Stories from the Bible have fascinated people from their
first telling and through the centuries, scholars and
novelists have elaborated on the small profiles of the
people in the Biblical accounts. Must recently, the
internationally renowned documentary filmmaker and
screenwriter, Paul Boorstin, has wonderfully written of
his own imagined version of the story of the early life
of David in his first novel, DAVID AND THE PHILISTINE
WOMAN.
With his experienced filmmaker eye for just the right
framing to illuminate the story of the famous foes,
Boorstin puts living flesh on the dried bones of the Old
Testament story of David and his encounters with Saul and
Goliath and brings them to full breathing life with all
the heat and emotions of the times. Boorstin not only
vividly describes the looks, smells and demeanours of
each Biblical character and has them speak in their own
voice, he also animates a number of new characters, not
in the Biblical story, with all working together to
make a very credible and readable narrative. Most
wonderful of these new characters is Nara, the Philistine
Woman. His descriptions of Nara as a tall. ungainly girl
to her developing skill as a blacksmith and her crafting
of metal swords. then to her ultimate part in the lives
of David and Goliath is nothing short of spellbinding!
From the first page, Boorstin instantly pulls us back
more than two thousand years from David sensing a
warning, to his experiences of sibling rivalry with his
older brothers to the strange anointing for a new King by
the wild and dusty prophet Samuel. Boorstin is well
experienced in setting realistic and authentic scenes
makes everything so easy for the reader to visualize. I
was particularly struck by his lively characterizations
in dialogue and description of the attitudes of the Jews
and Philistines to each other. Boorstin also excels in
character development and realistically links the various
characters' attitudes and actions as the story develops.
I particularly like how the place of women both high and
low is made explicit by the descriptions and dialogues
of Michal, King Saul's daughter, and that of Nara and
her old spinster Aunt Hada with the clef lip.
Whether you are familiar or not with the Biblical story,
DAVID AND THE PHILISTINE WOMAN is sure to be a hit with
fans of historical novels. DAVID AND THE PHILISTINE
WOMAN is an epic story of family and kinship loyalties,
jealousy, rivalry and political intrigue. Boorstin's
book would be a very intriguing selection for a book club
to discuss and to help with that, there is a listing of
discussion topics at the end of the story could make for
lively debates.
I found DAVID AND THE PHILISTINE WOMAN to be a real hard
book to put down, even with knowing the outcome, and it
is definitely worthy of reading by anyone, regardless of
faith preference. Truly, a story of heart, rivalry,
courage and faith!
Nara is a young Philistine woman who has given up hope of
ever finding a husband. No man will take a wife who towers
head and shoulders above him. She lives in isolation with
her father, until she is discovered by the Philistine
priests. They betroth her to Goliath, to give him warrior
sons. What happens when Nara's fate collides with that of
David, who is destined to face Goliath in combat, will
forever transform how you experience this pivotal moment in
the Bible...
Boorstin reimagines David's dangerous path from shepherd to
charismatic leader, interweaving his life not only with
Nara's, but with key Biblical characters including King
Saul, and Saul's daughter Michal, who will later become
David's wife. While faithful to the spirit of the Bible,
Boorstin reads between the lines of the ancient narrative to
bring immediacy, relevance and even greater meaning to the
life of the young Israelite who would become the most
beloved character in the Old Testament. David and the
Philistine Woman combines exciting storytelling and rich
characters to fashion an unforgettable epic.
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