wouldn't be distracted. Tess hesitated, and then went to the front room where she was offered a cup of tea... Tess was soon unconscious... If someone is out to make money through criminal actions, they have no concern for what they do to those they hurt... After some time, Tess awoke and everybody was gone; the only thing left was the baby carriage...

It certainly is a good thing that the Bittersweet Hollow Trilogy closes with this final book. This family has had enough grief for a lifetime! Find out what I mean by checking out my reviews of Devil's Lake and Devil's Creek! In this book, the older generation has two suffering from illness and dealing with medical expenses, adding to the stress and tension...

However, when the two babies, ages 2 and 1, are abducted, the tension went sky high and even with the FBI getting involved, the babies were still missing... Actually, I was surprised when the abductors were not found before the end of the book... They had already left the country...

After the babies were sold and delivered to a wealthy couple...

Oh, you think the story is close to the end? NOT!

Actually, the majority is just starting...

While the rest of the book is exciting and breathtaking...in a bad way...personally I didn't enjoy this last book as much as the first two. The only word I can use is that the two-step theme seemed contrived, artificial. As earlier mentioned, not capturing the original abductors seemed to me an oversight...

The characters in the second theme were quite interesting, but it was hard to accept that the new father would have bowed to the wishes of his wife, who had already suffered hallucinations about having children and losing them... In general these two rather small issues that seemed "off," does not result in a book that you should not consider, especially if you are already a fan. I have come to expect continuous excellence from this author, so I tend to pick up on even small issues when one of my top favorite authors does not totally satisfy...Sorry Aaron💖 Yes, I admit it, I've been spoiled by loving every single book of his up to this one...

Lazar has been dealing with family health issues and I applaud his continued writing through this stressful time... Please join me in good thoughts and prayers for him and his family members... 


GABixlerReviews

Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. A bestselling Kindle author of 25 books, including three addictive mystery series, writing books, a romantic suspense series, and a new love story series, Aaron enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his website at http://www.lazarbooks.com. Aaron has won over 19 book awards for his novels and finds writing to be his form of "cheap therapy." Feel free to network with him on Facebook or his website; he loves to connect with readers!

Visit his website at www.lazarbooks.com.



Aaron, sending you special words of love and comfort....