They Shall See God (Moving Fiction) [Paperback]

Athol Dickson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Moving Fiction | Publication Date: May 24, 2002

After 25 years, the man Ruth and Kate helped lock away is released from prison, thrusting them into a horrible nightmare. Suddenly a series of bizarre crimes hits Ruth's Jewish community in New Orleans, reigniting the flames of age-old hatred. A page-turning story of bitter prejudice and the hope of reconciliation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Christian market sorely needs more quality suspense novels, and Dickson's excellent offering makes a solid contribution to the genre. Rabbi Ruth Gold and lapsed Protestant Kate Flint share a hideous legacy from their childhood: together they stumbled upon a murder scene, then helped incarcerate the man they saw holding a knife by the victim. Now he's been released after 25 years in prison, and a bizarre string of events mimicking stories from the biblical book of Genesis unfolds in present-day New Orleans. Gold's boyfriend is poisoned with cyanide after eating an apple in her living room, a brother is tricked into killing his brother and wild animals are released from the zoo to roam the city. Meanwhile, tension escalates between Gold's Jewish congregation and a group of Christian fanatics who picket the temple and badger the Jewish people to turn to Jesus. The multiple points of view give the novel a disjointed feel, and the book's intended CBA audience might have benefited from a glossary of the Jewish terms sprinkled showily throughout (Instead of rounding up a minyan to say kaddish, I was wondering if you'd come to Mama's grave and light a yahrzeit candle with me and say shehecheyanu? ). However, the writing is original, with unexpected touches of humor, and contains enough plot twists to keep the reader guessing until the final pages. Although this is a highly entertaining nail-biter, one of the novel's significant accomplishments is its potential to promote greater understanding between people of both faiths.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As in Nancy Mehl's Graven Images, young children here witness the aftermath of a murder, and their testimony sentences a man to jail. Some 25 years later, the steamy heat of New Orleans explodes with a new series of murders seemingly tied to the release of Solomon Cantor from prison. Ruth Gold and Kate Flint, whose testimony helped convict Cantor, meet again for the first time in years as they fear he is responsible for the death of Ruth's boyfriend and an attempted poisoning at Kate's house. Working together to save their families in an atmosphere of renewed anti-Semitism, the women also learn about each other's faith Ruth is a rabbi, and Kate is a Christian. Dickson (Every Hidden Thing) explores differences in faith and irrational hatred of those differences in a sensitive yet challenging manner. Suitable for all collections.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (May 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0842352929
• ISBN-13: 978-0842352925
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #540,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Athol Dickson's novels transcend description with a literary style that blends magical realism, suspense, and a strong sense of spirituality. Critics have favorably compared his work to such diverse authors as Octavia Butler (Publisher's Weekly) and Flannery O'Connor (The New York Times). His RIVER RISING is an Audie Award winner and three of his novels have won the Christy Award, including his most recent, LOST MISSION. Athol's next novel, THE OPPOSITE OF ART, is about pride, passion, and death as a spiritual pursuit. Look for it in September, 2011. Athol lives with his wife in southern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bland Title and Cover Can't Hide a Fantastic Book!, September 25, 2002

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: They Shall See God (Moving Fiction) (Paperback)

Although I'd never read an Athol Dickson novel before, the fantastic reviews and blurbs from other authors convinced me to give it a shot. Boy am I thankful! Otherwise I might've missed out on a great story. The title, though appropiate enough, is ambiguous and rather bland for a mystery thriller. The cover is equally so.

The writing, on the other hand, sparkles. Dickson tells a fascinating tale that incorporates murder, mystery, love, fanatical obsession, Jewish and Christian dialogue, and the depths of relationships. He opens with the release from prison of a man convicted of murder. The two girls who witnessed him over the body, Ruth and Kate, are now grown-up and emotionally disconnected from each other. Their religious differences and the pain of their past have pushed them apart. Ruth, single after the sudden death of her fiance, is a reform Rabbi. Kate, a widow with two kids, is an antique store owner. Neither of them are aware of the threats that have been unleashed with the prisoner's release, but the violence and suspense that soon surround them force them together in a fight for survival.

Dickson masterfully portrays his characters. His villians are wrought with real pain and motivations; his protagonists are fallible, likeable, and sometimes unpredictable. The dialogue rings true throughout. His setting of New Orleans, while never as palpable as in a James Lee Burke mystery, is believable. The only flaw, if it can be deemed so, is the multiple viewpoints that might be distracting to some. Though each character's thoughts are viable, not all of the minor ones are necessary to the overall story. I still enjoyed them for the added nuances they gave.

Without revealing the plot twists and surprises, I'll leave it to others to discover the lingering and powerful effects of this novel. Meet Ruth, Kate, Sol, Gabby, Jake, and Orvis--characters you won't soon forget. Don't let the title and cover fool you...it'll have you tightly in its grip until the final pages.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Page Turner!, August 10, 2003

By 

Tricia Goyer "author of 19 books, speaker, an... (Montana, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: They Shall See God (Moving Fiction) (Paperback)

Let me start by saying I normally don't read suspense, but once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. "They Shall See God" is the story of two women whose lives are again thrown together when a murder they witnessed as young girls now threatens their future. The story has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster, and the "ride" was just as appealing. Not to mention the excellent writing . . . I highly recommend this book. And I'm off to find more books by Athol Dickson! --Tricia Goyer, author of "From Dust and Ashes."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly amazing!, March 12, 2006

By 

Wolfe Moffat (Franklinville, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: They Shall See God (Moving Fiction) (Paperback)

After telling a pretty good friend (and source) that I was reading this, he responded with an e-mail simply stating this... "Dickson is amazing." He was right! And, as a certain review title states, the cover and title do appear rather bland, don't they? HA! This was great.

This probably won't be for everyone. For some it will be a rather sensitive subject. Then for others, it will be just what they need, even though it comes in the form of a novel. A Jewish Rabbi and a Christian woman trying to sort out their differences in the midst of turmoil? Yep. Oh yeah, and in this case, they have to trust each other in order get through what's going on. But hey, a man who just served a 25 year sentence for murder has just been released. And wouldn't you know it, people are showing up dead. This is an awesome parable, so to speak. In a way, look at this as a love story, just add some good suspense to it. I think we have a winner with Rabbi Ruth Gold and Kate (Katy) Flint. This comes at a good pace, along with a quiet understanding. Beautiful!

Set aside you preconceptions about Jewish heritage and see if you learn something. Hey for those who don't know most of the terminology like myself, there's a glossary in the back. This even MAKES you (it did me) examine yourself in a way. See for yourself when you read this book, if you get a glimpse of God.