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J-The Woman Who Wrote the Bible
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ISBN:[978-1-84694-324-9]
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Price:£11.99 || $20.95
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Publishing on:30 Jul 2010
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Pages:343Format:Paperback
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Size:51/2x81/2 in || 216/140 mm
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Category:
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Author(s): | Mary F. Burns |
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Like the women of the Red Tent, even the daughter of King David lived in a world ruled by men. But this woman was born to break the rules of both men and God in order to learn the art of writing, and with it, a power that could reveal the hidden truth, or slay a man with a single word.
When Janaia, eldest daughter of King David of Judah, is secretly initiated into the art and magic of writing, she finds she must master the sublime powers and visions that come with this new kind of knowledge in order to take her place in history and before God. We follow her life from the caves of Judah to the glory of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, a journey which reveals the secrets of life and death. The first Israelite woman to learn the secrets of writing, Janaia discovers through heartbreak and sacrifice that this “knowledge of good and evil” brings with it both frightening power and jubilant freedom from the rules of men and God. -
Mary F. Burns’ varied writing experience includes more than twenty years in business and agency public relations and communications, including video scripts, short stories, radio commercials, annual reports, newsletters and executive speeches. She managed the media coverage of the 1987 visit of Pope John Paul II to San Francisco, and was the producer of a local television morning talk show, Body and Soul. Her creative fiction writing began with a short story that won a prize at the 2000 Mendocino (California) Coast Writers Conference. Two other award winning short stories followed and two print on demand mystery books. Ms. Burns has a BA and MA in English from Northern Illinois University, along with a high school teaching certificate, and a law degree from Golden Gate University. She lives with her husband in San Francisco.
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Endorsements:
“The novel presents a wondrous and entirely convincing account of how significant parts of the Bible came into being through the good offices of one scholarly and strong woman. It is full of suspense, mystery, and tragedy as well as delightful surprises. I was immediately caught up in its magic and could not put it down from the first page, until the dramatic and wholly unexpected ending. The tale of the heroine's life and that of King David and the Israelites are skillfully and seamlessly interwoven to form a sparkling, colorful tapestry. The novel is enchantingly told, full of beautiful poetic language and magnificent imagery. This is a book in which love and friendship, jealousy and strife, forgiveness and heartache, wisdom and devotion rapidly overtake each other, to form an enthralling whole. Steeped in deep understanding of the Bible, it makes the world of ancient Israel come vibrantly alive, while also building bridges across cultures and civilizations.”
“In her captivating debut novel, Burns has crafted a lush and poetical story of how the Hebrew Bible came to be. Harold Bloom may have introduced us to J (the woman scribe who lived during the Solomonic courts of 960-922 B.C.), but Burns has put flesh and bones on her, clothed her in emotional finery, and imagined her as King David’s daughter—royalty we can relate to. Quick-paced and full of intrigue, rife with unexpected twists and turns, J—The Woman Who Wrote the Bible will keep you turning the pages, whether or not you’re familiar with the age-old tales.”
“A fascinating debut challenging the tradition that men wrote the Bible, this richly imagined novel is vivid and complex; an engrossing story with a strong-minded, strong-hearted heroine. Rich in poetic language, "J" gives us a woman's undaunted quest for both knowledge and love in the treacherous world of King David's court."
