Diana Wallis Taylor's Journey to the Well ~ Reviewed

Journey to the Well
By Diana Wallis Taylor
Published by Revell
ISBN# 978-0-8007-3309-4
329 Pages

Back Cover:

Marah is a young girl in love with her childhood friend, Jesse. When she is forced to marry an older man, she must abandon her dreams of happiness. At the mercy of men who are often only interested in using her, Marah must fight for survival. Will she ever meet a man who can save her?

The story of the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well is one of hope, redemption and a life changed in an instant through a remarkable encounter. Jesus told her “everything she’d ever done,” but we are left to wonder at the circumstances that led her life on such a tragic path to begin with. Now from the creative mind of Diana Wallis Taylor, comes the full story of the woman at the well.

REVIEW:

This book was 25 years in the making. The author paints an amazing story which will take you back in time - a time when Jesus lived. I have to admit I had always thought of the 'woman at the well' to be a woman of poor moral character. Diana describes a tale of a faithful woman, a woman after God’s own heart, who is thrust into circumstances beyond her control. How quickly people judge someone without knowing all the facts...but once all the facts are known, and they can’t pin it to one bad choice that brought about all the bad luck. People start to speculate things or imagine stuff. You can’t win - especially back then. There is no redemption except through Jesus. Forgiveness, love, compassion...those are just a few things Marah finds at Jacob’s well that day.

The author not only tells the tale of Marah and how women were treated back then, but she also tells of other characters that could have or did intersect with her life. Some of the people discussed at length were Reba, Zibeon, Shimei, Jessie, Hamon, Ahmal and Jesus. To me, a good book brings the bible to life in a very creative way. I love that it caused me to turn to scripture and see what else I can glean from its pages. Diana Wallis Taylor walks you through Jesus' time customs and the many people he met and healed along the way. After reading "Journey to the Well", scripture will come alive for you and you’ll find yourself (like I did) digging though its pages and coming to your own conclusions of what could have happened back then.

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent – Book Club Servant Leader