Diana Wallis Taylor

Diana Wallis Taylor does an excellent job of nailing down biblical fiction, she is in a class with a few others who do this job very well. I love biblical fiction that causes me to go back to scripture and dig into it more deeply.

This story is about one of the women of the bible that who has had decades of rumors swirling around her. Who is this beautiful, mysterious woman that followed Jesus with complete loyalty and devotion? What is so different about her that has left people across the ages all trying to decide who she was and what her story really is?

Diana Wallis Taylor does not say that she has a difinative answer but rather adds a new depth and warmth to a woman that is most certainly tainted with all sorts of rumors. For the first time readers may see a side of Mary Magdalene that they had never considered before.

This is the story of a beautiful woman, the apple of her father's eye who's world is instantly shattered when she is suddenly struck with seizures and other mental illnesses. In a society riddled with tradition and old wive's tales, with beliefs mixed from truth and folk tales she is just as instantly turned an outcast from the peoples that once loved and embraced her. Suddenly with out support and love, struggling with the unknown we find a woman destitute, broken, hopeless, and longing. This makes for the perfect redemption story.

For are we not all in out own ways outcasts - struggling just to fit in with the "norm". Longing for acceptance and seeking answers for our own inner demons. Are we not all broken and hopeless in some way longing for the healing touch of a savior that will set our world to rights and bring order to the chaos of our hearts and minds.

Women every where will be able to relate to this love story of a God who seeks to save his children for we are all these children. This woman so immersed in the shadows of religious gossip and scandal is suddenly brought into a different light and we find - to our surprise she is much easier to relate to than we first believed.

Excellent job Diana Wallis Taylor you have done it again. IF you are looking for a good addition to you biblical fiction library this is it!

Thanks to Regal for this review copy.… (plus d'informations)

From the first page the reader is immediately immersed in the New Testament time and customs of a well known character of theological and moral teachings - Martha the sister of Mary. The story of Mary choosing the better path is so well taught that we often forget to glean the goodness of sacrificial service for others.

Within these pages the often looked down upon Martha has a chance at her story being told. I do not know of any older sibling who could not relate to the struggles that Martha faced as she the responsibility that fell upon the eldest of the household.

The book is well written and the story long over due. The encounters with Jesus presented in this book offer the reader a different feel of an old story. For once they are able to see the heart of Martha who lived to complete the service of her family. She must learn that the important things in life aren't always completing the task - but knowing the task master. In this book walk with Martha and learn to lay down your own self-imposed responsibilities of perfection and order to better understand the Master and His work. Work through the bitterness that often accompanies being the eldest and feeling held to a different standard. Cry with Martha and rejoice with her - and as an eldest see life in a new light - that of the Savior.

Thank you Revell for this review Copy.… (plus d'informations)

“Something in her heart longed to truly know the God of her people. He had made a way to save her when there seemed to be no way.”

Biblical fiction is often a hit-or-miss genre, and readers tend to either enjoy it or avoid it altogether. I can understand both sides of that case and tend to stick with trusted authors I’m either familiar with or who have been recommended to me by reliable sources. Last year I did take a chance with then new-to-me author Diana Wallis Taylor’s “Hadassah” and found it intriguing. As the author herself acknowledges, she likes to choose Biblical women who are generally not well-regarded and offer a different perspective of them. One requirement that I have for reading Biblical fiction is that it does not change fundamental truths about Scripture or promote anything that does not line up with God’s Word. Good Biblical fiction, in my opinion, causes readers to more deeply contemplate and connect with the Lord through His Word, the Bible.

In her most recent novel, “Rahab: Woman of Jericho”, Taylor explores this enigmatic figure from the book of Joshua. I will be honest and say that I do not think that this is truly plausible as Rahab’s backstory because I have always read among various translations that she was a prostitute, and I think that her being a redeemed prostitute in the lineage of Jesus makes more sense and demonstrates God’s grace and mercy, particularly considering that she is mentioned in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. Also, Taylor portrays Rahab and her family as Jewish, the only ones in Upper Beth-horon. That being said, though, I respect the author’s creative license and the reasons for her interpretation, and I appreciate that she addresses these at the end of the book.

The genealogy of Rahab is given several times throughout the novel, and I found this helpful in connecting her to the historical story itself and to the bigger picture of ultimately becoming part of the lineage of Jesus. It is interesting that her name means “remembering Egypt”, and that is a theme that plays out in a variety of ways as the story unfolds. There are also several elements that stood out to me as having very clear contemporary parallels. Just as, in this story, Rahab and her family are terrified when Jericho is attacked but are spared as followers of Jehovah, so are we living in frightening times amidst a global pandemic and increasing unrest and chaos, and so too will God spare us if we are truly devoted to Him. Trust is key. There is also an urgency to share God (and in the modern world, the Gospel) with others because the walls are falling down, literally in Rahab’s case and more metaphorically in ours. Another thing that struck me is the acknowledgement of the emotional and psychological impact of killing that the Israelite soldiers bore. The overall effect of everything that the Israelites went through on their journey became much more apparent to me than it had before, and I am so grateful to live in the time after Jesus’s sacrifice!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.… (plus d'informations)

Rahab, by Diana Wallis Taylor, is a biblical fiction story based on Rahab from the book of Joshua. This story gives us a little bit different look at who Rahab may have been. This is an extremely well written story that I found myself forgetting it was fiction. The Bible tells us Rahab was a harlot while this story portrays her as the wife of a young Egyptian officer. The rest of the story follows more closely with the Bible.

While the story of Rahab is not new to me, I enjoyed the reminder of the amount of faith she had and her role in Biblical history. I also enjoyed the way Rahab treated others and cared for them.

I enjoyed reading this story. The writing is so clear and descriptive, it is easy to imagine the surroundings and things that happened.
I received an e-book copy of this story from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review.… (plus d'informations)