Wednesday, May 29, 2024

About the Book

Book: The Crooked Daughter

Author: D.M. Griffin

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release date: March 28, 2024

Choices her father made before she was even born reached a bony finger into her life, clouding her future with hopelessness. Her father’s cold heart had no room for her. He easily cast her aside when the Law permitted it. Defined as an outcast because of a physical infirmity, Priscilla was told death was her destiny. Despite the limited perspective brought about by years of adversity, Priscilla fought to keep hope alive and wait for the Lord’s timing.

Aquila lost his father at the most critical time in his life. Battling against grief and bitterness, Aquila uncovers a secret about his father’s death that undermines his faith in a religious system that once defined him. Driven from his homeland, Aquila becomes someone he no longer recognizes.

Two people whose perspectives are skewed by adversity become divinely intertwined in mysterious ways. As they wait upon the Lord for His timing, would Priscilla and Aquila ever find the truth that would lift their eyes to the hills so they could see the purpose of life, not only between a man and a woman but between God and His creation? A poignant story about how God uses adversity for good in the lives of those who truly love and trust Him.

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About the Author

D.M. Griffin is the author of several Biblical Fiction novels as well as devotionals, prayer journals, and Bible studies. She will be releasing a Christian Fantasy series in 2025. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband. They met in middle school a few days after she was transplanted to the West Coast at the tender age of twelve. She has three adult children who have been an endless source of delight and inspiration. She also has a precious new grandchild who brings her joy.

As a native New England girl, she fondly remembers spending her summers there as a child. Thick accents, small towns, and fascinating weather stirred the imagination of a young heart. She has always had a fondness for stories thanks to her imaginative mother who would make up wild, adventurous tales to tell when tucking her into bed as a child.

She truly believes that a book that sits on a shelf unread is like a planted seed that never blossoms. Nothing delights her more than sharing a story.

More from D.M.

My inspiration for writing The Crooked Daughter is multi-faceted. First of all, I was intrigued by the unnamed characters in the Bible who had a single extraordinary encounter with Jesus. The woman who was bent over for eighteen years was one of the four that I selected for The Encounter Series.

Though there were few verses dedicated to this woman, I felt the deeper pull of a story tucked inside the folds of those verses describing Jesus healing her on the Sabbath. I wondered what her story was. What led her there that day? Did she go searching for Him or did Jesus pick her out of the crowd?

Reading that the woman was in that condition for eighteen years is worthy of pondering. I think a lot of times when we read Scripture, we miss the impact of time’s passage. As someone who has suffered from back pain for many years, I could relate to the crooked woman’s story. Eighteen years is a long time to be bent over. The longest I had to remain in a bent position was three weeks. It is extremely difficult to move through the world when the only thing you can see is the ground. Pain is bad enough to endure. Pain for eighteen years must have been excruciating. I know when I am in pain my mood and attitude definitely need adjustment. I would have been a monster after eighteen years!

Developing Priscilla’s character challenged me as a writer. As someone who suffered an early rejection in life only to endure physical infirmity on her own, I didn’t want her to become embittered the way most would after enduring such a trial. There was a delicate balance between lamenting her fate and holding onto hope as it slipped away. Therefore, I introduced the playful, furry character – a dog named Patch.

Aquila’s character was complex and layered. While he was physically able-bodied, his heart was agonizing with grief, responsibility, and disillusioned faith. He was a man who could stand straight even while his soul was bent over.

I have always been intrigued by Aquila and Priscilla in the Bible. As an inspirational couple who served the Lord together, I enjoyed weaving the threads of their story into the fictional account about the crooked woman. I believe that love soothes the wounds of suffering. Falling in love straightens the crooked perspectives of circumstances. Who doesn’t enjoy a good love story that culminates in a strong, enviable marriage?

In The Crooked Daughter, the main character’s condition is symbolic of the political climate of those days. The religious leaders were the ones who were bent over, their perspective about God’s acceptance of people horribly skewed under the heaviness of pride. They could not lift their eyes to the heavens to recognize the Messiah in their midst. Their hearts were hunched under the weight of selfish ambition and prejudicial attitudes. Condemnation was the chain that kept them bound, unable to see the horizon of eternity.

Physical infirmities are horrible to endure. Even worse are the infirmities of the soul. So many things can truly bend us away from God – rejection, selfishness, anger, grief, regret. Thankfully, Jesus is more than a healer. He is our Savior. I truly enjoyed exploring these themes throughout The Crooked Daughter. I hope that readers come away from the story with hope as an anchor for hard times. God truly uses all things for good when we trust in His plan.

MY REVIEW

When I read a book that is based on someone from the Bible it intrigues me. The author has taken scriptures and enhanced them to bring Priscilla and Aquila to life in an emotional story. I appreciate how the author explains that the story is a fictional account but dies follow closely to the Bible. . Biblical fiction for me helps imagine what it might have been like during the time period. What I like about this book is how I become more familiar with two characters that I knew little about.

At the beginning of the story we see a group of people who are worried that they are no longer favored by God. I loved when one of them says, “I do believe, most honorable Rabbi Hazael, that it is not us the Gentiles should fear. It is God.” What a great reminder that we should not worry about what people think of us. We need to only fear God.

With people doubting that Jesus can perform miracles and guide them to a better life Shimei speaks up. He says , “ it is a form of spiritual blindness , Jakin. Unbelief is far more crippling than a broken body.” Chaos seems to ensue and I was definitely ready to explore what was to come. It is interesting to note that Jesus was feared by many yet discarded by some.

Priscilla was so excited thinking that she would be able to help her father that fateful day. The minute she opened the box, everything changed. Now she must face the fact that her father blames her for what has happened to the family. I felt so bad for her as the years came and she was treated as someone who had been cursed. Her father didn’t want her around anymore.

Aquila is all set to make the next step in life to become a man of the covenant. There is much excitement in the home as Aquila prepares for this important time. He knows his parents are proud of him so he asks to go pray and fast until the time comes. As Aquila is ready to explain what God had showed him, his father collapses. The most important day of his life becomes a tragic event.

We see two people each feeling lost, rejected and bitterness start to overcome them. Priscilla is left at the temple to fight to survive in the street. Aquila must come to terms with the death of his father. I loved seeing how each character is developed and easy to relate to. The author delivers a powerful story filled with scriptures that show us to rely on God, forgive and let go of rejection. This coupe illustrates struggles yet finds a way to serve the Lord with their whole heart.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.