The Book of Elisheva - Edeana Malcolm

You’ve heard this story before but never from this point of view. Elisheva, an old woman living in the Roman-occupied territory of Galilee, is consumed by anger for those who have beheaded her only son. When her best friend’s son begins preaching a radical new message of love and inclusion, Elisheva feels compelled to follow him, all the way to Jerusalem and his death on the cross. There she finally finds the courage to speak in the Temple, daring the powers that be to take her life as well. 
 
The Book of Elisheva, though a glimpse into the first-century life of a Jewish woman, still speaks to the human condition today in a world where beheadings, religious fanaticism, rule by tyrants, and the marginalization of women continue to our shame.