Recently widowed, Rivkah refuses to submit to the Torah law compelling her to marry her husband’s brother and instead flees Kedesh, hoping to use her talents as a scribe to support herself. Without the protections of her father, Kedesh’s head priest, and the safety of the city of refuge, Rivkah soon discovers that the cost of recklessness is her own freedom.Malakhi has secretly loved Rivkah for … Rivkah for years, but he never imagined his older brother’s death would mean wedding her himself. After her disappearance, he throws himself into the ongoing fight against the Canaanites instead of dwelling on all he has lost. But with impending war looming over Israel, Rivkah’s father comes to Malakhi with an impossible request.
As the enemies that Rivkah and Malakhi face from without and within Israel grow more threatening each day, is it too late for the restoration their wounded souls seek?
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With a gentle nod to the story of the prodigal son, Until the Mountains Fall is a breathtaking addition to the Cities of Refuge series. Cossette masterfully brings the diverse cultures of biblical times to life with vivid authenticity.
The story of Rivkah and Malaki presents a complex combination of childhood frienemies, sibling linked relationship, and marriage of convenience. I was enthralled by each subtle emotion, motivation, and reaction.
Each installment in the Cities of Refuge series occupies its own piece of the timeline and the periods of silence between each story allows them to shine all the brighter individually. I cannot stress enough how highly I recommend it and every previous work by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Until the Mountains Fall, book three from Connilyn Cossette’s series, Cities of Refuge, is a pretty good read. I enjoyed the author’s vivid details of the time period. I feel like I was right there living among the characters and being part of the story. It tells a beautiful story of God’s love, forgiveness, and redemption.
I give Until the Mountains Fall a well deserved five plus stars and highly recommend it for readers who enjoy Biblical fiction. This book should not be missed.
I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
Until the Mountains Fall is an excellent book! I highly recommend it. This is a book that will stay with you long after you have read it.
I really enjoyed Rivkah. It was interesting to watch her grow and mature in this book.
I love the message in the book about unconditional love and giving others second chances. I love how Rivkah made mistakes and sinned but her family continued to love and forgive her. What a beautiful picture of forgiveness and grace. So many beautiful messages and themes in this book!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. No positive review was required. My opinion is my own and is honest.
Each time I read a new book by Connilyn Cossette, I believe that it is her best work yet and Until the Mountains Fall is no exception! I consider Cossette to be one of the best biblical fiction authors currently writing books and I am always amazed with her ability to tell a fictional story that has us hanging on to every word but still remain true to the biblical account that she has used as her background. This is the third book in her Cities of Refuge series and it features a strong-willed young woman who has suddenly lost her husband and is now expected to marry his younger brother to fulfill the laws concerning a Levirite marriage: the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother’s widow. Rivkah rebels against this because Malakhi is two years younger than her, just sixteen, and he has teased and bullied her for years. How can she even contemplate being married to such a person?
This book relates her journey as she runs from her home, away from her father who is a priest and an advocate for this marriage, away from the young man who has secretly loved her for years and is more than ready to take her as his wife. Her flight also takes her from the protection that a City of Refuge offers and she faces danger and uncertainty. Over the next five years, on their separate journeys, Rivkah and Malakhi mature into humble servants and gain the wisdom that comes with age. It is when they are once again drawn together that Rivkah realizes that she may have run from the biggest blessing of her life, the love of Malakhi. ‘Somehow, over these past two months, I’d discovered that life without the man I’d once thrown away was unthinkable.’ And as she prays to her Heavenly Father for Malakhi’s safety, she realizes that her own earthly father has probably been praying for her and pleading for her safe return!
Until the Mountains Fall is a beautifully written story that features two love stories: the breathtaking romance between a woman and the man who never gave up on her and the powerful love that God has for His children. Cossette’s theme is one that we all need to remember—no matter where we go and no matter what we do, we all can experience redemption and forgiveness. All of us can enjoy a homecoming like the prodigal son that is recorded in Luke 15, or in this case, the homecoming of a prodigal daughter!
I received a complimentary copy from the author and publisher and I am voluntarily sharing my thoughts in this review.
Review of “Until The Mountains Fall” by Connilyn Cossette
Cities of Refuge Book #3
Though this is Book #3 of a series, it can be read as a stand alone novel. However, if you have read the other two books in this series, “A Light on the Hill” and “Shelter of the Most High” you will surely enjoy getting re-acquainted with some of the previous characters you knew in those previous books, like Moriyah, Eitan, Darek, Sophea, Baz, and Raviv.
“Until The Mountains Fall” is a very emotional story of love, faith and hope. It is a story of youthful rebellion and it’s consequences. It is a story of broken relationships, rejection, abandonment and loss. Does it have a happy ending? I will leave that for you to read the story and find out.
This story is about Rivka and Malakhi, who live in a city of refuge in Kedesh, Israel. Rivka is the head priest’s youngest daughter and Malakhi is a son of Moriyah and Darek, owners of the Inn in the city.
Rivka was married to Malakhi’s brother, Gildal, who recently died of a snake bite. Her father who strictly follows the levitical law, has now pledged her to marry Malakhi, but Rivka is independent and rebellious, not wanting to be married again, especially to Malakhi whom she sees as too young for her, so she decides to run away planning to make a living as a scribe using the knowledge she’s learned from her father. A very risky decision considering the time she is living in where women are not entrepreneurs, but seen only as property of their fathers or husbands.
Malakhi has known Rivka since childhood, when he used to tease her to gain her attention, and he has secretly loved her for a long time. Now, feeling sad for his brother’s death, yet joyful that he could finally have the chance to claim Rivka as his wife, he is greatly hurt when she rejects him and runs away.
This story will carry you through the streets of Israel in the days of the Old Testament where you will experience first hand what it was like to follow Yahweh in a worldly culture that was following self satisfaction and strange gods and you might even relate it to the present world we are living in now.
You will ache with Rivka’s old father as he prays and fasts daily, watching and waiting on his rooftop to see his wayward daughter return home.
You will be torn emotionally as you watch Malakhi try to live out his days without Rivka, wondering whether he should honor her father’s request to go search for her and what he will do if he finds her.
You will mourn with Rivka as she lives the life she’s been given, not a life she chose, but one she’s had to accept to survive.
It is a story that will capture your heart, and I highly recommend that you read it as a stand alone novel or even more so, that you read the whole series.
I received this book from the author for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Leona J. Atkinson
Get swept back in time with Connilyn Cossette’s newest in the Cities of Refuge series. Until the Mountains Fall takes readers on a journey from one refuge city to another while allowing them to experience the cultures, dangers, traditions, and daily lives of those who lived during the old testament times.
Rivkah has no idea what her decision to run from home—and her betrothed—will cost her. While she has found a semi-safe place to exist, the road she took to get there is fraught with dangers, disappointments, and disillusions. When Malakhi seeks her out five years after she left with nothing more than a note, her eyes are opened even more to the price she’s paid for her selfish decisions.
Cossette’s descriptive settings, historical details, and sweeping story of love that will fight through every challenge to thrive kept me engaged and rooting for this couple. If you are a fan of Francine Rivers or Mesu Andrews but have not yet picked up this author’s books, don’t wait to experience them.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Beautifully written! This story of a prodical daughter was heart-wrenching and impossible to put down. A perfect picture of betrayal, forgiveness, and unfailing love.
I have been a member of Connilyn Cossette’s launch team since her very first book, and they have all been excellent, fully five-star books. Each one seems better than the last until you really think about it and remember how good the previous ones were! They are all my favorites!
Until the Mountains Fall is no different! This book is stellar, drawing the reader into an ancient and completely foreign world with ease and making the reader never want to leave. As always, Cossette’s primary characters are full of depth and realistically flawed, and readers are invited to travel with them on a journey of growth and learning about Yahweh, a God of both incomparable holiness and unfathomable love. Lots of authors can write realistic settings and relatable primary characters, but I think one thing that sets Cossette apart from other authors is that her secondary characters have surprising depths as well. No one in the story ever feels two-dimensional, and each story ends up being a masterpiece because of it.
I particularly enjoyed seeing so many elements of Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in this time-of-the-judges setting. It was done subtly but highlighted over and over again for me that Yahweh is unchangeable and has always been a God whose love transforms people’s lives. As much as I loved Rivkah and Malakhi’s story, it was Rivkah’s relationship with her father in this story that brought me to tears. I cannot recommend this book highly enough – I simply don’t have the words. All I can say is that if you don’t any other books this year, read this one. It is that good.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author as part of her launch team. All opinions expressed are my own and are offered without coercion.
Once again Connilyn Cossette takes us on an amazing journey into the ancient land of Israel and its culture and people. The research that goes into making sure the cultural aspects, as well as staying true to the Old Testament, allow us to enter the pages of history and become part of the families that resided there. Her love of Yahweh shines through as she weaves Him and His love and faithfulness into the fabric of each book.
Rivkah
“There was only one choice left that gave me any sort of control over my future. Tomorrow I would meet Nessa at the boundary and determine my own path.” Rivkah is the daughter of the priest of Kadesh, Amati, and is recently widowed and according to Torah Law is betrothed to Malakai, her husband’s younger brother. Her headstrong decision to leave the protection of Kadesh and her father, and to break her betrothal, will become a journey with consequences she never anticipated.
Malakai
“But still she fled, leaving me battered and bleeding among the only remnants of my brother’s life, each of her parting footfalls another blow to the dream I’d not deserved, but had foolishly dared to hope for.” Malakai is the younger brother of Gidal who has known Rivkah his whole life. Through circumstances beyond his control, Malakai becomes a wounded soldier, both in body and spirit, that grows into a strong, sensitive man with integrity and a strong faith.
This book is full of adventure, intrigue, romance, secondary characters that are an important part of this story, faith and hope, all the things that make a story worth reading.
I loved this book and the subtle weaving of the Biblical story of the Prodigal and the forgiveness and hope that lies with Yahweh. I highly recommend this book,
From time to time, I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write a review. The thoughts and opinions I have expressed are my own.
Until the Mountains Fall is another beautiful piece of Biblical fiction in the Cities of Refuge series. This is the story of Malakhi and Rivkah and delves into the law of the Levirate marriage and shows us how and what that may have looked like.
First off, my words are not going to do justice to this truly lovely story. I was mesmerized from the first page and knew just from the back cover there was going to be some heartbreak. I was right there with Rivkah and understood the entrapment feelings she had. Doing her best to obey her loving father yet knowing within herself she would not be happy with Malakhi whom she still saw as her childhood tormentor. However, like the rest of us we can’t see past the nose on our own face and we tend to make more of a mess with our lives when we step out of the way we know to be right. Rivkah learns this fairly early on but believes as a true prodigal daughter, and a lot of us, that there is no hope for us. That we need to make the best of a bad situation.
And then there was Malakhi who has loved Rivkah for so long and truly wants to honor his deceased brother’s family line and to love Rivkah as the wife he now has a chance with. My heart broke for him as he must endure Rivkah’s abandonment and her callous treatment toward his love and feelings for her. Both of these characters I was rooting for and knew that whatever they were going to endure, that by the end of the story their love would be all the stronger for it.
If you have not given Biblical fiction a chance yet, I suggest you try this author out. Her stories consist of great characters, unbelievable odds, and takes the Mosaic laws that seem so far removed from us today and shows just how invaluable they were to the Hebrew people while also mirroring our own culture. Simply wonderful storytelling and writing.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
Have you ever read a book so deeply moving that you are speechless when finished? That’s how this one is….it latches on to your heart and you want to go back to the beginning and read all Ms. Cossette’s books again. I fell in love with Biblical fiction through this author and she never disappoints. This is my favorite though. It is rich and deep and gets you emotionally involved in the story. It is so well researched and written in such detail that you feel like you have walked those dusty miles from one city to the next in these well developed characters shoes. I love that previous characters are incorporated into the books, as it feels like going home. Redemption and forgiveness are woven throughout and finding that no matter how far you stray from God…He is always there to pick you up, dust you off, and open His arms of love. We all know a prodigal and this is a perfect example of how to extend forgiveness. I wish everyone could read this, as it is that Spectacular.
I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.
Usually, when you have a special fondness for the first book in a series, it’s hard to be impressed by the following books. I mean, it can’t get any better than book one, right? That’s how I felt about “A Light On The Hill,” the opening book in the Cities of Refuge Series. It was such a perfect story, I couldn’t fathom how the author could keep that kind of momentum going throughout the series… But here we are, at the release of book #3 and all I can say is that it’s amazing! Not only did Cossette keep pace with building deep characters and a plot line that kept me on the edge of my seat, she wrote of themes we know so well in such a fresh way.
When you open the first page, you’re introduced to Rivkah, a young widow who is being urged into a levirate marriage. (Now, if you don’t know what a levirate marriage is, no sweat. This is by far the only Biblical Fiction novel I know of that speaks of it. Basically, the Hebrew people had this law that if a man died without having children, his brother would marry her so his brothers line would have a chance at having an heir. If the woman did have a son, he would be considered the original husbands heir, not the brother who fathered the child. Weird, right? But it’s in the Bible, I promise!) So, before the marriage to her husband’s younger brother, Rivkah decides to take matters in her own hands. After all, she was a scribe who could not only write, but speak several languages. She could support herself. She runs and for five years, you walk with Rivkah and her betrothed, Malakhi, as they both bear the burdens of Rivkah’s prodigal choices.
In many ways, “Until The Mountains Fall” is a prodigal story in an Old Testament setting. The author did such a great job capturing the pain, emotion and motivation behind all the characters. For me, that’s what made this book such an amazing story. You saw the way Rivkah felt, but you also got a glimpse into her father’s heart. (Who, BTW, became one of my favorite character’s by the end of the book!) You felt Malakhi’s frustration and the siblings bitterness. All the emotions in the novel felt so real. I also loved how there was a great element of suspense in the novel. No matter what part I read, it always kept me on the edge of my seat. This is a very fast, easy read!
Conclusion: A wonderful, wonderful book! I could hardly keep the tears from flowing at the end. This wasn’t just a female version of the prodigal son, it was so much more than that. After reading the story from both sides – meaning, the pain of the one who left and pain of the ones left behind – the ending had such a deep resonating quality. This book is more than just a “keeper,” it’s a true story of God’s love towards every one of us. A must read for Biblical Fiction fans! You will not be disappointed!
Until the Mountains Fall is a riveting, compelling, and poignant tale of redemption, forgiveness, and mercy told in Connilyn Cossette’s inimitable way. The beauty of her prose shines through in this story reminiscent of the story of the prodigal son from the New Testament. With a richly painted setting of Israel in around 1380 B.C. and meticulously drawn, multi-layered characters, this tale drew me in and kept me enthralled and turning pages. Cossette’s exquisite writing combined with her obvious knowledge of Biblical times have made this Cities of Refuge series a favorite of mine. It’s been fascinating learning more of the customs, beliefs, heritage, and traditions of the Israelites during this time period.
Cossette’s memorable and vibrant characters quickly endeared themselves to me, although I must admit that it took me a while to warm up to Rivkah. I felt she was a bit—okay, a lot—impetuous, and I wanted to smack her at a few points in the story. Of course, she had to face the consequences of her rash decisions. Malakhi was a perfect hero—courageous, patient, forgiving, kind, and loyal. A superb cast of secondary characters added much to the story. It was fun seeing many characters from previous books in the series.
With a perfect balance of heart-pounding suspense, personal growth, redemption, and a side of romance, this book has a little of everything. I also loved the message of the importance of family. “The mountains will fall into dust before I will ever give up on my daughter.” This book is definitely one for the keeper shelf. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher/NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
I got lost in this book and was sorry to leave it when I finished the last page.
Connilyn Cossette has done it again. She has woven a new story that captured me from the first paragraph. This book drew me more deeply in than the previous books (and I loved the previous books). Connilyn weaves history, geography, love, betrayal, war, hurt, pain, relationship issues, faith, forgiveness and redemption into a compelling fiction.
This book centers on Malakhi (youngest son of Darek and Moriyah, whom I met in a previous book), his life in Kedesh, (one of the Israelite Cities of Refuge) and his betrothal to Rivkah. Rivkah is unaccepting of this betrothal and flees Kedesh in reckless self-centeredness. As one can expect, Rivkah’s dream of greener pastures outside of Kedesh quickly evaporates, leaving her ashamed, penniless, and shackled with blame, regret and guilt. Rivkah enslaves herself with layers and layers of compromise. Her father does not give up on his prodigal daughter. After five years he sends Malakhi to find her. Then the story began twisting back and forth, as Connilyn takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster with me exclaiming “Oh My!” “REALLY?” as I held on for the end of this story.
One of this writer’s strengths is writing one chapter from Malakhi’s experience and the next from Rivkah’s experience. By doing this the reader truly gets to know the deepness of each character. By the end of the book, I felt I knew them.
As this is the next book in the series, Cities of Refuge, it’s wonderful to reconnect with characters and references to events that occurred in the previous books. I’ve enjoyed reading of four generations in these books.
I highly recommend Until the Mountains Fall. It will entertain you, inspire you, challenge you, dig deep into your heart to expose areas that need growth, bring you to tears and eventually calm your beating heart as it slows into an incredible ending that puts a huge smile on your face.
Connilyn knows the human experience, the struggles and the path to redemption. Bravo Connilyn for a superb new addition to Cities of Refuge!
As a genre, Biblical fiction is one of the most difficult to write. The author must be well-versed not only in the ancient historical setting, but also of course in the Bible itself. To break it down further, crafting stories that occur during the time of the Old Testament adds to the challenge because the mindset is different. There is a shift from being under the law in the Old Testament to faith and forgiveness in Christ after the Resurrection, as exemplified in Galatians 3:24-25: “So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.” This change in the way of life distinguishes the Old and New Testaments and as such establishes a requisite precedent for any writing in the genre.
Connilyn Cossette fulfills these standards with aplomb in book three of the Cities of Refuge series, “Until the Mountains Fall.” Opening in the serene refuge city of Kedesh in 1380 BC, this story employs fictional main characters to transport the reader to ancient Israel, bringing the Old Testament vividly to life and foreshadowing the coming of Christ. Despite the differences of living in a post-Resurrection world today, many themes remain the same, now embodied with even more hope in the realization of the Savior. As a result, this story resonates in a deeply intimate way, whether readers are familiar with the Bible or not.
Told in a dual first-person narrative, “Until the Mountains Fall” follows Rivkah and Malakhi along a twisting path to discovering the unrelenting grace of Yahweh (God). Following the death of her new husband, Rivkah is subject by the Torah law to a levirate marriage, in which she will marry her husband’s brother, Malakhi. My heart ached for Rivkah from the outset. She is very independent and intelligent and has an arrogance about her that leads her to rebel against how trapped she feels. Still, rather than disliking her character, I felt empathy and pity for her. I appreciated that she was a female scribe who loved languages: “The dance of ink over finely woven plant fibers became an act of worship, a connection to the Creator of language himself, especially when the words of a new song spilled from my heart onto a sheet of papyrus.” What an incredible description of our God-given skills when we use them for His glory!
Like so many of us, Rivkah wants to be in control of her own life, and she ends up reaping the consequences of her irresponsible choices. Her betrothed, Malakhi, also endures the costs of her decisions, the reverberations of which reach farther than she could ever have realized. Rivkah’s faith journey becomes derailed as she drifts farther from Yahweh, only to ultimately come to realize that no one can outrun God’s magnificent grace.
Epitomizing the story of the prodigal, “Until the Mountains Fall” is an engaging story with a beautiful message of redemption. The time lapses in the narrative are at times somewhat disconcerting but contrast well with the gradual and thoughtful unveiling of the storyline. There are plenty of twists that enhance the plot and take it far beyond a simple romance, as well as tear-jerker scenes. There is some mature and violent content, but it is tastefully done, without graphic details, and these scenes are integral to the story. Although each book can be read as a stand-alone, I recommend reading the Cities of Refuge series in order, as the characters carry over and their stories intertwine. Regardless, though, “Until the Mountains Fall” is a breathtaking, heartrending, and ultimately redemptive story of deliverance, highlighting the grace, mercy, and loving care of God, our Abba Father.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.
While I do visualize from what I am reading I noticed the author has an amazing Pinterest board for this book. I highly recommend you look at it as you read this book as it will enhance your reading experience so much!
It’s just amazing how the author makes this so long ago time period come alive right off the pages. Fascinating because the time period is so different from ours yet we as people are still the same and have the same basic needs.
This is my favorite Connilyn Cossette book of all time.
The characters and story line are so richly developed.
I don’t read many biblical fiction books, actually this author is the only one who I read for biblical fiction but she’s amazing. She has a full understanding of the time period and it’s obvious by her writing she has done and continues to do so much research on it.
Richly developed with compassion,love,redemption and forgiveness throughout.
We need not worry whether it is out heavenly father or earthly father forgiveness is ours!
Published July 2nd 2019 by Bethany House Publishers .
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.
If you are a reader of Biblical history you will surely love Until The Mountains Fall. Written during the time of the kings in Bible times, it is not based on any particular bible character just during that time. A time when a man died and left no children, his brother was to marry the widow and the first child born to that union would carry the name of the deceased husband. Newly widowed Rivkah balks when her father promises her in marriage to the younger brother who in her childhood she never got along with. He always tormented her and was a charmer. She could not feature her life joined with this flirtatious full of himself individual. When her father refuses to be swayed, insisting this marriage will be good for her, she flees Kedesh. Malakhi is left reeling from Rivkah’s betrayal in running away as he has always secretly loved her and was looking forward to this union. The twists and turns this story takes as Malakhi searches for her makes for a very interesting book that will keep you reading to see how it will turn out. Loved reading of the faithfulness of God and how He will make a way for His chosen people. I highly recommend this book…..I received a copy from the publisher and Netgalley and I am happy to leave this review.
With this story, Connilyn Cossette has permanently jumped onto my list of auto buy authors! I don’t read a lot of Biblical fiction, but if Connilyn Cossette’s name is on it, I’m going to read it! She writes stories that are so lyrical and beautiful and moving. Her characters are ones that will stick with you for a long long time. This entire series is amazing!
Let’s start with Malakhi. What an incredible character! He was so giving, caring, kind, and patient (especially with Rivkah!) At one point in this story, I was telling Malakhi to forget Rivkah because she was so selfish and so unlikable. But, due to incredible writing skill, by the end of the story, I loved her as much as Malakhi! She grew so much throughout this prodigal “son” story! The ending brought me to tears more than once!
I loved that we got to catch up with Moriyah and Darek and Eitan and Sofea from books one and two. And, somehow, Ms. Cossette actually made me tear up when something happens to a character I have disliked from the book 1! This is a beautiful story one I highly recommend!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
I loved this book! As usual, this book is a winner! I have been a huge fan of Ms. Cossette’s work for several years now, and I have never been disappointed. In fact my biggest complaint is that I have to wait until next year to read the next one! The plot was lovely and really spoke to me. I loved the connections to other books and characters I have loved. I love that she has taken a relatively unknown part of the Bible and done excellent research to ensure accuracy while weaving an incredible tale of love and redemption. Worth the wait for sure!
I received a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Until the Mountains Fall is author Connilyn Cossette’s third book in the Cities of Refuge series. It is an amazing and remarkable story. Biblical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read and this book went way above my expectations. Cossette is an expert storyteller and has woven a wonderful tale of a young widow being compelled into marriage to her brother-in-law. Impulsively Rivkah flees from all she has ever known to a city that stood in direct opposition to everything she loved about the city of her family. Would she find the peace of mind and spirit that she seeks? She knew she could never go home again but would she survive on her own? The suspense of this story is intense as Rivkah faces men who mean her evil, a life of being indentured, a life away from her family and those who truly care about her. The characters have depth and reality and their emotions and strengths and failures resonate well with readers. A father who would stop looking for his daughter only when the mountains fell; a betrothed husband who never stops loving her and yet grieves what should have been; a woman on her own in an unfamiliar world. The descriptive scenes take readers right back to the ancient days and places and put them right into the story. Cossette skillfully wields her pen into the creation of beautiful imagery—“The notes of her laughter twirled through the air like butterflies alight on the breeze.” “The sound of your voice beneath the terebinth tree followed me everywhere I went, even into battle.” Until the Mountains Fall is a captivating glimpse into the life of the nation of Israel as it faces the consequences of choosing to serve gods other than the One Who Sees and yet it is also a glimpse into the life of a young woman full of grief and misperceptions. It is a story of each of our lives as we have hopes and dreams that may be shattered and as we make choices that bring severe consequences. And yet at the end of the road there He is–the Almighty God–who is waiting and working in our lives all along for our return to Him. It is a story of fears, of unconditional love and one of mercy, a gift that is not earned–it is given. Don’t miss this marvelous book, it will hold you spellbound until the end and then leave you wanting more.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher, Bethany House, and a favorable review was not required. The opinions are my own.