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A Light on the Hill (Cities of Refuge)
by Connilyn Cossette - In the third novel of Cossette's Out From Egypt series, readers were introduced to Moriyah. At the time she was thirteen years old and was kidnapped along with her older friend Alanah. The two eventually made their way to Jericho where they stayed with Alanah's sister, Rahab, until the destruction of the city. Just before escaping the city, Moriyah had been branded by the priestess of Ashtoreth, and to her shame she has a lasting scar - the sun and moon symbols of the pagan gods beside her eye. She lives quietly with her father, resigned to life in isolation and without much hope of marriage, because the rumors that spread about her being a temple prostitute mean that no respectable Hebrew man would consider her.
Seven years have passed though, and finally Moriyah's father has made a match for her. Her first hint of who he is fills her with hope and anticipation that her husband will be the kind of man that will accept her and see past her scar. But unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding, and it's not the man she'd thought, but his older brother. And Raviv is clearly accepting her only to get the inheritance of her father's property and to have her as cook and housekeeper. He also has twin sons only a few years younger than Moriyah, and when they meet her they also treat her with terrible disrespect. Then a terrible mistake leads to their deaths . . . at Moriyah's hand. It was a tragic accident, but Moriyah knows the error was hers and Raviv has the right to avenge himself by taking Moriyah's life. She must flee to one of the cities of refuge in order to get a fair trial, so her father's trusted servant takes her. But along the way, Raviv's brother Darek, the man who Moriyah had hoped for, overtakes them, and to her surprise he is willing to help her reach Kedesh and safety.
They encounter danger and difficulties along the way, and also have the chance to get to know each other. And both mourn the fact that it was Raviv who claimed Moriyah, as well as the fact that Moriyah must stay in the city of refuge even if she is found innocent of a malicious murder. All hope for their happiness seems lost, but at least Moriyah has a chance to clear her name and to live. Perhaps that will have to be enough, and Moriyah struggles to trust in God and rejoice in the blessings she does have rather than become bitter over all that she has lost.
From the publisher:
Though Israel has found relative peace, Moriyah has yet to find her own. Attempting to avoid the scorn of her community, she's spent the last seven years hiding behind the veil she wears. Underneath her covering, her face is branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods, a shameful reminder of her past captivity in Jericho and an assurance that no man will ever want to marry her.
When her father finds a widower who needs a mother for his two sons, her hopes rise. But when their introduction goes horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee for her life. Seeking safety at one of the newly established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face and the enemies--and unexpected allies--she will encounter on her way.
By the same author:
Wings of the Wind,
Shadow of the Storm,
Counted With the Stars
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