Customer Reviews

Michal: A Novel (The Wives of King David)

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Epic story lovers and those intrigued by the tumultuous life of King David of Jerusalem are very likely chomping at the bit to get their hands on a copy of Michal. Almost as fascinating as the epic story told ably within 374 concise pages is the story behind the book. Jill Eileen Smith birthed the story idea in 1989 and has patiently waited for God's timing for publication.

This novel isn't exclusively in Michal's point of view but much of it is. Readers get a glimpse into Jonathan's, David's and even Paltiel's (Michal's second husband) thoughts, actions and drives. Smith obviously did her Biblical homework and follows the account, adding personality and color to the events as they may have unfolded. Her language choice is fully modern so if you love historicals or Biblical fiction but struggle with difficult language and vocabulary you won't have any issues here. On the flip side, that does take away a bit from the feeling of authenticity so take note if you want your ancients to speak like ancients. So many characters and so many spans of time over the two and a half decade period makes deeply fleshed out characters limited in number.

With her debut novel, Jill Eileen Smith explores the tumultuous life of Michal, daughter of King Saul and the first wife of David. Honestly, Michal is a character that I never really gave much thought to before. It's too easy to fall into the trap of thinking of the people that populate the pages of scripture as flat characters, rather than as the wonderful, flawed, fully-rounded human beings they actually were, filled with fears and hopes. Though Michal's life has been reduced to mention in only a handful of verses, she witnessed an incredible amount of history and heartbreak. The way Smith brings Michal to life, from her early years as a young princess in Saul's court, in love with David the simple shepherd, to the unfathomable tragedy she witnessed as Saul's family fell from power, absolutely captivated me from the first page.

Smith's narrative closely follows the Biblical account of David's life and rise to power found in 1 and 2 Samuel. In many cases, she incorporates some of the actual dialogue from the scriptures which adds further authenticity to the novel. Her research and passion for the time period clearly shines through in her vivid descriptions of palace life. It was easy to imagine myself in that world, walking alongside Michal and David, drinking in the sights, sounds, and smells of ancient Israel. The book covers decades in Michal's life, often with jumps of one to six years between chapters. Those transitions can be a little abrupt, but overall they did not detract from my enjoyment of the story or my complete immersion into Michal's world. And although the focus of this novel is Michal, David also emerges as a fascinating and complex man. Smith gives readers a window into the personal, family side of David, while not neglecting David the king and worshipper so well known in the pages of the Bible. I wanted to smack him when he started accumulating multiple wives. Through Michal's role as first - and childless - wife, Smith gives a very human face to the toll such a lifestyle must have taken on women during that time.

I really appreciate how Smith depicted the many cultural and social standards a woman in Michal's position dealt with seem so foreign today. Seeing Saul's descent into madness from the perspective of a daughter was absolutely terrifying, especially since as a woman she was wholly subject to his dictates as her father and king. I cannot imagine the courage it took to help David escape Saul's wrath in the early days of their marriage, and then to endure being given to another man when Saul declared her marriage to David void. It's easy to understand Michal's struggles with anger and bitterness, and how she clung to her dream of being declared David's queen as her salvation. In a culture that placed a premium on a woman's ability to provide her husband with children, Michal's struggles with anger, fear, and bitterness over the uncertainty of her position at court are heartbreaking. Her journey towards redemption, and a personal relationship with David's beloved God after enduring so much heartbreak and horror was beautiful to witness. Michal does not get your typical happy ending, but it's the right ending for her story, offering the hope and restoration that only a relationship with God can supply to a life torn asunder by circumstance. Very well done - I look forward to the sequels!

This story was much better than Ann Burton's novel about King David.

Michal captivated me from the first page. I know that sounds, cliche, but it's true. I read the first two chapters about four years ago and they were just as good back then. I adore Biblical fiction when it is well done. The author did a fabulous job showing the culture of King David's time and explaining things that don't set well with our modern ways, such as having more than one wife. It made sense the way it was presented. I loved how the developing love story continued throughout the book, yet the story stayed true to Scripture.

There were so many things that I've read in the Bible before in the book of Samuel, but when placed inside a novel such as this one it really comes alive, from the horrors of war to the politics of the day. I enjoyed the sensual tension between characters and the wedding ceremonies. I'm glad in our present day that the wedding attendants and in-laws don't park outside the honeymoon suite until the marriage was consummated like they did in ancient Israel. How awkward! I also enjoyed the subtle humor about managing a household with so many wives being a challenge for a king. There were so many incredibly interesting details to this story I could talk for hours. And I won't mention the Philistine foreskins. Oy! Gruesome stuff. I really felt like I was there in Hebron, in Gibea, and finally in Jerusalem. I can't wait for the next installment in this series. I have a feeling Abigail's story will be quite compelling, too.

A series on the wives of King David-it's an intriguing concept. Unfortunately, David's first wife is Michal. Knowing what eventually happens, we all know that as far as love stories go- this one is an incredibly frustrating and unfulfilling one. However, there is such potential for her story by following her arc of self destruction and how she ultimately makes her peace with God, herself, and the way she has been "brought low" as a barren woman disdained by her husband.

And, the story does get to this- in the last 50 pages. What happens in the 300 pages before that?
Nothing that needed 300 pages to be told.

Michal is not very sympathetic for most the book. She seems to have a teen crush on David. Given that her father Saul is psychotic and David is the only person who can bring peace to the palace, this isn't surprising. What is surprising are the lengths that Michal goes to in order to get David- like "swimfan" or "obsessed" kind of measures. It's not until David begins taking other wives that you feel for Michal at all. Obviously she feels hurt and abandoned, so it's not really clear why Michal leaves her new husband, who treasures her, to return to David (aside from Michal declaring that she luvvvvs David).

David is a tough character-he was brave and sought to please God in all he did. But...he was also a womanizer. Womanizers can be drawn out in a way that makes them sympathetic (want an example? Watch Big Love). But this doesn't happen here and therefore it's pretty difficult to relate to him. His relationship with Michal never seems like love at all. In the beginning he is in love with Michal's older sister. Then one day he sees Michal and decides he loves her. We see none of their relationship together- they marry and then he runs away. He then marries a girl because he likes the way her hair smells (no- I'm serious, that's why he marries her). Although the book says that he takes Michal back because he loved her- we never see any of that love. David seems more concerned that he gets back what "belongs" to him.

Once David and Michal are reunited (in the last 50 pages) things FINALLY get interesting. When David ran away, Michal was a princess and his only wife. But when she returns to him, she finds herself one of many wives-all who are younger and prettier and have children. Furthermore, her title is meaningless since David was crowned. Michal becomes resentful and angry which leads to that fateful declaration. Then in about 20 or so pages she realizes her mistake and asks forgiveness (when she wanted nothing to do with God before) and goes to David to ask forgiveness. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE BULK OF THE BOOK!!!

It was a valiant first effort but ultimately unsatisfying due to flat one dimensional character development. I got the book about the next wife as well (it was a set). Hopefully that will be better.

I highly recommend this novel. This novel is a fictionalized account of Michal, David's first wife and Saul's daughter. It follows her through her teen years with a crazed father, her early life with David when he had to flee for his life from her father's hand, her married life with a man her father gave her to against her will to keep her from David, and her troubled marriage after her reunion with David. It has all the intrigue, suspence, and suspence you would expect from the events surrounding King David from the perspective I never before considered, the wife who fell out of favor with him and with God. It was a great read that kept me on the edge of my seat.

This author knows how to write a love story! I've read the story of King David and his first wife, Michal, many times, but this account is rich with historical detail and passion. I fell in love with King David all over again, and my heart went out to Michal, who's often been portrayed as a one-dimensional, bitter woman. The author delves into the heart and soul of the characters, their romance, and the history of the era. Beautiful! I can't wait to read Jill Eileen Smith's next one in this series; the romance between King David and Abigail.

Michal starts as frothy-sounding romance, but this is history and the ending cannot be happily-ever-after. Although we identify strongly with Princess Michal's desire for David's love, we also see her bitterness and the price she pays to cling to it. Smith uses David's psalms and dialog straight from Scripture to bring the Bible to life. The language turns a little more formal at those points, but works for me. A lot of King David's life is left out to be filled in from the perspective of others in this Wives of King David Series, but the ending, centered as it is around the family of King Saul, is satisfying in its own realistic way. I look forward to other books in the series.

I absolutely LOVED(loved loved loved!) this amazing and powerful book! It is book 1 in Jill Eileen Smith's Wives of King David series and it is one that you do not want to miss out on! Truly. You will truly look at the Biblical characters in a whole new light and feel like you were there, when you put this book down.

I absolutely did not want to put this book down but I had so many other books ahead of it that I had to force my self, really force myself, to put it down and come back to it. I took me 2 weeks to read this book, but had I had the time to do so, I would have had it read in 24 hours. That is how strong and powerful this book is.

It is the story of Michal's life. Smith really did wonderful at researching the Bible and Isreal to create a moving story of one of the women from the Bible. It is truly as it states: an epic love story. I was captured from page one. This compelling story, both true and fiction, pulled me straight into the Biblical era of King Saul, a father full of fury, and David, the man who defeated the giant, Goliath and fell in love with the furied father's youngest daughter, Michal. My heart went out to Michal, and all that she had to endure before she could capture the interest of the man she fell in love with. It was like I was truly there, witnessing all that happened between David and Michal, and I was praying for Michal through the whole story. Smith pulls actual dialogue from the Bible and weaves it into the fictional areas of the book, making this an absolutely unforgettable love story.

This is most definitely a MUST read book. It is worthy of so much more than 5 stars! But I will give it a 5 stars and recommend it for everyone.

*I purchased this book from Amazon.com for my own collection.*

I picked this up eagerly, for I always love hearing a story involving one of Israel's greatest kings. The story was very well handled. The author had a good eye for historical detail, and was true to the Biblical account, which I REALLY appreciated. I love how she develops the character of Michal, and how everything comes together in the end of the story. A great book for all ages! I would highly recommend it!

Jill Eileen Smith's novel about King David's first wife brought the stories of the Bible to life in a way only a novel can do. Many times as I read one of the compelling scenes, I found myself grabbing my Bible to see if that part was actually in the Scriptures. While Smith's story is a novelization, it remains quite true to biblical accounts, and gets high marks for being entertaining as well. I'm looking forward to the rest of the books in this series.

This is also one of the most beautiful book covers I've seen in a long time! Stunning, and sets the mood for the novel so well!