I haven’t read Christian Fiction in a while but I knew I had to get this book immediately I saw it on NetGalley. I don’t know much about Naomi from the Bible apart from her story in relation to Ruth and this is one of the reasons as to why I was interested in this book. However, the book is really not based on the Biblical Naomi but it is more about the Israelite tribes.

The story begins at the dance where all the women were dancing in hopes of attracting suitable suitors. The tradition was that the suitors would then pay the bride price before taking the selected woman. However, raiders from the Benjamites tribe soon came in and kidnapped the women. Not only were the women forcefully taken away from their families but their fathers were also denied the bride price. The man who took Naomi is Eliab. I don’t know how to describe this well but the custom at that time was for the men to immediately sleep with the women that they intended to marry. The act sort of solidified the union. However, Eliab was different from the other men. He decided to wait until Naomi was ready. This was a complication though because his failure to ‘properly’ claim her meant that any other man could. So the couple decided to hide this part of their agreement.

The narration describes Naomi’s journey to the new tribe. She is distraught at being taken away from her family by a strange man. In addition, she is haunted by deaths of her brothers. Nevertheless, Naomi is portrayed as a brave woman as she tackled different challenges. She is compassionate even to those who don’t deserve it. I also liked how Eliab was portrayed as a God-fearing man. He was gentle and so different from the others in his tribe. It was interesting to see how the relationship between the two developed over time.

This book is very well-written with captivating prose. I found myself lost in ancient Israel, experiencing the cultures and beliefs of the characters. Towards the end of the story, the story was so intense that I couldn’t stop turning pages to see how it ends. I think the ending was befitting and satisfactory. Barbara Britton did an amazing job with this book. She used Biblical narratives to create stunning work of fiction. However, the message wasn’t lost in the story. I liked how the character’s faith was subtly portrayed without the book losing its storyline. Building Benjamin by Barbara Britton is a book that I recommend to fans of Christian and Historical Fiction.

The tribe of Benjamin has been all but obliterated because of the actions of a few members of the tribe. At the instigation of the elders of the tribe of Judah, the remaining members of the tribe of Benjamin go to Ephraim and take wives from among the dancers of the harvest festival. Throughout the rest of the book, the trials of rebuilding the tribe, the trials of preventing more war, and protecting the women in the tribe come together to make a cohesive story of one of the favorite women of the Bible.

Barbara M Britton has done a masterful job of fleshing out this narrative with characters of her imagination. Her unbelievable talent in pulling a few words from the Bible into the whole cloth of a beloved story is incredible. She studied the history, culture, and customs to make this read so authentic and so enjoyable for the reader. This is such a quick read, and such a hard book to put down. This is no less than a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a perfect lamb.

My thanks to Pelican Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

Set in ancient Israel, Building Benjamin offers a glimpse of the violence which surrounded God's people as well as their challenge to stay true to His laws. While there is a Naomi in the Bible, this is not her. Rather the story is inspired by Judges 19-21 where there is war against the Benjaminites that has left them in need of wives, yet unable to legally approach other tribes for them.

Naomi is prepared to dance with other virgins as a way to attract a wealthy husband. She isn't digging for gold for herself, but rather a good bridal price to help her family stay afloat. However, her goal is thwarted when the dancers are raided by men from the Tribe of Benjamin. She is one of the girls taken to be a bride. Only, the man who claims her does not force himself upon her to 'seal the deal.'

Rather Eliab shows that he is truly a man of God instead of some in his tribe who had strayed.

Beyond the story of Naomi coming to trust and then love Eliab, this title also has plenty of tension. Just as Naomi is finding her desire to stay and become Eliab's wife, men from her tribe come to slay the Benjamins in retaliation. This has her and Eliab traveling to the city of Bethlehem under the cover of night to seek help from the Tribe of Judah.

Overall, it was an interesting read. I'd consider it an interesting read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. In this case, it is not the actual people who are historical, but rather the events leading to this story are.

Building Benjamin

Naomi's Journey
by Barbara M. Britton

Pelican Book Group

You Are Auto-Approved

White Rose Publishing
Romance, Christian

Pub Date 01 Feb 2017

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of Building Benjamin through the publisher and Netgalley:

This book takes us back to Biblical times where we are introduced to Naomi,who strives to dance well enough to catch the eye of a wealthy landowner.

Naomi is kidnapped from a festival and held hostage.

Her captor is a man named Eliab, a troubled Shepard who is desperate for a wife, but despite circumstances Naomi soon finds herself seeing the good in this man, and finds comfort in his strong faith in God.

Soon that faith is tested when their city is attacked, and homes are burnt to the ground.

I give Building Benjamin five out of five stars.

Happy Reading.

The last chapters in the Book of Judges aren’t pretty. The tribe of Benjamin is nearly wiped out by the rest of Israel. The remaining men can’t marry women from the other tribes because the women’s father vowed not to give them to Benjaminites. So the men of Benjamin steal women of Ephraim during a dance.
Naomi is captured by Eliab. She lost two brothers in the battle against Benjamin, and wants to hate Eliab. Turns out, he’s a handsome, honorable, God-fearing man. Her friend Cuzbi is happy with the man who stole her because no one in Ephraim was offering for her. Naomi wrangles a promise from Eliab that he will not consummate their marriage until after the Sabbath. In the meantime, Ephraim and Menasseh are massing to attack the remnant of Benjamin and retrieve their women. By now, Naomi is conflicted.
Barbara Britton weaves a fascinating story of what life may have been like in the time when Israel had no king and everyone did as they saw fit.