This was an excellent Easter read! Angela Hunt has long been on my "go to" list for women's fiction and biblical historical, and this one did not disappoint! Most biblical fiction I've read has taken place during Old Testament times. Those that I've read in New Testament have generally been after the Resurrection, in the days of the early church. This is the first I've read that takes place during the time of Jesus. I think authors shy away from this time because there is a deeper requirement of being precise, but Ms. Hunt does an excellent job with this, as she quotes scripture directly any time the words of Jesus are used and often when people are conveying stories they've heard.

This book takes the view that the fact that we don't know anything about Thomas's twin is because she was a woman. Other disciples had brothers among the disciples (James/John, Peter/Andrew), and since we know Thomas was twin, the question is natural on why we don't see that sibling among Jesus's followers. The author named this sister Tasmin, and a majority of the book is from her perspective. Her primary purpose throughout the first part of the book was to find her brother and bring him home from following Yeshua. As she follows his trail and hears more about Yeshua, she becomes more and more confused on who Yeshua actually is. For most of the book, Yeshua's brother Jude (the author of the book of Jude) is along for the ride, for one reason or another. This book is about their relationship with each other, but also their individual spiritual journeys as they determine for themselves if Yeshua is indeed who He says He is. There is a bit of romance between the 2 of them, but it is not an overpowering aspect of the story. I enjoyed the pacing of the romance and how it took a backseat to the spiritual journey.

This book covers the entirety of Christ's earthly ministry and seeing it from this outside perspective is fantastic. It was a fresh perspective on the life, death and resurrection of Christ. The Biblical narrative was taken directly from scripture. The thoughts and feelings of the main characters are speculated, but I appreciated that the author never speculated anything about Christ himself - she pulled directly from scripture. This was a much needed fresh look at the Easter story and the timing of reading this book could not have been better.

Special thanks to Bethany House Publishers for an advanced copy of this book. I was not obligated to write a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

DAUGHTER OF CANA by ANGELA HUNT is a must read for lovers of biblical fiction. In fact it is one of the best books I have read and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
The author has obviously done a great deal of research into life in Israel at the time, knows about Jewish feasts and old testament scripture, and paints a wonderful picture of Yeshua's ministry and earliest followers.
The story is told by Tasmin of Cana, the disciple Thomas' twin sister, and Jude of Nazareth, Yeshua's younger brother.
In spite of witnessing His first miracle at a wedding in Cana, Tasmin and Jude do not believe Yeshua's claim to be the Son of Man. When Thomas becomes a follower of Yeshua, they join forces to try and find their brothers. They want them to come home and face their family responsibilities. They are also afraid that they are going to get into trouble with the authorities. I love the descriptions of their travels and the people they meet along the way. The gospel story is told as they hear of Christ's miracles, witness some for themselves, and hear His teachings.
It is a beautifully written book and one that I will definitely read more than once.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

It is hard to take a well known story and give it a fresh face. Ms. Hunt does this here, giving a face to the brother's of Jesus, the struggles of the villagers that knew Jesus and his family growing up. I loved it. I felt like the twin story line was another fresh look, a woman that struggled with connecting to others since she had a twin, people sharing rumors as well.

This time period is one I just love to read and understand. It was like a cool breeze in the summertime. Check it out!

Daughter of Cana
By Angela Hunt
It was an absolute pleasure to be able to read this book right before Passover and Easter. It prepared my heart for this celebration in a new way which was such a special gift.
Living with her father and twin brother, Thomas, Tasmin has seen and experienced little outside of her home of Cana. With helping her father and brother tend the fig orchard and catering weddings Tasmin has shown little thought to changing the way life is. While catering a wedding for friends, Tasmin experiences a strange encounter with a man named Yeshua that will change her life forever.
Jude understands his duty to help his brother in the trade of carpentry. It is expected. His oldest brother Yeshua, however, has begun to pull away from the family and has deserted the family business. With the pressure of keeping things together, Jude follows his brother's trail to find what has taken him from home.
As Tasmin and Jude’s lives begin to change they realize that life will never be the same.
This book is full of Biblical truths and some storytelling. In all, it brings to life an event that changed all our lives. It was a great read, well written and full journey of growth.
I received a copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review which I’ve shared here.

This was an incredible read! Absolutely perfect for the Easter season. I found this well researched and brought me closer to the word of God.
I highly recommend it to anyone.

Angela Hunt is absolutely amazing when it comes to Biblical fiction. She provides a perspective immersed in re-search that lets me see these well known stories in an entirely new light. And Hunt certainly does not disappoint in her latest Daughter of Cana.

The perfect book leading up to Easter, Hunt begins with Jesus’ miracle at Cana and comes full circle to His death and resurrection, told through the eyes of Jesus’ brother Jude and a young woman named Tasmin. This fresh per-spective reveals a different side to the miracles and ministry of Jesus Christ. I found myself unable to put this book down, devouring Hunt’s expert storytelling. I praise everything from her characters to her descriptions to her plot.

Fans of biblical fiction will want to pick this book up. Get ready for an adventure that challenges your perspectives and encourages you to consider another side to the live and times of Jesus.
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Angela Elwell Hunt always does a great job with Biblical Fiction, but this book was definitely my favorite so far. Set in the holy land during the life of Jesus from the beginning of his ministry to his crucifixion, Hunt brings the gospels to life in a beautiful way. The main characters are Tasmin the twin sister of Thomas, the doubting disciple, and Jude, the brother of Jesus.

Both Tasmin and Jude see Jesus' first miracle as he turns water into wine at a wedding of a friend, but they both believe that Jesus has used trickery of some sort. As Thomas leaves to follow Jesus, Tasmin has only one thing in mind: bring him home to help her take care of their elderly father and their vast fig orchards. Jude wants Jesus to return to their father's carpenter shop and the family. As they each set out to bring their sibling home, they combine forces to accomplish their desire; but in turn, they are witnesses to some of Jesus' miracles, his preaching, and his horrific death and astounding resurrection. It is only then they realize that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.

Hunt's exquisite writing and deep knowledge of both Jewish and Roman culture and history, as well as the four gospels is evident throughout this book. The gospel period leaps off the page and makes the reader feel that they are right there taking part in Jesus' life and ministry. I especially appreciated her afterword where she explains some of the things included in the story and gave justification as to why she used them. Her bibliography was extended and shows the reader the depths she went to to make this an authentic a fiction book as possible.

Highly recommended to those who enjoy Biblical fiction, and I look forward to book 2 which will focus on Jesus' sister, Pheodora.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.