Customer Reviews

A Daughter of Zion (Zion Chronicles)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had to write this review to encourage people to read these books. I discovered them during exam time in my second year of Uni and can't believe I managed to pass my exams when I read each book non stop over four days. Truly exception books and an inspirational writer. I have never been so deeply effected by a novel before.

Never have I come across a better author. Bodie Theone (tay-nee) is truly amazing. These books are full of drama. It's like the characters became my friends. When I finished the series, It felt as though I lost some good friends. I really don't know if I could be as entertained, enlightened and fulfilled by reading anything else after reading this series. Originally I was checking the series out one at a time from the library. But when I realized I'd finally found something I couldn't put down, I figured I better buy the whole series. I have never bought books before, because I've never found anything worthy of being read more than once. I was just so compelled and I want to share her writings with all my friends and family. She's spectacular. So is anything written by her husband Brock, who helps her co-write everything. It's almost like watching a movie, because there are so many plots intertwined. I was shocked to read the epilogue in RETURN TO ZION. You'll have to find out for yourself. Just don't start reading in the middle of the series. If I could never read another authors works but one it would be the Theone's. - Megan Villa

Loved this book. I mean it is up there with my top five favorite books!!!! Loved this whole series. Still would have liked more exploration of the character Rachel, and what happened to her in the S.S. brothel. Also, what happened between her and the S.S. officer who must have protected her from Gerhardt?

This was a good book and I am certainly enjoying the series, but it is not without issues. Let me start with the negatives:

There is a massive leap from the first book where characters motivations have totally changed with very little explanation and in many respects a very unrealistic result, revolving around the myriad of possible relationships amongst David, Moshe, Ellie and Rachel.

There are also some "suspensful" scenes where the events are rather clearly telegraphed, and in at least one instance has a very comic-book, unrealistic, and unsatisfying conclusion. Not to mention a very comic book resolution with the "villain" at the end. Then giving two point-of-view sections to the thoughts and actions of a dog was also I thought at best a weird stylistic choice.

Finally, the character of Gerhardt is to me very unrealistic and somewhat poorly written. He is unbelievable as anything but a sociopath/psychotic, but he is not even written very well as that. He comes off as very "comic-book villain" and in that respect not very believable or interesting.

Ok, the negative aside though I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. The authors do write great protagonists and they do get us to care for them. Leah and her husband were great additions, and I loved what we saw of them. Rachel and Moshe really star in this one, and they both continue to be very intriguing and interesting characters. The book even moved me to tears a couple of times (hey, I cry easy - give me a break).

The story is also interesting, and I was glad that they had the scene at Jaffa Gate where the Jews are certainly at fault and commit some very bad actions. Understand that I would consider myself a 'zionist', I have spent time in Israel and have friends there, I love Israel and the Hewbrew people, and I am a staunch supporter of the nation. But they are not always right, and there is a real mistake they make here which keeps the Hagganah from just being "the cowboy dressed in white" and keeps the areas at least somewhat greyed, as is true in real life.

Anyways, all of that is to say that the book certainly kept me turning the pages and caring about the characters, but there are some definate flaws and shortcomings in the work at the same time. 3 to 3 1/2 stars from me.

Magnificent writing. The book leaves the reader spell bound from beginning to end. The trials and tribulations the Jews went through in 1948 in becoming a nation. Rachel had already been through the wringer prior to Israel.

This is the second book in the series and I couldn't put it down. Even though it's fiction, I feel like things in the story really could have happened. There is a battle between good and evil and you can sense how the Holy Spirit is working to bring about the change in their hearts. To see how Rachel comes to know Christ is encouraging.

Book arrived quickly and in shape described. I am very satisfied with the seller. Thanks.

This book was very good. I saw more of Rachel and Moshe and less of the characters that I didn't like, the would-be-murderer David Meyer for example. I also was introduced to Leah and Shimon Feldstein who later play an important role in the prequal series Zion Covenant. There is a lot of senseless killing in this book and anti-Semitism from the British. Some of the scenes made me so angry that I swore off this series for a while and went on to the Zion Covenant which I could understand better. I didn't complete the Chronicles until later when I checked sound recordings of the last three novels out of the library. These books are supposed to create anger; the author accomplishes that very well. I don't know as much about the Israeli question, about Zionism, as I do WWII. My lack of knowledge made it difficult to know the "good guys" from the "bad guys," but one thing was very clear: innocent people do get killed because of the actions of a few, and that is the real tragedy. A reader sees an age old conflict in an earlier stage and can judge for himself if any progress has been made.

I was really surprised to see how much prostitution is despised amongst the Jews. Rachel was forced into it to save her life, and everyone hates her for it, except for a few. I really sympathized with her and hoped she would find happiness in the end.

Excellent and fast service.
Love all the Zion series by Brock & Bodie Thoene
1. A Daughter of Zion

David, Ellie, Rachel, Moshe en Ehud, Shimon and Leah komen vaak voor in het boek. Ook Gerard is een hoofd persoon, maar niet echt de leukste. Rachel en Moshe die trouwen, nadat er ongelooflijk veel gebeurd is.