Thomas and Tasmin, twin siblings hired to oversee a wedding feast in Cana, worry when the host runs out of wine . . . until a guest tells Tasmin to have the servants fill the pitchers by the gate with water from the cistern. Reluctantly, she obeys and is amazed when rainwater turns into the finest wine ever tasted in Cana. When Thomas impulsively decides to follow the teacher from Nazareth, he … Nazareth, he and Tasmin argue–since the twins have been together since the womb, Tasmin can’t accept losing her brother to some magician-prophet. Aided by Jude, younger brother to Jesus of Nazareth, she decides to follow the Nazarene’s group and do whatever she must to mend the fractured relationship and bring her brother home.
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This is an incredible biblical novel!
When I read a biblical novel I don’t look for the story to follow the bible perfectly. Instead I look for a well crafted story that could very easily be the way things happened. We are not given complete details in the bible, and if we were why would anyone write biblical fiction.
This author has done a marvelous job of studying scripture and the culture from during the period that Jesus ministered on earth. She has then taken all of the information that she learned and crafted this story to fit the information that is included in the bible.
I love the way that she developed Tasmin, Thomas (her twin brother), and Jude (the brother of Yeshua. I was easily able to understand the doubts and the questions that they were all dealing with as the story progressed.
I am really looking forward to seeing what takes place in the next book in this series. This is one author that I trust to have done an excellent job of preparation before she begins writing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.
Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book for free in the hope that I would mention or review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion – which I have done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
I’ve been reading author Angela Hunt’s novels for years; I have a numbered of favorites. Among those favorites are her biblical fiction novels; her writing style brings biblical history alive like no other.
Daughter of Cana, the first in the series, Jerusalem Road, is a stunning introduction to the series. Based on the biblical account of the water turned to wine, follow Tasmin as she follows her brother Thomas, who joins Jesus’ group of followers after turning water to wine at a bridal feast hosted by his sister.
I loved this story and I think you will too!
Powerful, insightful and memorable. Angela Hunt has a way with Biblical fiction unlike any other; she truly brings the characters to life in ways that are relatable to modern times. This story takes place during the time of Jesus’s ministry on earth and captures true biblical, historical details while providing thought provoking insights through the lens of fiction. I would recommend this book to any of my friends. The characters are real, raw, and genuine in their journey of faith and I was blessed as a result.
I received a complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are my own and freely given.
I can always trust Angela Hunt for a wonderful read. Daughter of Cana transported me back to the time of Jesus. I especially loved seeing Yeshua through the eyes of one of His brothers.
Wow!!!
The book overwhelmed me in a totally good way. I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading it, but as Biblical fiction is my favorite subgenre I knew I was going to enjoy it. I didn’t know I was going to enjoy it so much as to be overwhelmed.
The author did a great job!!! Very, very fantastic job. I loved the beauty she wove, the flow of the story and the uniqueness of the characters. This book is like none other I have read.
The story tells us of the half-brother of Jesus; Jude, his wife Tasmin, the ministry and death or Jesus and His siblings’ journey to acknowledging and beliving in Him as the Son of God.
This story made me remember how everyone at one time in their journey of life had doubts and sin and God designing events and circumstances to bring us to the knowledge of His dear Son.
In this book I saw the sovereignty and the almighty power of God displayed beautifully.
If I was going to tell someone about Jesus who would not want to read scriptures I would lead them to this book because it will ultimately and definitely lead them to scriptures and to God.
I received a copy of this book and this is my honest opinion.
Great book!! She never disappoints!!!
I love history, and Angela Hunt did excellent research for this book. I felt like I was Tasmin experiencing life in first century Israel. Biblical characters at the time of Jesus came to life. Their thoughts, struggles, experiences, and triumphs were relatable. I didn’t want to put this book down, and I was sad when it ended, but I knew I could look forward to at least two more books in this series!
At a wedding in Cana, Tasmin oversees the week-long feast, with the help of her twin brother Thomas. But Thomas becomes more interested in what a guest from Nazareth has to say than helping his sister. Then that guest appears to turn water into wine, though Tasmin isn’t convinced. And neither is the guest’s brother Jude. After the wedding, Thomas goes with the Nazarene to Capernaum, and both Tasmin and Jude follow, each determined to retrieve their wayward brothers. But it turns out the task is not so easy, and Tasmin’s and Jude’s lives are upset as they try to balance their own lives with still making their brothers see sense–and hope to prove that the Nazarene is not who he claims to be.
This was an interesting take on the ministry of Jesus (referred to by his Hebrew name, Yeshua, in this book) from the perspective of one of his half-brothers, who did not believe he was the Christ during his ministry on earth, and the perspective of a sister to one of the apostles. As Jesus himself put it, no man is a prophet in his own hometown, and that principle applies in some way to both of the main characters (in their view of Yeshua). Most of Jesus’s works are seen from a distance, and I expected that to become tedious, but I appreciated the way the miracles were told by those benefited by the miracles or even bystanders.
I was a little concerned early on, as it seemed Yeshua was being portrayed as lazy and even slightly belligerent to his parents, slacking off while his brothers did all the work, even before his ministry started. I came to see that as the perspective of a frustrated, even jealous, brother, though. There was also one point where Jude talked to his brother in private, and I mentally winced in anticipation of the words the author might choose to put in Jesus’s mouth. Fiction or not, that strikes me as an unwise thing to do. However, his dialog was still right out of scripture. Granted, he obviously said those things to a larger crowd in the Bible, but there is evidence Jesus repeated some parts of his sermons anyway. It was a good decision on the author’s part, I feel.
While Tasmin and Jude spent most of the book with little in the way of their own story, and even of their own personalities, they grew enough later in the book that I still felt some connection to them. The best thing about the book, for me, was that it gave me the ability to feel like I was there, back in Jesus’s day, hearing him speak, seeing him myself, even if from a distance much of the time. There were Hebrew words and phrases sprinkled here and there, and the meaning wasn’t always clear to me. I didn’t quite see the reason for most of that, but that’s a small down-side to an otherwise lovely book. I would recommend it to fans of Biblical fiction.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Angela Hunt is known for her thrilling Biblical fiction, that is both insightful and accurate. Her newest novel—book one in the Jerusalem Road series, Daughter of Cana—does not disappoint. In fact, it is up there as one of my new favorites. She has taken a fresh approach to icons of the faith by giving us the perspective of family members who were left behind.
Tasmin, Thomas’ twin sister, and Jude, one of Yeshua’s (Hebrew for Jesus) half-brothers embark on a journey to convince their seemingly misguided siblings to return home and back to their ordinary lives.
Daughter of Cana begins with the Biblical story of the Wedding of Cana—the venue of Yeshua’s first public miracle. Tasmin and Thomas were hired to manage the wedding feast. However, from the moment the dusty guests from Nazareth arrive, Thomas is nowhere to be found. Tasmin must step in and assume her brother’s responsibilities as well her own, thereby coloring her opinion of the Nazarite.
Jude and Tasmin meet when they investigate Yeshua’s miracle of changing water into wine. Neither of them believes it is possible. Tasmin, because she’s a skeptic, and Jude, because Yeshua is just his brother, after all. The brother he feels was favored by their mother.
Drawn to this man of Nazareth who speaks with authority and wisdom, Thomas unceremoniously leaves his sister behind to not only clean up after the event but pack up her goods and ailing father to travel back home. She is dumbfounded given all she and her twin have shared their entire life—including a terrible secret.
Tasmin and Jude’s adventurous journey gives readers both a beautiful and brutal picture of this time in history. Familiar stories of Yeshua’s miracles and messages take on new meaning because of the familial witnesses.
Obviously, Hunt makes a few conjectures for story purposes, but they are logical and believable. As a scholar of Biblical studies, she is a trustworthy source—of course, the concise references help, too.
There’s no doubt why Hunt is an award-winning, bestselling author. New readers of Angela Hunt’s books will want to read more. Fans of her books will not be disappointed. All will be moved and inspired.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.
I can’t say it is unpredictable, because it deals with the life and death of Christ. But it comes from an unusual perspective of the twin of Thomas, the disciple, and Jude, the brother of Christ. Enjoyable read.
“Daughter of Cana”
(Jerusalem Road Book #1)
By
Angela Hunt
Synopsis: Thomas and Tasmin twins, whom were hired to oversee a wedding feast on Cana. They begin to worry when they ran out of wine, until a guest tells Tasmin to fill the pitchers with water. She was reluctant but the water did turned to wine. Are you going to follow Thomas and Tasmin as they follow the Nazarene.
My Thoughts: Angela Hunt wrote another great book. I have read several of her books and she leaves me amazed. “Daughter of Cana” is one of her best book I’ve read. It is a page turner and I felt like I was there. This is the first book in a new series and I can’t wait to read the next one. If you love a Christian historical period piece, you will need to read “Daughter of Cana” .
Favorite quote: “I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life”.
Rating: I am giving this book a rating of a 5 out of 5. I will highly recommend this book to family, friends and others
Disclaimer: I received this complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I have read and enjoyed Angela Hunt’s books before and this was no exception. I really enjoy Biblical fiction and this did not disappoint. Everything that came from the Bible and the history of Jesus was accurate and not tampered with. The fiction comes in with Jude and Tasmin, Thomas’s twin. Jude is a true person but Tasmin is pure fiction.
This story takes in the years of Jesus’ ministry starting with the wedding at Cana and ending with his return to heaven. The story is more about Tasmin and her views on what is happening, along with Jude’s views. The story switches between Tasmin narrating and Jude’s narration.
The story is well written, the editing was well done. The main characters were very well developed and the story was believable.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 star review. Five stars are saved for truly exceptional books. Most books are 3 star. I would recommend this book to my friends.
#Daughter of Cana# by Angela Hunt is a Biblical Fiction story. Angela Hunt is a Christy Award winner. She has written 180 books. She is well respected. This book is the first book in the Jerusalem Road book #1.. This book takes place in Nazareth and Cana. The narrator of the story is Tasmin. who is a twin with Thomas. Tasmin shows the reader what life was like during the times of Jesus. The author writes with lots of wonderful description about life in Nazareth and how the people lived then. Tasmin has a beautiful character. She lived and cared for her very elderly father. The scenes show the impact Jesus had on the world then. This story will have a sequel. I look forward to the sequel. Thank you to netgalley, the publisher for allowing me to read and review this wonderful Biblical fiction book. The opinions about this book are my own. I will share my review with Amazon, facebook, Goodreads, my blog, Bookhub, , the church staff.
Setting: Israel
Time Period: 27 A.D.
I’ve always loved Angela Hunt’s novels and her new release, “Daughter of Cana,” did not disappoint! This New Testament story is set around the story of the wedding at Cana when Jesus turned the water into wine and took readers on a journey with Thomas’ sister, Tasmin and Jesus’ brother, Jude.
So first of all, for as much as I love Biblical Fiction, I’ve always tended to read novels set in the Old Testament. And though I’ve read a few New Testament novels, my experience with them is limited. When I started “Daughter of Cana,” I didn’t know what to expect, but man, was I surprised! I so loved that the author crafted the story around one of the disciples’ sisters and Jesus’ brother. It was a different angle than I expected, and I loved it! The family of Jesus really became like “real” people to me and the plot offered me new ways to think of Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Even though this novel was just a fictional take on it, it opened up questions about the real story that we don’t know about… and if you know me, I love thinking about those kinds of things!
Secondly, it was very cool to have the lead female character be a sister to one of the disciples. When you get to the end of the story, Hunt reveals why she chose Thomas to have a twin and how she found evidence in Jewish records to support it, though, having Thomas’ twin being a girl was the author’s own idea. Y’all, to me, this is where the rubber meets the road! I love fiction where there are characters in a Biblical story we recognize, but are made-up. Tasmin was the perfect character for that and following her journey was satisfying and heartwarming. (But don’t be fooled! She had many struggles that tested her strength in the story.)
Conclusion: I really enjoyed “Daughter of Cana” by Angela Hunt! The author did a good job of portraying Jesus’ three year ministry from the Gospels and wrapping it up in this story. Being a New Testament setting, you’ll recognize a lot of the scenes and stories from the Bible itself but will have fun identifying the Biblical characters and who they are in the story. Some of the supporting characters are the best! Also, if you’re wondering how the author portrayed the Lord in the novel, I’ll just say there is a lot of Scripture quoted in this story! I felt the author stayed true to the Bible in every way possible and have a lot of respect for her for doing that! A great book!
*I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads “First Reads” giveaways. All thoughts in the review are my own and I was under no obligation to give a positive review!*
Amazing! Just Amazing! Tasmin is not happy when her twin brother Thomas decides to leave her and their elderly father to follow a teacher from Nazareth. Since she wants him to come home, and Jude wants his older brother Jesus to come home, they band together to go and persuade them that there is work to be done at home. The author cleverly stays true to the gospel narrative yet writes a very possible account of their attempt as neither Tasmin nor Jude appear in the biblical accounts with Jesus. I loved how they wrestled with the truth of Jesus, how they pondered and puzzled over the words he spoke. I so enjoyed reading this book! And, I really appreciated the author’s notes at the end where she answers the questions readers might have as to did an event in the book really happen. Here she even says that she tries to be as “accurate and responsible as possible, because one day I will meet Jude and Thomas and their wives, and I don’t want to be embarrassed about how I portrayed them.”
Such a very, very good book! I highly recommend and it is particularly inspiring around Easter! I look forward to reading the next book in the Jerusalem Road series! I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I am freely writing a review – all thoughts and opinions are my own.
There have been a number of new biblical fiction novels this year set during the time of Jesus. This is at least the 4th one I’ve started… and the only one I’ve finished. The other books tried to include everything that Jesus did and I think one of the ways Hunt’s experience shines is in her ability to find that balance. Each biblical event she included seemed to propel the plot forward. I also think she made a wise decision by sticking closely to the biblical portrayal of Christ and not putting her own words in his mouth.
In the beginning, Tasmin’s obsession with her twin brother irked me but those feelings softened as the story progressed. I’m sure this was due in part to the mission she undertook with Jude to find their brothers and bring them home. United in a common goal, the time they spent together searching for Jesus and his band of followers provided an opportunity for an attraction to form between them. This sort of slow-burn romance is what I prefer—regardless of genre.
Many of the conversations Tasmin and Jude had revolved around the identity of Jesus. These same questions, as well as the answers they reached, are still relevant to believers today. I wouldn’t say I agreed with all of Hunt’s creative choices, but she explained most of them in her author’s note. Overall, I enjoyed the story and will likely read the rest of the series.
Angela Hunt is absolutely amazing when it comes to Biblical fiction. She provides a perspective immersed in re-search that lets me see these well known stories in an entirely new light. And Hunt certainly does not disappoint in her latest Daughter of Cana.
The perfect book leading up to Easter, Hunt begins with Jesus’ miracle at Cana and comes full circle to His death and resurrection, told through the eyes of Jesus’ brother Jude and a young woman named Tasmin. This fresh per-spective reveals a different side to the miracles and ministry of Jesus Christ. I found myself unable to put this book down, devouring Hunt’s expert storytelling. I praise everything from her characters to her descriptions to her plot.
Fans of biblical fiction will want to pick this book up. Get ready for an adventure that challenges your perspectives and encourages you to consider another side to the live and times of Jesus.
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.