The Triumph of Deborah

The Triumph of Deborah
by Eva Etzioni-Halevy
368 pages
Historical Fiction
Plume (February 26, 2008)

Deborah is a woman who rises above the deep sadness in her life, that her husband just decided to dissolve their marriage, and gives all she has within her to protect her people, the Israelites. The Israelites are God's chosen people, but because of their lack of faith and obedience they are forced to wander throughout the desert and hope that they will be provided for, for rulers during this time they had a series of judges, Deborah being one of those judges.

It was her duty to make the major decisions for her people as well as to resolve conflicts and make settlements amongst them. In a society where women were not educated, her father believed that she deserved the education just as much as her brothers did and she was taught the Torah at an early age. Even as a youth people would come to her from far away places after having heard of her wisdom and fair hand.The Triumph of Deborah is about love and war and most everything in between. Deborah suffers from the choice of her husband and is torn when a young dashing warrior beckons to her. It would be acceptable by law, but she still feels tied emotionally to her husband.

I ended up enjoying this read more than I thought. I fell in love with Deborah, and I think if I had been a little older I would have loved her even more, she is strong and true and really gets things done. Of course, like all women she is riddled with emotion, but who can count that as a fault since we are all plagued by it!? I felt that Eva Etzioni-Halevy did a pretty good job with the writing, it isn't dazzling in its artistic appeal but it is still alive and fresh to read. The storyline had me intregued and involved. This is certainly a great book for any reader, but I specifically recommend it to those who enjoy a good Historical Fiction read. The Triumph of Deborah will be sure to please!

Eva Etzioni-Halevy's Website