Jill Eileen Smith's Abigail ~ Reviewed

ABIGAIL
By Jill Eileen Smith
Published by: Revell
ISBN# 978-0-8007-3321-6
375 Pages

Back Cover:

Her days marked by turmoil and faded dreams; Abigail has resigned herself to a life with a man she does not love. But when circumstances offer her a second chance at happiness with the handsome David, she takes a leap of faith to join his wandering tribe. Still, her struggles are far from over. How can she share his love with the other women he insists on marrying?

REVIEW:

Once again Jill Eileen Smith whisked me into bible times while introducing us to a tender, young Abigail who loves the Lord and anxiously awaits her arranged marriage with Nabal. This author’s illustration of Abigail’s loss of innocence, heartbreak, agony and struggle, is so powerful I could feel her pain, her sorrow. Nabal is a brash, deceitful, selfish man who will do whatever it takes to satisfy his flesh.

Abigail would not let Nabal break her spirit nor turn her back on God. Instead, she sought Adonai (God) for comfort. Abigail lets God mold her and give her strength. Adonai gives Abigail the courage to seek out David in order to avoid blood shed in her household because of Nabal's foolish behavior.

David seeks to marry Abigail when he learns of her husband’s death. I was intrigued by this union and how it might have taken place. Jill paints an exciting picture of how these two beautiful people get together. She also describes their inner turmoil and the desire David and Abigail had to do God’s will in the middle of uncertain times. I hadn’t realized how long David lived in the forest as a fugitive, and how many men, women and children were with him; it made it hard to hide, especially since David had crazy King Saul trying to kill him most of that time. I found it amazing how David refused to kill God’s anointed Saul, no matter how frustrating things got.

I liked how Jill broke the book into five parts, and before each part, she had the complete verse and reference for you to read before she described the new part. I found it most helpful and handy for me to go back to the bible and read the complete account later.

This author has a keen insight into the hearts and minds of two strong, passionate people. David and Abigail, continue to show their love for Adonai, each other, and shared a struggle they had to do the right thing in the eyes of God, not people. It was an eye opener to read what demands there were for a King and the life Abigail might have had as his wife. It was quite different than living with him as a fugitive. I now have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the culture, times back then and why they called David, a man after God’s own heart. I think Abigail felt the same way about Adonai. I could see how they received comfort, wisdom and strength from each other. There was a unity they had that David didn’t share with his other wives. I was encourage as I read about David and Abigail and their life’s struggle, how they sought peace in the middle of their trials and a love so pure. I enjoyed how they humbled themselves before Adonai (God) and sought him with all their heart, soul and strength. It’s a love story you’ll want to read and experience for yourself.

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent
ACFW Book Club Coordinator