Bronze and Brokenness - Midianites

The Light of the Nations series is my first exposure to Christine Dillon's work. She explores highlights in Israelite history through the eyes of their traditional opponents/enemies at that historic juncture. Thus, her novels have unusual and very interesting points of view.

Bronze and Brokenness is no exception. Israel has once again broken faith with Yahweh and sought other gods, resulting in their captivity and oppression, this time by the Midianites and Amorites. If you know your Bible, you know the time is ripe for deliverance through Gideon.

However, he is just a side note. The main story follows the fortunes of the Kenite Reuel, his wife, Jael, her sister Zura and others in the family. Unlike their ancestor Hobab, both Reuel and Jael have no time for any god, as they are busy eking a living as travelling coppersmiths. Reuel resents that his people, the Midianites, the descendants of Keturah and Abraham have no inheritance in the land and hates the Hebrew occupation of the land. He looks forward to the Midianites lording it over Israel. His eyes and ears are shut to God's love and care of anyone who turns to him. Jael just wants her husband's attention and love rather than his constant comparisons to his dead mother. Zura is blind, but is the most contented with her lot. Each carry deep wounds and they help shape their character and the story.

Even as they face dangers post Gideon's great victory, can these fractured, wounded souls find peace and solace in the lover of their souls? Can relationships damaged by selfishness be restored and made whole?

This book is vintage Christine Dillon. She expertly manages the disparate threads and finely woven tensions created by the characters and events, from building the story up to the climactic events and life post Gideon's victories.

She weaves her spell on the reader as the story and character arcs mesh perfectly to creating a cosy blanket, drawing you into the tale, making you want to know what will happen next to this ordinary family. You see their doubts, questions, fears and insecurities and you identify with them, because they are yours too. Maybe that is part of her magic.

This novel was extra special because we get to witness the transformation for ourselves. We see how Christine uses her gifted story telling skills, by making Zura the story teller whose stories of Yahweh draw Jael and the others to God. What I liked was that Jael and Reuel did not just experience God's awesome power through Gideon, power directed against Midian, but they also got to see his longing for all people to draw to him and His care and concern for all who sought refuge under His wings. Reuel's transformation was especially satisfactory.

Christine certainly has the knack of demystifying history and writing from below: the common man's perspective, a grassroots level story replete with historicity as far as the main events go. By not crafting her narrative around powerful heroes of faith, Christine Dillon makes it easier for us to accept that God is indeed interested in ordinary, everyday, boring people and can use every day faithful people to draw others to Him.

I was given a copy of the novel to read with no expectations of a positive review.

I haven’t finished the book yet but I find it hard to put it down and I’m not a real devotee of reading!

I really enjoyed reading this book in the next series. Christine writes the settings so well that I imagine what it was like to live back in those times. Well researched and interesting to follow the characters throughout the story. Great gift idea too. Looking forward to reading more books in this series!

I enjoyed the way Christine Dillon opens up the world of the Midianites during the time of the Judges and imagines how some of them might have come to trust in Yahweh and join the people of God in that time. As usual, the power of passing on the stories of God shines through, especially through the way characters such as Zura, Dinah & Asher use stories to speak into the difficult family relationship issues that other characters face.
I found that this book didn't grab me as much as the other books in this series or the previous series. Some of the writing felt a bit laboured, even though the storyline itself moves well. But it's still a worthwhile read and God can use it to teach and encourage us, and to strengthen our faith and increase our zeal for reaching the lost.

Enjoyed the characters and insight into the culture at that time. Loved seeing lives changed by God in the story.