This novel has an amazing depth of history and spiritual insight that cannot be fully comprehended with one reading. Whether it is the story of Abby an American Schoolteacher, Hannah an Israeli archaeologist, or Leah a new testament servant girl and Yeshua believer, the theme is very clear- God sent his son to forgive everyone of their sins. However, we too must forgive in order to receive this wonderful gift.
The book is filled with memorable quotes. My favorite being, "We are those individual stones in God's design. . . The master artist cuts us and shapes us so that we each fit into place."

This novel has an amazing depth of history and spiritual insight that cannot be fully comprehended with one reading. Whether it is the story of Abby an American Schoolteacher, Hannah an Israeli archaeologist, or Leah a new testament servant girl and Yeshua believer, the theme is very clear- God sent his son to forgive everyone of their sins. However, we too must forgive in order to receive this wonderful gift.
The book is filled with memorable quotes. My favorite being, "We are those individual stones in God's design. . . The master artist cuts us and shapes us so that we each fit into place."

This is an captivating book in that it manages to really convey the problems of the Middles East within its pages. That also makes it a hard book at times - it is definitely depressing. While the ending shows promise for Abby, she is the only one. Hannah, Ari, Rachel, Leah, Ben...its tragedy upon tragedy. Which unfortunately is true of the Middle East, so I think it is an important message for us to hear. There is also an important message of faith and forgiveness in this book and helps us to see the layers of problems we have built in society - and why peace in the Middle East is such a distant dream.

What a powerful novel that weaves the Israeli/Palestine conflict and the lives that are affected by terrorism. Abigail MacLeod needed time to think away from her husband and children so she joined an archaeology team on a dig in Israel. Before she can even leave the airport, a man whom she just met is murdered. The suspense, as the murder investigation continues, rap around the archaeology team of Dr Hannah Rahov and son-in-law Dr Ari Bazak. Through a bizarre set of events, Abby learns what is true forgiveness. Without forgiveness, the heart can find no peace and contentment. Hannah & Ari had to learn the same lessons as they live in a terror torn country where they lost loved ones. This book is a treasured addition to my library collection.

This is the story of Abby's summer in Israel at an archealogical dig. This is also the story of Leah, one of the early Christians; the story of Hannah, an archealogist; and the story of Ari & Rachel, Hannah's daughter. These are women with brave love stories and historical elements that withstand the test of time.

Abby has just been rocked by the betrayal of her husband's infidelity. She tries to escape from it all by going to Israel. There she meets Hannah and Ari. But as in everything, not all is as it seems.

Ms. Austin weaves the historical stories throughout the narrative very well. The reader is pulled into every story. I found myself tearing up at various points because the stories were so moving.

This is a novel about forgiveness and the lesson that you can't run from your pain--you have to face it. And the characters in the story face their own pain and learn to live again.

The story pulls you into the holy land and what it would actually be like to go on a dig. It has todays' people with todays' problems, and compares it to ancient times, and we see how similar each generation is. It explains how Jesus became the ulitmate sacrifice for all the world. I ended up falling in love with each of the characters. It has a wonderful ending.

Lynn Austin does a great job of blending the lives of Abby, Hannah, and Leah into a story of the power of hate and the even stronger power of forgiveness. She accomplishes this by putting you right into the lives of each of these women through a series of "flashbacks" throughout the story. At first this bothered me (I'm not a "dream sequence fan!") but as the book progressed I realized that it was the best way to tell each story. When you experience the hurt with them, you can also experience the joy and peace that forgiveness brings.

For people interested in history of the Holy Lands, this covers the Roman invasions to present day conflicts. The descriptions of the wars and the prejudice are accurate give insight that we don't get from the news. I learned a lot, after I stopped skimming those parts! They are important to help you know the characters - and how forgivess was hard for them and those they love.

An excellent choice for you who love historial fiction, as well as you romance-only readers. This books shows that everyone needs to be forgiven - and sometimes forgiving ourselves is hardest of all. A second wonderful book by Lynn Austin.