Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

"Babyon" by Michelle Cameron is an intriguing foray into historical fiction, encapsulating the harrowing yet resilient journey of the Jewish people during their exile to Babylon. The novel, rich in historical detail, offers an immersive experience into a pivotal biblical era. However, the book does present an interesting challenge regarding its target audience. At times, it appears to cater to a younger demographic with its approachable storytelling style, but then shifts to themes and narratives more suited to adult readers.

What stands out in Cameron's work is her attention to the descriptions of the surroundings and her ability to vividly recreate the ancient world. The novel spans generations, allowing readers to journey through significant historical events from the destruction of Jerusalem to the return to Judea. This sweeping saga is underpinned by themes of survival, faith, and the enduring spirit of a community in the face of adversity.

While the storytelling is engaging, readers might find themselves navigating through extensive family biographies and intricate historical details. This aspect, though enlightening, could pose a challenge for those who prefer a more straightforward narrative. Nonetheless, the novel's strength lies in its ability to weave a tapestry of characters and settings that are both informative and captivating.

For readers interested in religious and ancient history, "Babyon" offers a compelling narrative that brings to life the trials and tribulations of a people committed to preserving their faith and identity. It's a book that not only stands out for originality but also immerses you in the struggles and triumphs of its characters.

In summary, "Babyon" by Michelle Cameron is a novel that may oscillate in its appeal to different age groups but ultimately provides a rich and engaging exploration of a significant period in Jewish history. Its combination of historical depth and storytelling prowess makes it a notable addition to the genre of historical fiction.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Who is this book marketed for?

Babylon reads like a YA historical fiction that takes place during the conquest of Jerusalem and the ensuing exile to Babylon. The writing style, the pacing, and the ages of the individuals at the outset all make this book seem YA. The subject matter would make one think it was written for Jewish or Christian teens. But I would not even consider recommending this book to high school kids. Within a few chapters, the main character is going to be raped. Repeatedly. And it is not nearly as faded to black as would be appropriate. Beyond this, her primary love interest will be made a eunuch with graphic details included. Of course, this is shortly after they have extramarital sex, he gets her pregnant, and so she ends up marrying her abusive cousin. This is all in the first quarter of the book so I don't feel any spoiler tags are necessary. Is this a book you would want a high school student to read?

At first, the world-building seems good, but there are many minor details that make it clear this author did not do their homework. Add to that the "R rated" nature of a lot of the writing, the very negative slant on how the exilic scribes compiled the Tanach, the fact that there are no redeeming characters, and the fact that the book itself is a chore to read. I definitely need to recommend this book... for the trash bin.

3.5 stars
Babylon is a multigenerational biblical saga that follows one Jewish family over the course of several decades beginning in 586 BCE when 15 year-old Sarah's parents and brother are killed by Chaldeans on their family's farm outside Jerusalem. Sarah and her cousin along with thousands of Judeans are taken captive and forced to march to Babylon. Sarah and her descendants live in exile in Babylon as farmers, scribes, and servants/slaves to the Babylonian Royal Family until their return to Jerusalem many decades later. Back in Jerusalem, Amittai's family have taken possession of Sarah's family's farm and set down their own family roots.

Babylon is a well-researched historical novel set in ancient times that merges biblical stories with fiction including fictionalized versions of real people such as the prophets Daniel and Ezra and Babylonian royals such as King Nebuchadnezzar and his family. I enjoyed the original setting as I appreciate coming across a historical novel where the focus isn't World War I or II and felt that I learned a fair bit about this historical time period and the history of the Jewish people.

This is an epic family story with many characters to keep track of - fortunately there are charts included for Sarah's family, Amittai's family and the Babylonian Royal Family. The characters could be better developed but the history alone makes for a fascinating story. Be aware that there is a fair bit of brutality in the story - murder/rape/human sacrifice - which is accurate to the time period but is difficult to read. An ambitious novel that covers a sprawling time period and many themes including issues relating to assimilation and mixed marriages - definitely an interesting read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wicked Son for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Wow, what a story! I didn’t want to put it down—the author just pulls you right in to BCE Babylon with the characters and the setting. Many characters narrate here, and it’s a multigenerational novel, masterfully done.
In an era when human life means little, Sarah and Sarah’s family are forced from their farm to make the long journey to Babylon enslaved. They have stories to reassure themselves with, stories of their ancestors forced into slavery in Egypt and surviving. But they endure terrible trials before they can return to Jerusalem. So vividly done, I felt like I was there amongst the pain and sorrow, cook fires, blood and terror, music, and perfumed cruelty. The storytellers and how stories are made, absorbed, and passed on was just fascinating to read about—the author really makes you feel it all.
Highly recommended for historical fiction lovers seeking a truly wonderful immersive read.

Babylon is a fascinating historical novel that details the brutal exile of the Judeans from Jerusalem in 586 BCE. Cameron's plot revolves a few separate story lines that are lead by exceptional characters. The detailed descriptions bring the characters to life and make it easy to follow the families as they grow-even without using the family trees that are provided. The reader is brought into the story and this novel is an adventure that should not be missed.

A gripping saga covering the first exile of the Jews. Well written and readable. Brutal, as that period of time was, and yet filled with hope. Well done.

Babylon
By Michelle Cameron
A Novel of Jewish Captivity
Historical Fiction

Book Review By Sylvia Jacobs

Sarah was looking out the window of the family farm which was outside of Jerusalem. She was staring across the hills and was confused by looking at the city. What did she see you asked?
She saw flames and smoke across Mount Moriah. Her father Baruch said, how many times did I tell you to stay away from the window? Flames were shooting up from the Temple Mount.
Sarah was able to see from a distance that the Chaldean forces loaded carts with gold and silver ornaments, taking them as war loot.

The skies were very dark. Sarah and her father hadn’t seen daylight in a few days and so she began to pray. This would help her to deal with everything going on around her. Was G-D angry at his people? Did he send the Babylonian conquerors to punish them? Sarah’s mother named Aliza was frightened and wondering what would happen to them now.

The positive thing about this book is there is some romance in it and redemption. It is about keeping the faith.


It is recommended to those that like Historical Fiction. It is a biblical saga dealing with so much,

Michelle Cameron is the author of historical fiction, including the award-winning Beyond the Ghetto Gates and The Fruit of Her Hands. She has also published a verse novel, In the Shadow of the Globe. Napoleon’s Mirage, the sequel to Beyond the Ghetto Gates, is forthcoming in April 2024.
Michelle is a director of The Writers Circle, a NJ-based creative writing program serving children, teens, and adults. She lives in Chatham, NJ, with her husband and has two grown sons of whom she is inordinately proud.

Upon seeing the cover and reading the write-up for this book, I was reminded of Cecil B. de Mille’s ‘The Ten Commandments’. The soundtrack reverberated through my mind. The vast expanse and epic proportions of the setting captured my imagination. Panoramic images and larger-than-life characters reverberate in both the Exodus and the Exile and both had a profound impact on Judaism and Christianity. I started reading with enthusiasm.

Sarah lives with her parents, brother Yoram and cousin Reuven on a farm within sight of Jerusalem. They witness the Babylonians breach the wall and destroy the city all the while preparing themselves for the inevitable destruction of their farm and way of life. Yoram is killed when he goes to the city to see what is going on. Distraught, Sarah’s father kills his wife and moves to kill Sarah to prevent the Babylonians from ravaging them but a Babylonian sword kills him first leaving Sarah and Reuven at the mercy of the invaders. They are force marched to Babylon experiencing deprivation and rape along the way but also meeting Seraf a former palace musician in the Judean court.

While this is happening the children of Nebuchadnezzar each dream about accession to the throne. Daniel the prophet is called to interpret the dreams. Each desires the throne setting the stage for further intrigue.

When the Israelites arrive in Babylon they are assigned the work they would perform as slaves, Reuven to a farm, Sarah to the palace perfumery and Seraf to the court as a musician.

The Return to Jerusalem decades later is fraught with as much uncertainty and danger as the Exile and makes for compelling reading. The story has it all, intrigue, murder, politics, romance and suspense.

The action moves quickly, in fact quickly is an understatement, it moves at breakneck speed with a plethora of characters and events which can be expected from a story this size. The map and family tree help to keep things understandable.

Thank you Netgalley for facilitating the ARC.

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

Babylon: A Novel of Jewish Captivity by Michelle Cameron is a generational novel following the plight of a Judean family’s exile to Babylon. Ms. Cameron is a published author, whose historical-fiction work won several prizes.

Nebuchadnezzar II’s forces take control of Jerusalem. They lay wasted to a Judean farm and take Sarah and her cousin as “prizes” among many other Jews.

In Babylon Sarah must survive, sacrifice, and navigate place intrigue.

A fascinating, well researched, and very ambitious effort by Ms. Cameron. The story captures the immense wealth, of Babylon a long with world building grounded in history.

Babylon by Michelle Cameron is an amalgam of historical and biblical fiction. The Books of Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Nehemiah, Matthew, and Ezekiel all have some passages about the exile, some which are corroborated by Babylonian texts found by historians.

The book starts with the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, following the defeat of the Jews in the Jewish-Babylonian War. The story takes place over decades, when the Jews have finally returned to Israel to build the second temple.

The book touches on many themes and events, from the Jews who refused to take up the Babylonian religion, assimilation, and culture. The themes of marriage, bereavement, immigration, customs, as well as ethics and philosophy are all touched upon. The part where the exiles returned home, after decades away, was especially poignant. They were not welcomed as heroes, quite the opposite and reminded me of stories I heard first-hand from World War II refugees.

I felt there were simply too many characters for such a bold story, and many could not be fleshed out. I don’t know if the author expected the casual reader to be familiar with the biblical or historical stories which is why that is the case.

The world-building, however, is incredible and deserves a close read. Ms. Cameron does capture the feel of the city, as well as the struggles of the exiled to hold-on to whatever shred of dignity, integrity, and culture they could.

The way the Jews kept their traditions and stories alive, so they can be read to this day, are captured in vivid detail. I am a fan of biblical fiction and thought that this book is a fantastic entry into the genre.

Let me start by saying that I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book, but the publicist was insistent. Plus, I had a small window in my reading schedule, so I decided to give it a try.

I realize that when we read historical fiction, that some anachronisms will creep into the stories, but there is a limit to what I'm able to accept, especially when it comes to subjects about which I'm highly knowledgeable. I believe that even in fiction, some facts just must not be changed at the whim of an author (like, the Titanic sank, for instance), unless the book is supposed to take place in an alternate universe. If that's the case, I won't be reading the book, since that's just not my thing.

Because of this, I'm afraid that the many, glaring mistakes I found in the first chapter alone put me off this book, despite the very nicely written prose. Cameron is a talented writer, but I really felt that this was sloppily researched, and that forced me to stop reading. Sorry!

Babylon is a fascinating book about the first diaspora of the Jewish people from Judah, thus creating the time known as the Babylonian Captivity,

The book starts with the Babylonians doing their second round of expulsions of people from Judah and transporting the to Israel, focusing on Sarah and her cousin Reuven - the experiences had and the people they meet, especially a Temple musician named Seraf. Upon the arrival of the Judeans, we see how they are dealt with and where they land. And as the story goes on, we find out how life is lived by our main characters and what life in general is like for the Royals and others of Babylon.

Eventually, the Babylonian Empire is conquered and a decree is issued that the Nissan's can return to their homeland. We then hear the trials and tribulations of the trek and then their reestablishment in the land. We also follow the lives of people introduced related to our initial main characters. And at the end, well

Personally, I thought the story was fantastic and was a very real depiction of a very possible outcome of some of the refugees who were expelled from Judah and sent to Babylon. As to the aspect of Return - great story and possibly based in history. As to the end, it is noted the difference between how the book ends and the historical end, but still awesome, nevertheless!

My only criticism of the book could perhaps be an oversight. The holiday of Passover is mentioned, however, it is listed as taking place in the Hebrew month of Adar. Passover takes place in the Hebrew month of Nisan.

An amazing book that describes so well the Judaic exodus that is rarest talked about from Jerusalem to Babylon. A gruelling story based upon the truth but interwoven with human emotions. a book that was impossible to put down, except for doing more research into some of the facts. I simply adored the characters and am so pleased that Michelle has chosen to write such an emotional story. Trying to imagine what life for the exiles when they are taken from their homes, seeing loved ones killed, women raped and then having the long long trek to Babylon under such terrible almost unbelievable conditions. At the end they were forced into trying to integrate into a community that had many gods and still believed in human sacrifice, life could so easily have been unbearable but they fought on the whole to continue with their religious beliefs despite everything. The decision to go back was again to face the long trek and then to face dismay at what they returned to.
I just adored this book, the emotions that ran throughout and the linking with the biblical characters that were there at that time.
This is very much in the style of James Michener who wrote The Source but with much more family emotional aspects.

'Babylon' explores one of the Jewish people's most traumatic events: the first Exile from Judea to Babylonia. It is a harrowingly realistic look at what they endured in captivity, but also inspiring in the ways they kept their religion alive. Biblical figures like Daniel and Ezekiel are interweaved with three generations of fully realized characters who show what happened not only to those taken away but also those left behind. A truly gripping read.

Fascinating historical novel that gives a valuable insight into a largely neglected period of history. Beginning with the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people from Jerusalem in 586 BCE, this novel charts the experiences of families living in exile in Babylon and those who remained behind in Judea. It shows the many complex issues that arose during this very difficult time for the Jewish people, from religious, social, political and economic standpoints. It was well written and an enjoyable read. This novel gave me lots to think about and I recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about this period of Jewish history.

Intricate yet simultaneously wide-ranging world-building weaves together to build a quasi realistic portrait of life in Babylon for a young woman taken from Jerusalem.

It's rich in brutality, emotion and injustice - honestly what I'd expect from the Babylonians. Compelling, in a kind of perk between your fingers way - definitely not a teen read. Quite an achievement.

Michelle Cameron’s Babylon begins with the destruction of Jerusalem as seen through the eyes of Sarah; a young woman raised on a farm outside the city. After the death of her parents, Sarah struggles during the forced march from Judea to Babylon, and her efforts to forge a new life in a strange land. Cameron aptly brings together a stunning cast of characters, only some fictional, to tell the story of the Babylonian captivity and the subsequent return seventy years later.

This is an epic novel that will keep the reader turning pages as the drama unfolds. With deft descriptive detail, the reader is transported to the beauty, wealth, danger, and uncertainty of life in the Babylonian empire. The events in Babylon provide a background to the story of Sarah’s long life, and peopled with pagans and Judeans, slave, free, and royal.

A rich historical novel, Cameron’s telling brings to life the plight of war refugees everywhere. With an empathic touch, she writes of the sorrows and joys experienced by Sarah and her family. Highly recommended.

I am so happy to see a book like this come out. The Judish escape is a part of history that hasn't been represented very well till today. Frankly, the whole Judish community. There are many stories like these that come from their community yet still remain undiscovered by the larger masses. I do think that the writing could be better on the characters, but the worldbuilding done is absolutely fantastical. It paints the picture of the climate of those days in your mind frame as if it happened yesterday. An incredible book and a worthwhile read for any historical fiction lovers out there.