Book Review: The Bronze Bow

The time period in which this book is set has always been fascinating to me. The Roman Empire intersecting Christ! It's hard to imagine a more critical era as the stage was being set for the Plan to be played out before mankind.


The might of Rome held the world by the throat, and that little patch of land by the Jordan River wasn't happy about the occupation by their conquerors. There was a seething unrest that simmered under the surface while the Jews went about their lives, all the while holding their collective breaths, waiting for the promised deliverer to throw off the Roman yoke and restore to their nation the glorious days of David, the shepherd King. 


The story centers around a young man named Daniel, whose parents had died through Rome's cruelty. He had allowed his grief to become hate, and for his hate to define him. He lived only to exact vengeance. So consuming was his malice, that he abandoned the only family members remaining to him: his grandmother and his young sister.  


He chose a new family that fed his anger: a band of robbers living in the hills above his village. He believed the leader of this band was the promised deliverer and would lead an army against Rome's legions. 


The freedom he felt atop that mountain was an illusion because it was at the expense of his responsibilities to his grandmother and sister. He thought only of himself, never wondering how they fared, until a message arrived from his friend, Simon, in the village. That message, a request that he visit, was the beginning of the end of life on the mountain. 


He was shocked to find them living a subsistence existence with his elderly grandmother working everyday, from morning till night, in the fields to provide barely enough food for them to survive. His sister, Leah, had never emotionally recovered from the death of her parents and had become a complete recluse, never venturing outside their tiny house, never seeing another person. The neighbors thought she was possessed and were afraid of her. 


Even though their needs were desperate, Daniel convinced himself that he was serving a larger purpose by returning to the mountain to await the nation's opportunity at freedom. 


While walking down a path one day, he happened upon a brother and sister who were exploring. Unlikely as it seemed, they became fast friends. Daniel even recruited his new friend, Joel, to be the robber leader's contact inside the city. The intrigue and excitement was intoxicating and they enjoyed their secretive meetings held in Joel's father's house in Capernaum. 


During this time, a Teacher came to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Daniel's friend, Simon, began following him, listening to his teachings. When Daniel's grandmother died, Simon actually offered Daniel the keys to his blacksmith shop in their little village, since he no longer needed it. Daniel was angry at first, but knew he could no longer shirk the responsibility he had toward his sister. 


Many changes followed. He went to listen to the Teacher, and began to wonder if this man might be the deliverer instead of the chief of the robbers. His sister began to improve as he learned to show her love. Daniel, a natural leader, began to quietly recruit young men from his village to attend secret meetings where they dreamed and schemed of ways to bring The Day of Deliverance closer. A Roman soldier began frequenting Daniel's blacksmith shop, and it was all Daniel could do to accept his items for repair. Little did he know, that young Roman soldier had secretly begun speaking to Daniel's sister over their little garden wall. Daniel's friend in Capernaum had taken on spying assignments, trying to learn things that could help their cause.


The climax arrived when he learned that his friend had been arrested by the Romans. Daniel immediately climbed the mountain to enlist the help of his hero, but his pleas were rejected. Refusing to leave Joel to his fate, Daniel and his small band of young patriots met to plan a rescue attempt. Though the rescue was accomplished, the price paid was beyond anything Daniel had previously imagined. 


In the dark pit of despair, grief and guilt, Daniel became violently angry with his sister upon learning that the Roman soldier had brought her a gift of a basket of fruit. Leah, so recently returned to even the smallest interaction with people, was unable to bear the outburst and retreated into the shadows of her mind. She grew worse and worse until she became gravely ill. Just at the point when Daniel had given up, the Teacher arrived, at the request of Joel's sister. 


You will have to read the book to find out what happens next. Elizabeth George Speare paints a picture of a living, breathing, Loving Jesus that touched us deeply. It can be so easy to reduce Him to a theology, a religion. We can forget that He was a real Man Who walked among us, loving us, touching us, healing us. This book reminded us about the true meaning of the Incarnation, God as Man. It is a wonderful read!


We have enjoyed several of Elizabeth George Speare's other books: Calico Captive, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and The Sign of the Beaver.