Book Review: THE TRIUMPH OF DEBORAH by Eva Etzioni-Halevy

Nothing but praise for The Triumph of Deborah. It had me utterly engrossed in its story of biblical Deborah. Considering I stopped what I was reading because the first page grabbed me like no other. I finished it entirely in a few days. Since I have a sister who is Deborah's name sake it made it all the better for me and sometimes down right amusing.
They both share a strong leadership trait that does not diminish their own feminine qualities. Strong women in their own right. Having grown up a in a religious household I find myself now being more of a spiritual person instead of religious person. Having said that I think that is important to know that this book opened a new door for me to a new unexplored time period.
Deborah's introduction "Some way in the south, on the top of Mount Tabor in the heart of the land of Israel, another woman stood: the Israelite prophetess and judge Deborah" it gave me chills. A seamlessly intertwined story of the fallen kings daughters, the warrior who took him down, and the prophetess who sent the warrior who is also searching to find the right way not just for her but for all the people. A man can lead them to war but who will lead them to peace?
Typically being weary of anything religious I was skeptical of how the book would play out religious beliefs of two waring fractions. My skepticism was vanquished by Deborah meeting the kings warrior Sisra "my god told me to come here as did your god". A aspect of the book I really enjoyed was that it had excerpts from the Torah given at a time of reference for each character's insight. That in itself gave a different aspect of each characters beliefs and a deeper understanding of the times.
This book was so powerful in the end it made the hair on my arms stand up, which no other book has never done. There cannot be enough praise for Eva's work considering that the book had some enormously great qualities in the fact that it was riveting, it never dragged or slowed down, informative on the times, and I was very sad to have it end. Thank you Eva for reaching out to me and opening the door for me. I am so glad you found me. Now I can add you to my list of favorite authors. For more info on Eva's books and herself visit her site here
"In ancient Israel, war is looming. Deborah has coerced warrior Barak into launching a strike against the neighboring Canaanites, who threaten their people with destruction. Against all odds he succeeds, returning triumphantly with two daughters of the Canaanite King as his captives. But military victory is only the beginning of the turmoil, as a complex love triangle develops between Barak and the two princesses.

Deborah, recently cast off by her husband, develops a surprising affinity for Barak. Yet she struggles to rebuild her existence on her own terms, while also groping her way toward the greatest triumph of her life: the attainment of peace.

Based on the book of Judges , and filled with brilliantly vivid historical detail, the novel shows that in her own life Deborah was very much a woman, and that her femininity did not detract from her stature as national leader. Thereby it pays tribute to Deborah's feminine strength and independence from which present day women, seeking to build lives of their own and assert themselves in whatever way they choose to do so, may derive inspiration.

The Triumph of Deborah describes a prominent woman leader who led her people to war but also to peace. Hence it should be of special relevance in an American presidential election year in which a female candidate is a front runner. It should also be of relevance on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of Israel, where women's leadership is becoming increasingly prominent, a year in which the topic of female leadership in time of war and peace will be most prominent on both countries' agenda. "