I was so excited to have the opportunity to read the debut book, The Heart Changer, from a SchoolhouseTeachers.com teacher, Jarm Del Boccio, Author. While available in digital format I was lucky enough to receive a physical copy as well as a PDF of The Teacher's Guide. A, B and I all read this book and enjoyed it. It's a fairly quick read at less than 100 pages. There are 25 chapters that range from 2-7 pages. You might sit down to read a chapter or two and finish the book. It also has a couple page epilogue for those that wonder about the rest of the story. The girls and I love this!
My Book
This book is historical fiction as it follows the biblical story of Naaham (which can be found in 2 Kings 5). Naaham was the Syrian Army commander who was afflicted with leprosy and told to bathe in the Jordan River seven times in order to become clean. This story is told from the viewpoint of Miriam, a 12 year old Israeli girl who was taken from her village during a raid. Miriam is led to serve Naaham's wife. The author gives this servant girl in Kings a name and a backstory and it is fun to imagine. Miriam is deeply bitter and full of anger at her situation and towards the commander. She is also distraught not knowing what fate befell her family during the raid. I think most readers can relate to the angst that Miriam felt as she became a refugee in a foreign land. Miriam fears that the Lord has abandoned her but comes to see that he was actually preparing her for a bigger purpose. Miriam's heart becomes changed. This story is encouraging for everyone looking for hope and possibly healing. The girls enjoyed the easy to follow, relatable story line, vivid descriptions and comparing the book with the Bible story itself. I love that it encourages you to dig deeper into the Bible.
The Teacher's Guide includes questions about the story to ponder, questions for researching the setting and understanding the time period, suggested activities and even a few Syrian recipes to try. It's definitely worth looking at!
About the Author
Jarm ('J' pronounced as a 'Y') Del Boccio finds her inspiration in everyday life, but in particular, when she travels the globe, observing the quirky things that happen along the way as she checks off destinations on her bucket list. A former teacher and librarian, Jarm's passion is to make the Bible and history come alive for readers. She believes with inspiration from the past, children can be the heroes of their own stories. Jarm is content with the journey God has placed her on, and lives with her husband, adult daughter and son (when he lands at home) in a tree-lined suburb of Chicago.
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Thanks so much for your review! So happy your family enjoyed it, and found it drawing you deeper into God’s Word.
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome Jarm!! Can't wait to read your next book.
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