When the tribal elders make marriage a requirement for claiming her land, Milcah bat Zelophehad must find a betrothed straightaway. The only problem in finding a husband is that all her suitors were slain while conquering the land of Canaan. Men avoid her in order to stay alive.After praying to God to send her a bold suitor, a man from her father’s clan plummets from a tree right on top of her. … top of her. Is this God answering prayer, or a foolish antic by Eli, the war-scarred brother from one of her clan’s rival families.
Will settling in Canaan sort out Milcah’s troubles, or have her woes just begun?
more
There are good writers and then there are outstanding writers. Ms. Britton is an outstanding writer. Book 3 in the Daughters of Zelophehad series is by far the best. The story of Milcah and Eli is a story of redemptive love and trust. By accident, Milcah becomes betrothed to the local drunk. This is a beautiful story of God’s will. Watching Eli grow and change tugged at my heart. An excellent book and a great way to end a series. Everyone should read this book.
Just when I didn’t think the trials and tribulations of a woman in Biblical times could have been any harder, we get Milcah’s story. Milcah had the opposition of her own tribesmen, the heat, the land and scandalous lies. But through it all she had her faith in the one true God and the love and support of her sisters!
I’m always amazed at how a writer picks a subject or theme and weaves a story. But I’m truly fascinated at how Author Britton can take a brief passage of the Holy Bible and make these people of long ago come to life before us. It is so apparent that Author Britton knows the scriptures, to be able to recount persons, places and things from so many passages to complete a story.
Why was Zelophehad mentioned over a hand full of times, saying that he had no sons, but 5 daughters and at least four times their names are listed and their plight is recorded in 2 different books of the Bible? Maybe for such a time as this? We’re facing difficult times like we’ve never seen before.
It was important for the understanding of how the land was divided up between tribes and families. There is so much for us to learn from the five sisters that perservered in the hardest of times and brought Glory to God. Thank you Author Britton for an amazing series!
A satisfying conclusion to the series
It is hard to imagine what it would have been like for the Israelites moving into the land of Israel, populating it near the remnant of the people they had conquered. In fact, I have never even really considered what that would have been like. Until now.
In this conclusion of the Daughters of Zelophehad series, Barbara M. Britton brings the sisters into their inheritance, a beautiful, fertile land that just happens to be near the city of Megiddo, still populated by the Canaanites despite the death of their king.
It was fun watching Milcah, the fourth daughter, transform from a mild and somewhat timid woman into a strong, confident woman, willing to speak up for herself and for her God. I loved the way she responded, not in anger and scathing words, but kindness and resolution to make things work when Eli put her in a compromising situation.
As in other of her stories, Claiming Canaan shows great imagination on the part of the author, coming up with unusual circumstances to make the story interesting. The love of the sisters for each other and the way they continued to honor the memory of their father despite the manner of his death makes me like them more and more.
If you enjoy Biblical fiction that stretches your understanding of the way things may have happened, I encourage you to read the entire Daughters of Zelophehad series.
Read my review of Claiming Canaan by Barbara M. Britton at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
In Barbara Britton’s most recent addition to her Daughters of Zelophehad series, Claiming Canaan, the sisters finally receive their inheritance, the land promised by g-d. But things become complicated when the tribal elders require Milcah to marry before she may claim her land. Milcah has been twice betrothed and both men died in battle. It seems certain death awaits any man who would marry Milcah. Who would ever wed one so cursed? The answer literally falls from above when Eli, the feckless third son of a rival family, plummets from a tree and lands on Milcah.
Eli and Milcah become betrothed at the insistence of both families, though neither are enamored of the idea. Eli, the most unlikely of suitors because of his past transgressions, his disfigurement, and his tortured relationship with his family, is impressed by Milcah’s strength and perseverance. He is inspired to change, to become a better man, to become a steward of the land Milcah inherits, and to become the man worthy of Milcah’s love. When Milcah sees the changes in Eli, her heart opens to him.
Claiming Canaan is a story of redemption and love. Perhaps the most powerful in Britton’s series. I highly recommend this to readers. It will open your heart, too!
Now it’s Milcah’s turn. The 4th daughter of Zelophehad has one year to find the right young man to marry–one with whom to share her inheritance of the land. God’s land.
But she never would have picked Eli. She finds herself stuck in an arranged marriage (engagement, rather) with someone she doesn’t respect. How can this be God’s plan? In fact, it seems that God’s blessings are often mixed with difficulties and confusion.
Traveling from the wilderness to Jericho was one thing, but now it’s time to settle the land. The Israelites had already conquered Canaan, but moving in isn’t so easy. The tribe of Manasseh stakes their claim in the north, near the pagan city of Megiddo–where townsmen are wary of Hebrew strangers whose army recently defeated their king.
Again, Milcah is amazed at God’s blessings evident in her parcel of land, but it comes with challenges, including the immediate need for dozens of workers to help with harvest. And thieves who arrive in the middle of the night. And wondering if and how Eli will rise to the occasion.
I appreciate the author’s choice of scenes. Historical fiction offers the temptation to include numerous unnecessary details for the sake of a vicarious historical experience. But Ms. Britton disregards much of the traveling drudgery and unessentials, and instead highlights key episodes between Milcah and her opponents, for dramatic effect. She offers enough detail for readers to engage and appreciate what it might have been like to live during that Old Testament time, straight from the book of Joshua.
Through it all, I enjoyed the five sisters’ camaraderie–though it wasn’t without its own conflicts. A favorite scene is their festive grape stomping. Even with husbands, the sisters’ bond is strong. They are there for each other to uphold the honor of their father, family, tribe, and God.
The final book of Britton’s series about the Daughters of Zelophehad from the Book of Joshua is my favorite. The Israelite clans have finally reached the Promised Land, but their quest to claim it for their own has just begun. For Milcah, fourth of the five daughters given an allotment in their father’s name, pagan Canaanites are not the only enemy. Other members of her tribe lust after her land, and when her allotment comes with a price—a husband—she tries to obey. She even falls in love during the years since her three older sisters have married. Unfortunately, she has yet to share a wedding night since they have a habit of dying heroically and tragically. The draconian rules of etiquette in ancient Israel come to her rescue when the second-to-last man she’d be willing to claim as spouse and she are found in a compromising position.
Introduced in the first book, Eli is bit of a troublemaking curiosity seeker, the third son who has little to look forward to in inheritance. Since being wounded and scarred in battle, he’s chosen to comfort himself through drink. Milcah is determined to keep her inheritance and decides to put up with anything—anyone—who allows that to happen. All Eli needs is a chance to prove himself, and he could certainly find very little to complain about being the spouse of a comely landowner. He’s willing to turn over a new leaf, especially to prove his father and older brother wrong about his capabilities as a responsible man.
As these two begin to bond, truly, their strength is a three-stranded cord. Milcah is blessed upon blessed when she sees the riches of her property, but it comes with potentially insurmountable tests of Eli’s sobriety and their faith as they prepare for their wedding. The sisterly bonds are unbreakable, and their dedication to honor their one true God and their heritage is inspiring for any age. They work together in all circumstances to support each other.
Britton’s wonderful research puts the reader in time and place in ancient Israel. Although not every thread is completely woven in place, the sisters’ stories are lovingly wrapped up in pure romantic love. Britton’s bullies and waifs, however, are left to our imagination, and I’m okay with that. We know the ultimate end of the story, of course, from the Bible.