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Stephanie Landsem
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The Tomb: A Novel of Martha (Living Water Series Book 3) Kindle Edition

by Stephanie Landsem (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 227 ratings
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In this captivating retelling of a classic biblical story, Jesus shocks the town of Bethany with Lazarus’s resurrection from the dead, leading Martha—a seemingly perfect woman trapped by the secrets of her past—to hope and a new life.

Everyone in Bethany admires Martha—the perfect Jewish woman. She feeds and clothes her loved ones, looks after the family farm, and meticulously follows every precept of the Pharisees’ strict laws. But Martha is hiding a secret. At her sister’s marriage feast, she gave her heart and her innocence to a young musician who promised to return and marry her, but instead betrayed her love and abandoned her.

Seven years later, only two people in Bethany know of Martha’s secret sin: her brother, Lazarus, and Simon, the righteous Pharisee to whom Martha is betrothed. When Lazarus falls ill, Martha is faced with a choice: send for Jesus to save her dying brother—risking the wrath of Simon who threatens to betray her—or deny Jesus’ healing power and remain trapped in her tomb of secrecy and lies.

Meanwhile, on the shores of Galilee, Isa roams the wilderness, tortured by demons and knowing only that someone is waiting for him. When he is healed by Jesus, he finds that seven years have passed since his descent into madness. Isa journeys home to Bethany only to find he is too late to win back Martha’s love.

When Martha risks all to heal Lazarus, will Jesus arrive in time, or will he—like Isa—come too late?
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  1. Print length
    354 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Howard Books
  5. Publication date
    March 17, 2015
  6. File size
    3999 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A vivid retelling of a Bible story we've all heard but perhaps never completely understood in all its facets until now. With a main character human enough for us all to identify with, The Tomb is a poignant tale of secrets too long guarded, the tenacity of love, and the freeing power of grace." (Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author of Iscariot )

“The Tomb by author Stephanie Landsem brings the story of Martha, the over-anxious sister of Mary and Lazarus, into a dramatic and unexpected light. Often when we read the biblical story, we don't stop to think about who these people were, what they thought, how they lived, especially when we are unfamiliar with the culture of the day. The Tomb gives us a rich glimpse into that culture and into the lives of these characters, their hopes, their joys, their fears. You will never see Martha quite the same way again. An intriguing, fascinating read.” (Jill Eileen Smith, bestselling author of the Wives of King David series )

“Stephanie Landsem delivers a fascinating perspective on Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Gripping yet tender, The Tomb weaves these Bethany siblings into the lives of supporting Gospel characters, beckoning readers to that poignant moment when the Son of God wept. Satisfying. Inspiring. Beautiful.” (Mesu Andrews, award-winning author of Love Amid the Ashes )

“Stephanie Landsem has a gift for telling stories of eternal significance through the eyes of ordinary people. Powerful and tender, The Tomb carries us from the shadow of the valley of death to the glory of the resurrection, while keeping the hopes and dreams of its characters relevant to today's readers.” (Regina Jennings, author of A Most Inconvenient Marriage and Caught in the Middle )

“Once I picked up The Tomb I couldn’t put it down. Landsem’s novel about Martha is not only a riveting page-turner; it’s a profound and uplifting story about people transformed by faith.” (Rebecca Kanner, author of Sinners and the Sea )

"Powerful and moving, Landsem grabs hold of the soul and never lets go. As compelling a portrait of mercy as I have ever read. Don't miss this one!" (Siri Mitchell, author of The Messenger )

“In Stephanie Landsem’s latest novel, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are real enough to invite you into their Bethany home, sit you before the fire, and fill your belly with barley stew and warm bread. The Tomb is an enthralling tale, impeccably researched, full of delightful characters. As women, we have always been told to emulate Mary, the sister who chose to worship at Jesus’ feet. But Landsem’s Martha has much to teach us, about love, loyalty, honor, faith—and the true measure of a family.” (Carole Towriss, author of In the Shadow of the Sinai )

“Once again, Stephanie Landsem weaves a masterful tale of danger, intrigue, and love as she draws from the familiar story of two sisters, Mary and Martha, and their brother, Lazarus. Landsem pulls the reader into unexpected corners of history as this humble family does their best to figure out who Jesus really is and what his radical message means for them. She pulls from scripture and traditions passed down through the centuries to explore the human experience behind these beloved characters, breathing new life into the story in clever and surprising ways.” (Laura Sobiech, author of Fly a Little Higher )

“Landsem creates a beautiful tapestry of familiar New Testament stories, woven together with fresh insight into what it looked like to walk alongside Jesus, encountering both the mundane and the mysterious in the man who brought the kingdom even to small villages.” (Tracy Higley, author of The Queen’s Handmaid )

“Triumphant! Landsem’s words resound with hope and healing, with freedom from the chains which bind us all.” (Siri Mitchell, author of Like A Flower in Bloom )

About the Author

Stephanie Landsem writes historical fiction because she loves adventure in far-off times and places. In real life, she’s explored ancient ruins, medieval castles, and majestic cathedrals around the world. Stephanie is equally happy at home in Minnesota with her husband, four children, and three fat cats. When she’s not writing, she’s feeding the ravenous horde, avoiding housework, and dreaming about her next adventure—whether it be in person or on the page.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00LD1S1N8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Howard Books (March 17, 2015)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 17, 2015
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3999 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 227 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Stephanie Landsem

Stephanie Landsem

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Stephanie Landsem writes historical fiction for women, about women. Her newest novel, Code Name Edelweiss, is based on a true story: how a lone Jewish lawyer and his band of amateur spies discovered and foiled Hitler's plan to take over Hollywood.

Sign up for Stephanie's newsletter for history, book reviews, faith, cat pics, and a chance to win a book every month. Copy URL into browser: http://eepurl.com/vtYXb or go to StephanieLandsem.com

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
227 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the writing style very well written and the characters well developed. They also appreciate the biblical content, saying it brings biblical people to life and provides interesting "fill in the blanks" to well-known Bible stories.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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Biblical contentCharacterizationWriting style
16 customers mention "Biblical content"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the biblical content great, realistic, and fascinating. They also say the book is engaging, thought-provoking, and brings biblical people to life. Readers also mention that the storyline is interesting and fills in the blanks to well-known Bible stories.

"...Her story is well written and the characters are well developed. The whole tale flows together and you don’t want to put the book down...." Read more

"...Very enjoyable and thought provoking." Read more

"This beautifully-written, imaginative novel drew me into the biblical story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus from the first pages...." Read more

"...Engaging characters with a compelling storyline that is an interesting "could have been" backfill to well known Bible stories...." Read more

8 customers mention "Characterization"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters in the book well developed.

"...Her story is well written and the characters are well developed. The whole tale flows together and you don’t want to put the book down...." Read more

"...The descriptions and well-drawn characters kept me turning pages into the wee hours of the morning...." Read more

"...Engaging characters with a compelling storyline that is an interesting "could have been" backfill to well known Bible stories...." Read more

"...You could feel the emotions of each character. The book is a keeper. I wonder if the story will continue?" Read more

7 customers mention "Writing style"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style of the book very well written.

"This beautifully-written, imaginative novel drew me into the biblical story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus from the first pages...." Read more

"Stephanie draws you into a world that is so well described and engaging, you forget it is fiction!!..." Read more

"The writing is great, I just didn't like the premise...." Read more

"...I was completely emersed in its message the entire time. Beautifully written. I was with them every step of the way" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Book Bug
5.0 out of 5 stars A New Look at Martha and Mary
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is the third and last book in the Living Water series by Stephanie Landsem and she does not disappoint!! In this novel, she brings to life the story of Martha and her struggle to stop worrying, let go and believe. This combines some very important Bible stories including the anointing of Jesus by Mary and the casting out of demons. Through her storytelling, you feel as though you are living in Bethany and watching all these amazing events unfold.

Ms. Landsem takes these Bible stories and fleshes them out. This is her version of how it could have happened. She doesn’t change the Bible version to fit her story, she adds details that are pertinent to that time period so you can understand exactly what it would be like to be living then and what could possibly have happened. Her story is well written and the characters are well developed. The whole tale flows together and you don’t want to put the book down.

I highly recommend this book; in fact I recommend the complete series. These stories are inspiring and they helped me to have a deeper understanding about the time period. They explain how and why things were done this way and bring the Bible to life!
6 people found this helpful
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Texas Jen
5.0 out of 5 stars New insight into an old story!
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2024
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Every time I read/hear the story of Martha & Mary, I learn something new. True again here! I loved this book & will look for books 1 & 2.
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Jayhawk Gal
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2023
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If you like fictional history, this is the book for you. The author takes the biblical story of Martha and fictionalizes what may have been happening in the time period. Very enjoyable and thought provoking.
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An Open Book Family
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Story That Will Restore Your Wonder at God's Miracles
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2016
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This beautifully-written, imaginative novel drew me into the biblical story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus from the first pages. Because the story is so familiar to me, I'd lost the wonder of how sensational - how MIRACULOUS - this story is.

The descriptions and well-drawn characters kept me turning pages into the wee hours of the morning. It contains beautiful depictions of filial love, romantic love, and mercy. (Perfect reading for the Year of Mercy that Pope Francis has declared.)

I'll be recommending this book to my friends!

(The author is a fellow member of the Catholic Writers Guild.)
2 people found this helpful
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Chris Knight
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent storyline, interesting "fill in the blanks" to well-known Bible stories
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2022
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I loved this book, as well as the author's other two in the Living Water series.
Engaging characters with a compelling storyline that is an interesting "could have been" backfill to well known Bible stories.

I hope this author continues more novels like this.
Highly recommend!
One person found this helpful
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Ane Mulligan
4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended if you love Biblical fiction
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2015
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I really enjoyed this book. Stephanie Landsem brought Mary, Martha, and Lazarus to life. Her imaginative story is true to the customs and traditions of the time and to Scripture. Little is known historically about these siblings, so she was free to weave her story without straying from Scripture. What I really enjoyed was that I've written a manuscript on these three, too, and my story was completely different form Stephanie's, yet both stayed true to Scripture. I loved her story and recommend it! I think it will surprise you.
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Reconciled To You
5.0 out of 5 stars You Forget Its Fiction
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2019
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Stephanie draws you into a world that is so well described and engaging, you forget it is fiction!! I loved all 3 of these books in the Living Water Series -- It left me wanting #4, 5, etc !! So well done! She is hands-down my favorite biblical fiction writer!!
One person found this helpful
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Lete
5.0 out of 5 stars What an Imagination
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2020
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Wow. As many times I read the Bible about Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, it was amazing how the author combined many events about Jesus together. You could feel the emotions of each character. The book is a keeper. I wonder if the story will continue?
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Jenna
1.0 out of 5 stars Great imagination
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2021
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The tomb like the others in the series caused me sleepless nights. I was literally in Bethany with Martha giving Simon a good punch. I wondered if he was among the leper’s that Jesus healed and he showed no gratitude. Excellent book keep up the good work.
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john. Callaghan
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2020
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This final book in the Living Water series was wonderful. Loved the characters even the fictional ones like Isa. The raising of Lazarus was incredibly moving and enjoyed the happy ending too!
From Penny Callaghan
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TigerLilly
3.0 out of 5 stars Rather boring
Reviewed in Canada on November 26, 2015
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I appreciate Stephanie Landsem's imagination but I find her books rather boring to read. I like adventure in books but this is seriously lacking. It's not my style of writing. I found it very difficult to concentrate on the story and had to push myself to finish it. I will not be reading this again.
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C. Seward
5.0 out of 5 stars Good thought-provoking novels based on truth which gives an insight into the social background of the Bible stories
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2017
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I have so enjoyed reading this Living Water Series of books by Stephanie Landsem. She brings in very interesting insights without losing the original Bible stories. I see her writing as a God-inspired with a creative imagination that brings the richness of the background of these stories to life.
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smudge
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2018
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One of those books that you are sorry when you finish, so well written brings the people of the bible to life.
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