"When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream." Psalm 126:1

In "Return to Me," Lynn Austin has tackled a unique time in Biblical history: the end of Israel's exile in Babylon. When King Cyrus issued a decree that the Jews could return to their homeland and rebuild the temple, Iddo was thrilled. He had been just a boy when he was taken from Jerusalem. Now he and his fellow priests can reclaim their role as helpers of God's people. He can't understand why his excitement is not shared by all of his friends and family. To go back to the Holy Land after years of pagan influence is everything Iddo he has ever dreamed of. But for those born in Babylon, it's not such an easy decision.

This is the story of those who made up the first caravan back to Israel. The main characters are Iddo, his wife Dinah, their grandson Zechariah, and neighbor Yael. They are not met enthusiastically by the Samaritans in their home country when they arrive, and they face the monumental task of rebuilding a city that had been turned to rubble many decades earlier. Those who had learned to trust the Babylonian gods have a hard time coming back spiritually to the Almighty One. Amidst the hardships, will they truly return to Him or lose their way once again?

As I read and after I finished this book, I looked up different things in the Bible to check for accuracy and context. I think it's a win for Biblical fiction when it drives you to do this! I grasped a few things I hadn't understood before, and I thank Lynn Austin for that.

The story itself didn't capture my attention as well as I would have liked. The book is over 450 pages long, but even so I never felt really connected with the characters. All of them kept making decisions that I wished they wouldn't, and their struggles were so hard it was a bit depressing to read. In the last third of the book there were a few scenes that were very well done and conveyed the message of the book, but overall as fiction it was rather bland and predictable. The look into history was the best part.

I received this book from LitFuse in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.