About the Book ~
As they fight for the soul of Israel, will they find healing for their own?
Eight years ago, after the Philistines surrendered the stolen Ark of the Covenant back to the Israelites, Eliora and her brother left their Philistine homeland to follow it to the community of Kiryat-Yearim. Though they both were lovingly enfolded into a Levite family that guards the Ark, Eliora can't stop feeling like she doesn't belong.
Meanwhile, a faction of discontent Hebrews finds Kiryat-Yearim to be an unfit resting place and believes that the sacred vessel should be in the hands of the priests who mean to restore the Holy of Holies in a new location. Under the guise of gathering Hebrews to worship together for the festivals, Levite musician Ronen has been sent by his uncle to find where the Ark has been hidden and steal it back. But Ronen never expected that the Philistine girl he rescued years ago would now be part of the very family he's tasked to deceive.
Ronen's attempts to charm Eliora into revealing the location of the Ark lead them in unexpected directions, as they must battle betrayal and fear to help establish Israel's leadership for a better future.
For more information about Connilyn Cossette and her books, check out her website here!
My Thoughts ~
My feelings on To Dwell among Cedars by Connilyn Cossette can be summed up with a verse:
"It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out." Proverbs 25:2
In reading To Dwell among Cedars by Connilyn Cossette, I felt like I was not only privy to the glory that had been searched out for this fascinating blend of fact and fiction but also felt like a king as I searched through the pages of this exemplary journey for myself! Truly wonderful!
First, let's talk about the stunning setting in To Dwell among Cedars! Not only was it lush and descriptive with nods to earlier eras, the author opened up this particular era of the Bible in ways I had never experienced! I could see the conflict, doubts, factures within the nation of Israel. I could feel the religious, political, and spiritual struggles -- everything that had led the nation to this point. I felt like a scholar as I learned through this fictional tale. I was so deeply immersed!
However good the setting, the characters and their respective yet intermingling spiritual journeys are what shined the brightest in To Dwell among Cedars! Eliora and Ronen's struggles and triumphs are so deeply, heart-wrenchingly relatable that I felt personal freedom through their story. The adoptive covenant with God was so beautifully reflected that I felt renewed in my spirit as a cherished child of God. And their love story -- though rift with betrayal and pain -- was a testament to God's forgiveness, grace, and redemption! I don't have enough words to describe how amazing this was!
Five Stars ~ To Dwell among Cedars by Connilyn Cossette is an exemplary story in the Biblical Fiction genre! To Dwell among Cedars is the first book of the Covenant House Series. I can't wait to read the next book of this duology, Between the Wild Branches!
