Recent Reads {Love's Sacred Song}

Love's Sacred Song by Mesu Andrews - I wonder how many of us that have read Song of Solomon have been curious about who the Beloved was, and have perhaps even thought the Lover's words written by Solomon to be contradictory to the account of him having hundreds of wives and concubines.  I certainly have!  In this novel, Andrews weaves a beautiful story of love, grace, and forgiveness with the threads of Song of Solomon and the historical accounts of Solomon's life and reign in the Old Testament, and a beautifully imagined Beloved.  

The young King Solomon begins his reign in the shadow of the great King David, wanting to be a good and wise ruler but feeling very alone.  Unrest between the northern tribes and Judah is brewing, and all the more so when Solomon's plans for building the temple seem to burden the northern tribes.  Arielah is a young shepherdess and daughter of the respected judge of Shunem. She has felt Jehovah's plan for her since she was very young - that she would be the wife of Solomon.  Her father secures Solomon's promise to accept Arielah as a treaty bride to keep peace in the northern part of the kingdom, and it seems her dreams will come true.

But will Solomon accept her love and return her devotion? Can she live as part of his harem or will he set her apart somehow? And she isn't the only bride that represents a treaty and its accompanying responsibilities.  Arielah is a wonderful personality and the story created for her and Solomon is believable and makes sense of some of the contrasts in Solomon's character. 

I'm looking forward to the author's next book, expected this spring.

By the same author: Love Amid the Ashes