A Light on the Hill

Author: Connilyn Cossette
Genre: Biblical Fiction

Seven years ago, Moriyah was taken captive in Jericho and branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods. Now the Israelites are experiencing peace in their new land, but Moriyah has yet to find her own peace. Because of the shameful mark on her face, she hides behind her veil at all times and the disdain of the townspeople keeps her from socializing. And marriage prospects were out of the question . . . until now.

Her father has found someone to marry her, and she hopes to use her love of cooking to impress the man and his motherless sons. But when things go horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee. Seeking safety at one of the newly-established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face, and the enemies--and unexpected allies--she will encounter on her way.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

You wouldn't think that fiction could speak to you in such a way that it would end up changing your life, but A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette has done exactly that for me.

Our main character Moriyah has been carrying a burden her whole life. After being taken captive by Canaanites in Jericho and then branded with the mark of their gods, Moriyah is safe and home again with her father, but has been living a life of exile from the rest of her fellow Israelites. It is an exile of her own choosing brought on by malicious people who saw the brand and believed she was a prostitute and follower of the Canaanite gods. So she hides away in her home, covering her face with a veil so that no one can see her shame.

But not everyone judges her by the blasphemous brand on her face and through a series of horrific events, Moriyah begins to realize that her self-imposed exile was not something God wanted for her. And her life changes in ways she could never imagine. Even finding someone to love her for who she is, not for her looks.

I was feeling Moriyah's pain all the way through this book. Not because I've experience being branded as something I'm not, but because I have done the same thing she has done - imposed an exile on myself because of the way I look. While my disfigurement comes from a disease, Moriyah's was caused by someone else. Yet the realization of how God can use something as horrific as what Moriyah went through gives me hope for my future.

If you have ever felt ostracized by society because of how you look, this book will give you a whole new perspective on how God sees you. I highly recommend it!

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

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