Top-selling historical novelist Angela Hunt has sold more than 5 million copies of her books in her career.
The latest historical novel from Angela Hunt is Judah’s Wife (Bethany House), the second volume in her series The Silent Years. This stunning look into the lives of the Maccabees shows a people holding tight to faith in even the darkest of times.
RELATED: Read an interview with author Angela Hunt about Judah’s Wife!
Seeking peace and safety after a hard childhood, Leah marries Judah, a strong and gentle man, and for the first time in her life Leah believes she can rest easily. But the land is ruled by Antiochus IV, descended from one of Alexander the Great’s generals, and when he issues a decree that all Jews are to conform to Syrian laws upon pain of death, devout Jews risk everything to follow the law of Moses.
Judah’s father resists the decree, igniting a war that will cost him his life. But before dying, he commands his son to pick up his sword and continue the fight—or bear responsibility for the obliteration of the land of Judah. Leah, who wants nothing but peace, struggles with her husband’s decision—what kind of God would destroy the peace she has sought for so long?
The miraculous story of the courageous Maccabees is told through the eyes of Judah’s wife, who learns that love requires courage–and sacrifice.
“I believe the story is extremely relevant because our culture is becoming increasingly secular,” the author says. “Christians are being pressed to conform to the world as never before. Of course, we should never be surprised or offended when people who do not believe in a holy God behave like people who do not believe in a holy God.
“The problem arises when we who DO believe are asked to accept and/or condone practices the Bible declares unacceptable for God’s people. Judeo-Christian principles once served as a basis for Western civilization, but now we are being asked to accept a fluid form of morality or be labeled “haters.” This is what the Jews faced under the Seleucid empire, only they faced death, not criticism on social media.”