About the Book
Book: Up from Dust: Martha’s Story
Author: Heather Kaufman
Genre: Biblical fiction
Release Date: January 23, 2024
Martha of Bethany is no stranger to adversity. After her mother’s untimely death, Martha shoulders the responsibility of raising her siblings–quiet and studious Lazarus, and wild and rambunctious Mary. She finds solace in friendship and the beginnings of first love, but just as Martha begins to imagine a new future, hardship strikes again and her dreams crumble into dust.
Ten years later, Martha’s friend pleads for the new teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, to come and heal her husband. When Martha discovers that the carpenter-rabbi is connected to her past, she’s not sure she can trust him with her future. But as he continues to perform miracles, the invitation to believe becomes harder to resist, renewing Martha’s hardened heart, even as she faces an unknown future.
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It is a fictional tale of Mary and Martha and Lazarus. I didn’t read anything that I was contradicting the Bible.
There were scenes that made my heart ache. This book is a good book to read anytime but I found it especially great this week as it is coming up on Easter and the book ends with the crucifixion and burial and the Resurrection of Jesus.
I really recommend that after you read this book or maybe before ( your choice) you read the author’s note. I added this in this review because sometimes I don’t read the author’s notes.
This is my favorite quote from the book.
“Loss can lead to bitterness. Knowledge can lead to pride. Both the hard and good things in our lives can take root,in ways that produce death.” He paused thoughtfully. “That is why the greatest commandment in Scripture is to love Adonai with all our hearts, with all our soul, with all our might. In loving him with our whole being, our hearts will be fertile ground,ready to receive all that Yahweh ordains for us. So that when the hard and good come into our lives they land in soul, that will produce fruit.” ……” When bitterness chokes the life out of a man he comes to love his hurt more than Adonai. And when knowledge becomes its own reward, a man comes to love his mind more than Adonai. I have seen both things happen, and the death they produce.”
I received a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.
About the Author
Heather Kaufman is the author of multiple books and devotions, praised by Kirkus Review for writing “a charming and well-crafted tale.” She delights in highlighting the goodness of God through storytelling. When not reading, writing, or accumulating mounds of books, Heather can be found exploring new parks with her husband and three children near their home in St. Louis, Missouri.
More from Heather
Up from Dust: Martha’s Story is the first of three books in my new series, “Women of the Way.” Each book focuses on a female follower of Christ, diving deep into her history before touching upon the events we know from Scripture. Book one is on Martha of Bethany, the sister of Lazarus and Mary.
Let me ask you a question: What comes to your mind when you think of Martha?
Busy? Angry? Worried?
How about: Teachable? Trusting? Strong?
I’m afraid we’ve distilled poor Martha down into a personality type, turning her into a cautionary tale for Christian women. When Scripture as a whole presents a much different picture.
The seed of this story was planted in my heart during an Easter sermon in 2016, when I was startled into a deep admiration for this remarkable woman of faith. “Why haven’t I been encouraged to be more like Martha?” I wondered. Martha . . . a woman who learned from her mistakes and took the living God at His word. A woman who confessed Jesus as the resurrection and the life while her brother was four days dead in a tomb. Her trajectory in Scripture from worry to radical trust is one to emulate and it led me to ask: What happened in this woman’s heart?
In Up from Dust, I linger over Martha, imagining what her life was like before Christ. The story traces all the “many things” that worried and troubled Martha’s heart and the Christ who pinpointed her pain, met her in the midst of it, and lifted her up. We watch Martha come of age as she works through her mother’s death and the heavy responsibility of raising her siblings. We journey with Martha as she experiences first love and learns to shoulder the mantle of womanhood, even while coping with a father who is stuck in his loss. When grief comes to Martha’s own heart, she is presented with a choice. Will she cling to her hurt more than to Adonai, the way her father has done? Or is there a better way forward?
May this story encourage you to remain openhearted even when life feels unbearably hard, to pin your hopes to Jesus, the only One able to lift you up from the ashes of grief.
While you read, consider listening to the Up from Dust playlist! It’s full of inspirational music that ties into the themes from the book. Give it a listen HERE. Happy reading (and listening)!
Surrendering with you to Him,
Heather
Blog Stops
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 26
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 27
Texas Book-aholic, March 28
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 29
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 30
For Him and My Family, March 31
The Lofty Pages, March 31
Splashes of Joy, April 1
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 2
She Lives To Read, April 3
Cover Lover Book Review, April 4
Artistic Nobody, April 5 (Spotlight)
Labor Not in Vain, April 6
Mary Hake, April 6
Holly’s Book Corner, April 7
Pause for Tales, April 8
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Heather is giving away the grand prize package of a $15 gift card to Amazon and a paperback copy of Up from Dust!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/2aa71/up-from-dust-martha-s-story-celebration-tour-giveaway
4 comments:
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review of Up from Dust: Martha’s Story, this sounds like a book that I will truly enjoy reading and I am looking forward to doing so
This looks really good. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you for sharing the quote from the book. It sounds wonderful.
I enjoyed your review of Up From Dust. It sounds like a perfect read for holy week (or any time of year.) Thank you also for sharing the quote. I like having an idea of the writer's style.
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