If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that Biblical fiction is my favorite subgenre of Christian fiction. To be honest, I avoided the genre for a while, but once I finally gave it a try, I instantly came to appreciate its power. I love how Biblical fiction can bring the Bible and its characters to life in a way that connects us to the heart of the story.
An author that does an exceptional job of bringing the Word of God to life and connecting her readers with the humanity of Biblical figures is Mesu Andrews–my Author of the Month pick for October!
I had heard of Mesu’s work for a long time, but I never got around to actually reading any of her books until Isaiah’s Daughter released in 2018. I read this story about an orphan girl adopted by the prophet Isaiah who went on to marry King Hezekiah at the beginning of 2019 and it became one of my favorite reads of the year.
To learn more about Isaiah’s Daughter and my other top favorite reads of 2019, check out my blog post HERE!
This book rocked my world and made me an instant life-long fan of Mesu’s writing. The way she portrayed this little known Bible story fascinated and captivated me and left me inspired. I sobbed like a baby during the last couple chapters! SO, so, so good!
After reading this first book, I set out to work my way through Mesu’s backlist. I am happy to say that I’ve made a lot of progress on that goal this year!
This summer, I listened to two of Mesu’s oldest works on Audible. Both of these were delightful listens!
Love in a Broken Vessel tells the dramatic and sometimes painful story of the prophet Hosea and his God-ordained marriage to a prostitute named Gomer. Check out my review of this beautiful novel HERE.
In the Shadow of Jezebel covers a Bible story that I somehow didn’t even know existed. I must have glazed over during my reading of the books of Kings! In this fascinating novel, Princess Jehosheba marries the high priest of Israel, gets caught up in the political intrigues of her evil stepmother and the wicked Queen Jezebel, and saves the Davidic dynasty from extinction. You can read my review HERE.
Mesu’s 2019 release, Of Fire and Lions, blew me away just as much as Isaiah’s Daughter did–perhaps even more so! Her imagining of the life–and love–of Daniel is brilliant and soul-stirring. This is the kind of novel you never forget! To read my review, click HERE!
I still have SIX more books to read by Mesu, almost all of which I now own in one format or another.
Love Amid the Ashes brings to life the tragic story of Job.
Love’s Sacred Song tells the love story between Soloman and the shepherdess from Song of Solomon. This will more than likely be my next Audible listen!
The Pharaoh’s Daughter, is one of Mesu’s most popular and beloved novels, so I am pretty eager to read this one! It details the life of Moses’ adopted Egyptian mother and his life as her son. The story of Moses is continued through the eyes of his sister in book two of this duology, Miriam.
By the Waters of Babylon is a self-published work that Mesu did as part of a series of books based on the Psalms. It is her only book that does not feature any actual Biblical figures as her main characters, so I am really interested to read this one!
Isaiah’s Legacy, as you might guess, is the sequel to Isaiah’s Daughter. In this book, which was released early this year, Mesu tells the story of the troubled and wicked reign of King Manasseh, son of the righteous King Hezekiah and Queen Hephzibah. I just recently purchased this book and plan to read it soon!
Have you ever read anything by Mesu Andrews? If not, you NEED to give her books a try! I’m sure you won’t regret it, especially if you are as fascinated by history, especially Biblical history, as I am! Every time I read one of her books I feel like I’ve just lived through history, and I walk away feeling closer to these real life people that lived thousands of years ago.
If you decide to read one of her books for the first time, be sure to let me know! I LOVE knowing I’ve helped people find new authors to read! If you’re already a Mesu Andrew’s fan, let me know which of her books is your favorite! I am always down for a good book chat!
Happy reading, friends!
