*Disclaimer* I received an early copy from Bookish First and PhilomelBooks in exchange for an honest review
I want to start off by saying I absolutely adored this book it was incredible and had a profound message. It is a mixture of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village and a remote desert community ruled by patriarchal views.
The novel centers around Miriam a young woman who lives in New Jerusalem an isolated community run by a charismatic leader named Daniel. A man who claims to be a direct prophet of God.
When the novel begins Miriam and her best friends Rachel and Delilah are excited about going to the communities annual marriage ceremony. She already knows who will choose her as his wife her friend who she has grown to love Caleb. Miriam can’t wait to begin her life with him and as the story begins she sneaks out the night of the ceremony spying on the guys.
Early on you learn that in this society women are not allowed to speak to the men only after they are married are they allowed to talk to their husbands. Even then though it is not encouraged because they are now under their husband’s authority. So as the story begins Miriam does sneak out trying to see if she can spot Caleb among the other men unaware that her friend Delilah has followed her. Delilah is one of the “youngest” of the older girls in the community and Miriam is concerned she is not old enough for marriage but as the novel puts it “because she has bled” She had been deemed old enough.
The two girls were discussing the ceremony and concerns about getting caught when Miriam suddenly trips over a guy an “outsider” who has been bitten by a rattlesnake. Startled and unsure of what to do she reluctantly helps the stranger by sucking out the venom where he had been bitten on the ankle. Unfortunately for Miriam and Delilah they are caught by who I can only describe as the community’s snarkiest dogooder Susanna. She is a by the rule-book follower who delights in others mistakes. This causes both girls to be late to the ceremony causing great disappointment Miriam’s mother and her father Boaz.
When they arrive a number of the men have already chosen their wives after having heard God’s command including Rachel who was chosen by Jacob. Susanna was also chosen by Caleb’s brother Marcus. Miriam’s are quickly dashed however when upon arriving late the outsider whom she had helped earlier unexpectedly calls out her name. Shocked Miriam has little choice but to accept her new reality she is now married a stranger not to Caleb. Caleb so stunned by this refuses to pick a bride to the great disappointment of his father.
She spends time in a state of shock perplexed at her new reality this was not how things were supposed to go. She was not supposed to end up with the “outsider” a man she did not know. Her husband Aaron she could not figure out and immediately resents. She and Caleb decide they can take their case to the community’s leader Daniel after all Caleb had dreamed of Miriam God wanted the two of them together not her and some stranger she doesn’t even know. As her and Caleb struggle she has to get used to the idea of living with her new husband Aaron.
She hates him and can’t even bare the thought that she will have to preform her “duties” as a married woman. Aaron and her could not be more different. She a dutiful religious woman who puts faith in her prophet Daniel who promised her and the other members of the community that he would lead them according to God’s word. Aaron on the other hand did not grow up in New Jerusalem is foul mouthed and does not appear to be all that devout. He is constantly questioning her about her beliefs and “this place” and constantly confuses her with how he acts.
He likes to cook for example and that is traditionally a woman’s role. One night over a meal of chicken that he had prepared and while she asks him why he hasn’t pressured her to preform her “wifely” duties he drops a bombshell he will not ask her for that and never would because is gay and has boyfriend. She is stunned and does not know how to process this on top of the stress her husband’s revelation has caused her she has another thing to worry about. Her friend Delilah who was not chosen by any man during the marriage ceremony has been made to leave the community on the prophets orders to get an education. Miriam is at a loss desperate and unsure stuck in a loveless marriage.
Her only comfort in life is Caleb. She secretly meets him one night to talk about what they should do. Caleb is a strong willed devout man who has every confidence in their prophet. When she makes mention that she too had dreamed of him he scoffs at that. Saving only men are sent dreams by God not women and that it is not their place to dream. This really throws Miriam he is trying to put her in her place and their relationship is never the same after that moment.
Susanna though is always trying to make Miriam’s life miserable more so when she and Aaron get assigned to work with her parents making wool. The story alters in a big way after Aaron tries to reason with Miriam and explain that she is not part of a loving community run by a man with a direct line to God but a cult. He tells her that Daniel is not a prophet but a snake oil salesmen a con man and that he is manipulative. She then learns that it is Daniel who arranges the marriages. He has been living a lie sleeping not only with Susanna behind Marcus’s back , phoebe the only unmarried woman in the community and even Miriam’s own mother.
She learns that she is in fact Daniel’s daughter and her friend Rachel’s sister. The novel ends in a shock after realizing that she has been taught and is living a lie. Miriam confronts Daniel and the community. He remains defiant and so so many in the community. Caleb who is heartbroken after Miriam’s revelations and rejection. Remains loyal to Daniel’s message ends his life with a self inflicted gun shot wound. Miriam, Delilah, a reluctant Rachel along with Aaron escapes New Jerusalem. In an ironic twist Miriam’s decides to remain.
I want to start off by saying I absolutely adored this book it was incredible and had a profound message. It is a mixture of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village and a remote desert community ruled by patriarchal views.
The novel centers around Miriam a young woman who lives in New Jerusalem an isolated community run by a charismatic leader named Daniel. A man who claims to be a direct prophet of God.
When the novel begins Miriam and her best friends Rachel and Delilah are excited about going to the communities annual marriage ceremony. She already knows who will choose her as his wife her friend who she has grown to love Caleb. Miriam can’t wait to begin her life with him and as the story begins she sneaks out the night of the ceremony spying on the guys.
Early on you learn that in this society women are not allowed to speak to the men only after they are married are they allowed to talk to their husbands. Even then though it is not encouraged because they are now under their husband’s authority. So as the story begins Miriam does sneak out trying to see if she can spot Caleb among the other men unaware that her friend Delilah has followed her. Delilah is one of the “youngest” of the older girls in the community and Miriam is concerned she is not old enough for marriage but as the novel puts it “because she has bled” She had been deemed old enough.
The two girls were discussing the ceremony and concerns about getting caught when Miriam suddenly trips over a guy an “outsider” who has been bitten by a rattlesnake. Startled and unsure of what to do she reluctantly helps the stranger by sucking out the venom where he had been bitten on the ankle. Unfortunately for Miriam and Delilah they are caught by who I can only describe as the community’s snarkiest dogooder Susanna. She is a by the rule-book follower who delights in others mistakes. This causes both girls to be late to the ceremony causing great disappointment Miriam’s mother and her father Boaz.
When they arrive a number of the men have already chosen their wives after having heard God’s command including Rachel who was chosen by Jacob. Susanna was also chosen by Caleb’s brother Marcus. Miriam’s are quickly dashed however when upon arriving late the outsider whom she had helped earlier unexpectedly calls out her name. Shocked Miriam has little choice but to accept her new reality she is now married a stranger not to Caleb. Caleb so stunned by this refuses to pick a bride to the great disappointment of his father.
She spends time in a state of shock perplexed at her new reality this was not how things were supposed to go. She was not supposed to end up with the “outsider” a man she did not know. Her husband Aaron she could not figure out and immediately resents. She and Caleb decide they can take their case to the community’s leader Daniel after all Caleb had dreamed of Miriam God wanted the two of them together not her and some stranger she doesn’t even know. As her and Caleb struggle she has to get used to the idea of living with her new husband Aaron.
She hates him and can’t even bare the thought that she will have to preform her “duties” as a married woman. Aaron and her could not be more different. She a dutiful religious woman who puts faith in her prophet Daniel who promised her and the other members of the community that he would lead them according to God’s word. Aaron on the other hand did not grow up in New Jerusalem is foul mouthed and does not appear to be all that devout. He is constantly questioning her about her beliefs and “this place” and constantly confuses her with how he acts.
He likes to cook for example and that is traditionally a woman’s role. One night over a meal of chicken that he had prepared and while she asks him why he hasn’t pressured her to preform her “wifely” duties he drops a bombshell he will not ask her for that and never would because is gay and has boyfriend. She is stunned and does not know how to process this on top of the stress her husband’s revelation has caused her she has another thing to worry about. Her friend Delilah who was not chosen by any man during the marriage ceremony has been made to leave the community on the prophets orders to get an education. Miriam is at a loss desperate and unsure stuck in a loveless marriage.
Her only comfort in life is Caleb. She secretly meets him one night to talk about what they should do. Caleb is a strong willed devout man who has every confidence in their prophet. When she makes mention that she too had dreamed of him he scoffs at that. Saving only men are sent dreams by God not women and that it is not their place to dream. This really throws Miriam he is trying to put her in her place and their relationship is never the same after that moment.
Susanna though is always trying to make Miriam’s life miserable more so when she and Aaron get assigned to work with her parents making wool. The story alters in a big way after Aaron tries to reason with Miriam and explain that she is not part of a loving community run by a man with a direct line to God but a cult. He tells her that Daniel is not a prophet but a snake oil salesmen a con man and that he is manipulative. She then learns that it is Daniel who arranges the marriages. He has been living a lie sleeping not only with Susanna behind Marcus’s back , phoebe the only unmarried woman in the community and even Miriam’s own mother.
She learns that she is in fact Daniel’s daughter and her friend Rachel’s sister. The novel ends in a shock after realizing that she has been taught and is living a lie. Miriam confronts Daniel and the community. He remains defiant and so so many in the community. Caleb who is heartbroken after Miriam’s revelations and rejection. Remains loyal to Daniel’s message ends his life with a self inflicted gun shot wound. Miriam, Delilah, a reluctant Rachel along with Aaron escapes New Jerusalem. In an ironic twist Miriam’s decides to remain.