Keziah’s Song
Published March 29, 2021
The Greek empire. A Jewish rebellion. A musically gifted girl strives to overcome the brutal siege of a contested land.
Maccabean Israel, 135 BCE. Judean orphan Keziah has been traumatized by a savage war. As the Greek empire invades Jerusalem with battle elephants and a ruthless army, the twelve-year-old witnesses her parents' violent murder by their once-trusted neighbours. Keziah has no time to mourn when she's forcibly transported to the far north and ripped away from everything she's ever known.
Struggling with her new life in a vibrant Galilean community, Keziah reconnects with music and the possibility of happiness through an abandoned lute. But as rising unrest and bloodshed engulfs the region, her lifetime of troubles and heartbreak may be just beginning.
Keziah's Song is a generation-spanning, lyrical historical fiction novel. If you like sweeping depictions of ancient eras, high-stakes conflicts, and beauty found amid tragedy, then you'll love Daryl Potter's compelling tour de force.
What the Critics are Saying
“... this is a magisterial work of ancient worldbuilding, and a dramatically affecting one, as well.... [a] deft blend of emotional drama and historical reconstruction.”
“A beautifully crafted historical fiction tale… Absolutely bewitching....This mesmerizing tale will linger in readers’ minds long after the final page is turned.”
“Book of the Month and Cover of the Month for June 2021. This compelling book is a rich tapestry of war and peace, courage and endurance, love and loss that underscores the simple truth that when leaders clash it is the innocent who pay the price.”
“…an incredible job of building suspense. It’s a slow, moody, edge of your seat suspense with a palpable sense of foreboding….an entertaining and endearing tale of companionship that blossoms into sweet reverence. If you love historical novels filled with great emotion, family relations, and a beta hero, you will simply want to devour this book.”
“A fantastic historical tale of resilience and overcoming suffering....This is a well written tale, but parts are absolutely heart-breaking. There is a lot of depth to this story, and I highly recommend this”
“...the prose arises like a harmonious composition of music, flitting through minor and major chords. I savored descriptions like, “Spires of wind-borne dust appeared as sudden witnesses over the land, spying over the fields, spending themselves, and then ceasing to exist as the grains fell back to earth with a faint staccato.....”
Potter has a gift for lush imagery, bringing Maccabean Israel to life in beautiful and brutal ways.....highly enjoyable.”