Lydia, Woman of Philippi By Diana Wallis Taylor
When I picked up this book and started it I thought it was going to be like Bread of Angels It was not It was completely different from that I love Biblical fiction best I enjoy reading further about the different characters in the Bible after their short verses I like knowing that they too had a lifestyle much like ours. Adoni works in mysterious ways He knows the plans that are just fir us even before we know it Isn t that marvelous I so appreciated Lydia s father the most I loved how he watched out for her and was always a step ahead of everything and especially certain family members I felt Adoni working through Lydia and her family and most of all myself I love feeling peaceful after reading such a great story This is why I enjoy Biblical fiction I received this book for free and in no way required to review this bookDid I mention that the cover of this book is just beautiful Whitaker House has done a fabulous job on the cover Paperback I love reading Diana Wallis Taylor s books These fictional accounts of real women of the Bible will draw you closer to each one Her writing skills are wonderful and always leave you wanting to read of her books Lydia Woman of Philippi is no different Lydia is the story of a smart.
And this is another book that will be added to my biblical fiction shelf to pass on to my reading granddaughters I highly recommend this book It would be appropriate for a young girl of ten to read and enjoy I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review All thoughts and opinions are my own Paperback
| Lydia, Woman of Philippi By Diana Wallis Taylor |
| 1629118966 |
| 9781629118963 |
| English |
| 315 |
| Paperback |
Diana Wallis Taylor is the author of the novels Journey to the Well and Martha and lives in California Find out at site_link www. com site_link.On a scale of cotton candy to Brussels sprouts Lydia by Diana Wallis Taylor is muffins without eggs When eggs are left out and not adequately replaced by another ingredient the muffin loses the right consistency flavor and moisture It s an unsatisfying bite to be sure free book received opinions my own Diana Wallis Taylor set out to tell the fictionalized version of Lydia of Phillippi from the Bible Lydia is a young woman who loves the Jewish god in a Roman world Moreover she has a head for the family business while all her younger brother cares about is his military career When Lydia s husband abruptly dies and her father does as well Lydia s brother has no compassion and she s left to fend for herself her mother and her daughter. I really wanted to like Lydia I really really did But the story had no tension Oh yes there were certainly loads of opportunity to build tension but as soon as I thought the story was about to get interesting it didn t Lydia would voice a problem and in the next sentence the problem was solved It was too easy and unrelateable At a third of the way through the book I quit reading However the one redeeming quality of Lydia is that Diana Wallis Taylor clearly has a grasp of certain details in the Roman world such as wedding etiquette and the cloth dying industry Paperback I was captivated by the story of Lydia Woman of Philippi by Diana Wallis Taylor She brought the Biblical character Lydia to life in this eloquent colorful account of this New Testament woman I could not stop reading this fictional account filled with customs worshipping of various gods Roman rules foods and activities during the early church age The intersperse of the scriptures and chapters of Psalms that Lydia her mother and other secondary characters relied on added depth along with the value of the early Christians who found the Lord Adonai to be the living God foretold in scriptures I could see Lydia s life happening as it did from her early teen years though her realistic life struggles with an arranged marriage that was not pleasant raising a young daughter but wanting to follow Adonai instead of the Roman God even though she suffered loss grief and hardship Her faith fortitude persistence and love for Adonai emphasized the importance of fully surrendering to God even during the early years for Christian believers My emotions were attentive to all Lydia might of endured that is not told in the Bible However the beautiful experience of her encounter with Paul that led Lydia to her own spiritual conversion with salvation baptism and in filling of the Holy Spirit to seeing others following Adonai with the teachings of Apostle Paul caused tears to fall while reading Along with reading how possibly Lydia and her business of selling purple came about during a time women were not in business Lydia selling purple was a tribute to her loving earthly father and the blessings of her sovereign Heavenly Father Adonai Diana Wallis Taylor s writing lures her readers into the past with all the research she has done to create her Biblical fiction books Lydia could become readers favorite Biblical woman character after reading this remarkable novel I received an ARC of this book from the publisher Whitaker House I was not required to write a positive review but have expressed my honest opinion I gave Lydia Woman of Philippi 5 stars I look forward to reading of Ms Taylor s Biblical fiction books in the future Paperback LYDIA WOMAN OF PHILIPPI has an absolutely lovely cover I adore what Whitaker House did with it and I know it s going to draw women in to pick it up and read the back cover blurb and maybe even the first chapter before they buy the book I d even pick it up and look at it I am not a huge fan okay not a fan at all of biblical fiction so honestly I kind of cringed when I was asked to read this I have to admire the amount of research that must go into these stories the time period the customs the foods the gods the cities and so much . And then I picked the story up and read the first chapter Second Third And on and on I m still not going to claim I m a fan of biblical fiction But I was drawn in I hurt for her Cried for her Cheered with her And closed the book with a happy sigh Diana Wallis Taylor s novel will draw you into the life of first century Lydia the seller of purple Readers will be captivated and their view of her mentions in the scriptures changed by the power of this story Fans of biblical fiction are in for a treat Paperback I so much enjoyed this Biblical fiction story of Lydia Diana has done an amazing job on her research and bringing Lydia to life At first strong and follower of the Jewish God who is married off at they young age of 15 to a man that she dislikes but despite that she always remains the faithful wife When her husband is killed Lydia and her 12 year old daughter return to her fathers house in Thyatira. Lydia begins a new life in male dominated world of first century commerce Her and her brother become at odds because he is jealous over her success When her father dies her brother Cassisus inherits the family s home and Lydia inherits the family business as well as a small villa in the city of Philippi This is a great book one that you will not be able to put down until you are finished It will leave you wanting I give this book 5 out of 5 stars I received this book for free however a favorable review was not required all opinions expressed here are my own Paperback Smart strong and a follower of the Jewish God Lydia has nonetheless always quietly conformed to the expectations of the wealthy Roman society surrounding her Even though married off at fifteen to a man she dislikes she is determined to be a faithful wife But when her husband is killed some years later Lydia vows never to remarry and returns to her father s house in Thyatira with her twelve year old daughter There a new life begins to emerge As she is trained in the family dye business Lydia s shrewd management quickly creates profit prestige and envy At odds with her jealous brother who is a staunch Roman and can t understand her obsession with the Jewish religion Lydia finds herself yet again at the mercy of a patriarchal society Will fleeing to Philippi be enough to protect herself and those under her care Will she keep her vow to widowhood when a handsome Greek God fearer turns out to be than just an employee And when she meets a strange man named Paul the apostle by the river one Sabbath day will Lydia have the courage to once let her life be dramatically changed this time forever Lydia Woman of PhilippiI love reading the Bible make no mistake The Bible is true amazing and wonderful But biblical fiction It just might be a new favorite of mine It allows us as readers to get a glimpse of what it may have been like to live during biblical times In doing so it really brings the Bible close to home for me I do realize that it is just a work of fiction but it can be so uplifting and so easy to imagine these characters were around when Jesus was around That of course gives nod to the author who must have known exactly how she needed to write it. This is actually the first biblical fiction book I have read and I promise you it will not be the last It spoke directly to my heart and provided so much spiritual depth to it I found myself wanting to search the Bible for clues about Lydia to see if she were real I wanted to learn about her surroundings the traditions and the beliefs represented in her family This is the first time a book has really spoke to me in that regard and I found if refreshing Thank you Ms Gabhart for an incredible book I received a complimentary copy of this book I was not required to write a favorable review All thoughts and opinions are my own Paperback Enjoyable Biblical Fiction novel based upon Lydia the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe. In the pages of the novel she is described as determined and brave After family difficulties she marches on toward a better future I loved the time she spent with Paul and Luke in Philippi And the budding romance was lovely. My gratitude to publisher Whitaker House for a complimentary ARC of this novel I was given this book at a reader event in September of 2017 The opinions expressed are my own Paperback The daughter of a wealthy Roman merchant and a Jewish woman Lydia chose to believe in Yahweh rather than her father s Roman gods Her father has no regard for her beliefs and little for her opinions which is why he chose to marry her to a man she does not love Despite this Lydia continues to believe in Yahweh and His promised Messiah Time passes and she is given the opportunity to take over the family business that her brother rejects The consequences of that choice lead her to meet Paul and learn of the Messiah Jesus Christ Will Lydia be able to let go of her pride and her past in order to fully embrace what Jesus has for her Lydia Woman of Philippi is one of the better books I have read in a while It tells the life story of Lydia the seller of purple cloth mentioned in the Biblical book of Acts The author re imagines the choices that led Lydia to become a business owner in a time when woman did not hold such positions and to become a follower of Christ as a result of Paul s preaching in Philippi It is an inspiring story Lydia has a lot of obstacles to overcome but with God s help she succeeds It is also a very feminist story As a woman in that time period Lydia was not supposed to have the skills knowledge or ability to own and run a business In fact if other people discovered that it was indeed her that ran it her business would probably crash But Lydia pushes forward anyway and does what she needs to That feminism comes with a price however She is so determined to stay out from under a man s control and prove herself worthy that she refuses to see the love that she and a man have for each other Both independence and submission have to be tempered in order to have a successful marriage or really any kind of relationship with the opposite sex There was one thing I did not like about this book It had to do with the way the characters shared the gospel It made it seem as though the way a person becomes a follower of Christ is through a formulaic prayer that a person has to be led through Really it sounds like a spell as in say the magic words and you will be saved But that s not what Christianity is about When one believes in Christ as one of the three parts of God and as the Savior of their sins yeah they do have to admit they sinned then they are saved It is belief not prayer of magic words that bring Salvation Though prayer is definitely important to one s relationship with God The presentation of Salvation through a specific prayer just rubbed me the wrong way in this book I really liked this book I enjoyed watching Lydia grow from a timid girl to a strong woman of faith I recommend it to fans of Biblical fiction and I will be seeking out of the author s books to read I received a complementary copy of this book All opinions are my own Paperback Well researched Biblical Fiction that brings to life what Lydia s life may have been like I found this to be a book I couldn t put down as it is well written and draws you in from the beginning Nothing takes the place of reading the scriptures but this book enlightens you to the foods that were eaten laws concerning women and clothing traditions I cannot fathom the amount of research that went into this retelling It makes the characters seem real in a way that you can relate to and want to get to know This is my first book by Diana Wallis Taylor but I look forward to reading many I received a complimentary copy from the author CelebrateLit The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required Paperback I really enjoy biblical fiction for a number of reasons Mainly because I love seeing how an author puts skin on Bible truth Ms Taylor takes what little there is written about Lydia in the Bible and entwines a story rich in both biblical truth with fictional imagination While Ms Taylor uses her imagination to create a story around Lydia it is not only based in truth but historical fact right down to the food they ate the geographical locations and position of women in the first century I have been reading and enjoying Ms Taylor s books for a number of years.
. com Diana Wallis Taylor is the author of the novels Journey to the Well and Martha and lives in California Find out at site_link www.dianawallistaylor.dianawallistaylor