I just finished Shadow of the Mountain by Cliff Graham. It is the story of Caleb of the Old Testament, but since the Bible doesn't give us the backstory of Caleb, the author was free to write his own backstory. He leads the reader through the days of Egypt through the eyes of the great warrior, Caleb. It is enthralling. It should be noted that the author does not shy away from realistic (and bloody) detail in his battle stories. It should also be noted that although I do not traditionally enjoy reading of battles, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The narrative is sweeping and compelling. As the elderly Caleb tells his story to his nephew, we see the lands of the bible in a more personal way. I love that the author lets Caleb show the humanity of the Egyptian people. I was also happy to see that he put the exodus of Moses and the Israelites during the reign of Thutmosis III, which most people wouldn't care about but is a timeline that makes sense to me. (Yes, you are seeing some of my history nerd tendencies here!)
Overall, this book is well-written and engaging. It flows from the time of Caleb's youth to his old age as commander of the Hebrew army quite easily. This is the first book in a series, and as such, the book has a conclusion but not a complete ending (which means that I'm going to have to read the next one when it comes out). The author actually also includes some women in the narrative, and although none are main characters, they are important characters. Often women are left out of stories like this, so I was pleased with the inclusion. I recommend this book highly.
I received this book from the publisher, Bethany House, for the purpose of writing a review, but the opinions are my own.
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