Author: Eva Etzioni-Halevy

ISBN:  978-0-452—28673-3 

In ancient Bethlehem, Osnath, niece of the prophet Samuel and a relative of King
David, examines a dusty scrap of parchment she  found  hidden  in  her  cousin’s
scroll room. Scrawled on the decaying page is an intriguing message addressed to
Ruth the Moabite, the great-grand mother of David- the future  king  of  Israel.

Compelled to discover the truth about Ruth’s life, Osnath begins  searching  for
the story of Ruth and her nameless lover as well as the secret  that  is  locked
behind anonymity. However, as she digs deeper  into  the  past,  she  finds  her
inquiries blocked by David’s brother Eliab. What is  the  long-buried  truth  he
fears will come to light? And what is the threat that Ruth’s story poses to  his
family vast inheritance?

Etzioni-Halevy has written a  richly  rendered  biblical  fiction  spanning  two
periods- Ruth’s period in the 12th Century B.C.  and  three  generations  later,
that of the era of David, Ruth’s great grandson and  Israel’s  most  illustrious
king. However, as a follow-up to her first saga The Song of Hannah,  The  Garden
of Ruth is somewhat less successful. Unfortunately, the opening chapters of  the
book become bogged down with its multitude of characters that  are  often  times
confusing, nonetheless, if you can get past these chapters, you eventually  will
be  rewarded  with  a  fascinating  read  when  the  story  of   Ruth   unfolds.

And  it  is  at  this  point  where  the  narrative  really   takes   off   with
Etzioni-Halevy’s ability to recreate biblical times in realistic terms with  her
knack of effortlessly infusing her biblical knowledge  into  the  lives  of  her
characters, intertwining it into the crucial details of lives lived in  biblical
times.

We  learn  about  the  life  of  Ruth  in  the  land  of  Moab,  her   idolatry,
herrelationship and fidelity to her mother-in-law Naomi, her steamy love  affair
with the “unnamed one” with some raw  sensuous  scenes  thrown  in,  her  flight
through the dessert with her mother-in-law and their  eventual  arrival  in  the
land of Israel around harvest time or Shavuot and finally her encounter with her
lover Boaz with whom she falls madly in love with. Will the  latter  respond  to
her sensual appeal? Moreover, Etzioni-Halevy’s intense sense of place,  biblical
customs, foods and smells all help anchor the narrative in a compelling  sensual
realm.

The above review was contributed by:   Lily Azerad-Goldman: Artist: CLICK TO VIEW Lily Azerad-Goldman's Reviews