Neglected by her mother, abused by her stepfather, and trapped in an oppressive cult, Willow Sands has lived the past three years with the shadow of her fifteenth birthday hanging over her. That was the day her mother handed her over to David, the son of their leader, promising her a future even more bleak than she’d ever imagined. Now, with her eighteenth birthday and the day of her wedding fast … fast approaching, she’s almost come to accept her fate.
Hope was the last thing Willow expected to feel this close to her wedding, but that’s exactly what she finds in Jared. The more time she spends with him, the more haunted she becomes by the freedom she let slip through her fingers all those years ago. She knows if she wants a real future she’ll have to break free of the crushing grip the cult has on her, and the more she gets to know Jared, the more determined she becomes to gain her freedom once and for all.
Trigger Warning: This book deals with the subject of rape and may be disturbing to some readers.
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The Book of David was a good read by Kate L. Mary. Willow has been neglected by her mom, abused by her stepdad, and trapped by a cult. Unfortunately her fifteenth birthday is hanging over her. Her mother handed her over to David, the son of their leader. The day of her eighteenth birthday will also be her wedding day. She never expected to find Jared and find hope in him. She’s haunted by the freedom she let slip through her fingers years ago. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more by the author.
Whoa! This one is a wild ride. A very angsty cult story that pulls you in very quickly and makes you root for a feisty teenager who has to overcome some horrible abuse, but is determined to escape.
The heroine, Willow, is as resilient as the tree she’s named after. Strong, bending, but never breaking. Reaching for the sky as she tries to escape the cult she’s grown up in.
She begins to have feelings for a young man, Jared, who she is not allowed to have. She’s been promised to a real monster, David, who she was “betrothed” to at age 15. David severely abused her following their betrothal – and it was his right to do so. As her 18th birthday looms closer – the day she’ll have to marry David, her life begins to unravel.
Will she be forced to marry David?
Can she escape?
What about her feelings for Jared? Does he have feelings for her? Will he choose to go with her?
Find out what happens by reading this excellent story. But, be prepared, your emotions will get a work out.
Kate L Mary’s books always have a strong female lead character. Most of them are zombie killers, all of them are strong, smart leaders. This book has taken a small step in a different direction, no zombies, per se, but some things can be worse than zombies. The setting is a cult. It is about everything that you would expect to find in a cult, some of it horrible to read about, but Willow stands out, making you cheer her on, knowing (hoping) that she will survive her intended fate. Wonderfully strong defined characters. As in all of Kate L Mary’s books, I can see each person…really…and would recognize them if I met them on the street. Easy to read. Looking forward to more stories like this.
5 Cranky Stars
Well this was a shocker. Not what I expected from this author but very good. It also was very upsetting to me but I’m giving it 5 stars because it is so well written. If you can’t handle reading about abuse and cults, don’t try this book. It will trigger.
This story is about a religious cult called the Children of David. David is their leader and they call him Father. Willow is a 15 year old girl born after her mother joined this cult. Her father had died before her birth and her mother found solace in Father David’s teachings. She has known nothing other than life in the compound. There must be more to life than a fence and the buildings in which they live and work. As with all cults, woman are beaten down, subservient and timid. In Willow’s mother’s case, physically beaten daily too.
At the age of 15, the young girls are betrothed to men that Father David chooses for them. In Willow’s case, she is betrothed to his son. In this cult, the girls are taught to read and write and then are put to work. No further schooling is allowed as their purpose will be to serve their husband. A 15 year old girl knows nothing and in Willow’s case, her mother has shown her no love and taught her nothing. The betrothal ceremony is quite the shock for her. She is raped and beaten by David Jr and knows she has to escape the cult.
Two weeks of freedom opens Willow’s eyes to a whole new world but alas, she is found. She is severely punished and then the whole group is moved to another state. She will not be married until the age of 18 so she has 3 years to plan her escape again. However, the days drag on and her 18th birthday draws nearer and nearer. You’ll have to read the book to see what happens.
4 Willow Filled Stars!!!
Kate L. Mary continues to prove over and over again why she’s one of my favorite authors. All her female characters are fighters. Doesn’t matter if their fighting zombies, post apocalyptic life, weird cult life or men thinking their word is final. They find a way to survive and come out on top.
Right before Willow was born her father and brothers died in a car accident. Her mother couldn’t handle loosing them and she found The Church of David. It’s the only life Willow knows. She knows nothing of the life outside the compound.
When girls turn 15 they are betrothed to their future husbands by Father David. Willow doesn’t know exactly what goes on other than it’s God’s will. The betrothed couple get one night together until the girl turns 18 and then they’ll be married.
Willow is betrothed to David. The son to Father David. That night was the start of a living nightmare for Willow. David takes advantage of his power. He rapes and beats Willow.
Afterwards instead of going home Willow ran away. She found a couple who took her in. Those few weeks were the best she ever had. Willow saw and learned things she’d never heard of before. She wanted to stay with them forever. One night Father David, David and a few of the elders found her and dragged her home.
Father David punished Willow. He let her know if she did anything out of the rules the women must follow or try to escape again, her mother will pay for it. She was to keep her head down, follow the rules and marry his son when she turns 18.
Willow laid low. Try to stay out of trouble. The closer to her 18th birthday the harder it’s becoming for Willow. She knows there’s more to life than what Father David says. She got more love when she escaped than her 18yrs from her mom.
Willow refuses to marry David. She just has to figure out her plan. Then one afternoon she meets Jared. One look at Willow’s life will never be the same. He looks, talks and treat her better than anyone ever has. The more time she spends with Jared the harder it’s getting for her to know what to do. She does know that she doesn’t want to marry David. But, she can’t figure out a way out of it.
I read this book in two sittings. I don’t have triggers. Even saying that there were some parts that had me flinching. So dive in with a warning.
Kate wrote this story and did an amazing job. I can totally see this as a Lifetime Movie. I’m glad she decided to hit publish this story that she’s been pushing for awhile bc Willow’s story needed to be told.