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A Passionate Hope: Hannah's Story
A Passionate Hope: Hannah's Story
A Passionate Hope: Hannah's Story
Audiobook11 hours

A Passionate Hope: Hannah's Story

Written by Jill Eileen Smith

Narrated by Stina Nielsen

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

Two Old Testament women want to be loved by their shared husband--and to bear children. To what lengths will they go to get what they want most, and will either find her heart's desire? Hannah and her husband, Elkanah, share a deep and abiding love, for each other, for their God, and for his tabernacle at Shiloh. Greatly disturbed by the corruption of the priests, they long for restoration and pray for a deliverer. But nothing changes as the years pass. Years that also reveal Hannah to be barren. Pressured by his family to take another wife, Elkanah marries Peninnah, who quickly begins to bear children. Disgraced and taunted by her husband's new wife, Hannah turns again to prayers that seem doomed to go unanswered. Do her devotion and kindness in the face of Peninnah's cruelty count for nothing? Why does God remain silent and indifferent to her pleas? Travel back to the dusty streets of Shiloh with an expert guide as Jill Eileen Smith brings to life a beloved story of hope, patience, and deliverance that shows that even the most broken of relationships can be restored.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateFeb 6, 2018
ISBN9781501966033
A Passionate Hope: Hannah's Story
Author

Jill Eileen Smith

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as The Heart of a King, Star of Persia: Esther's Story, Miriam's Song, The Prince and the Prodigal, and Daughter of Eden. She is also the author of the nonfiction books When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams and She Walked Before Us. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in biblical times. Jill lives with her family in Michigan. Learn more at www.JillEileenSmith.com.

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Reviews for A Passionate Hope

Rating: 4.508928571428571 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

56 ratings17 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story is well written and gives great insight into what Hannah's life was like and a glimpse into Samuel's.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have thoroughly enjoyed the "Daughters of the Promised Land" series and this one was one of my favourites. I have loved how Jill Eileen Smith has brought ancient Israel alive with her meticulous research and vivid descriptions of daily life, and I felt completely immersed in Hannah's life.Hannah was a character many women could relate to and I loved her strength, graciousness and perseverance. It was impossible not to share her deep longing to be a mother, especially when Elkanah's second wife bore him so many children. Despite being the beloved first wife and adored by her husband, her sorrow and despair was palpable and the continual cruel taunts and barbs from Peninnah must have been gut-wrenching for her. I hated Peninnah for the way she treated Hannah, but at the same time I felt sorry for her, especially near the end.Overall, a heartfelt, inspiring novel and a wonderful end to a fabulous series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I look for a Biblical fiction novel, this is exactly the type I'm looking for! Ms. Smith creates a wonderful story taken from the Bible, and bringing it to life with these beautiful characters and captivating story lines of hope, longing, grace and mercy. This book completely pulled me in and kept me hooked until the final page was read. I can't wait for another one just like it! Well done, Ms. Smith!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What an incredible book! Scriptures leap to life as they are fleshed out with the daily “might-have-beens” in A Passionate Hope by Jill Eileen Smith. I’m not sure what I expected, but what I found was a novel rich in Biblical truth; accurate in Israeli history; strong in Jewish tradition.Hannah and Elkanah and other characters are very well drawn. I quickly felt myself part of the turmoil that was Shiloh with her arrogant, deceitful, and lustful priests. My heart twisted with those of Elkanah and Hannah as they consider the trip to the temple with anticipation, fear, and longing.Smith’s protagonists ask the hard questions: where is God when His temple and offerings are being desecrated, the young women ruined and families threatened by the priests?Lots to love here. I greatly appreciate the spiritual foundation that Elkanah and Hannah’s marriage is based upon. I loved the inside look at Peninnah and her marriage to Elkanah. I was certainly struck by the fact that while the situation was less than ideal, one wife chose to honor God and make the best of it, while the other chose to curse and complain. Their happiness did not lie in their circumstance, but in their response to it.I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. No positive review is required and all opinions are solely my own.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book gives you a taste of life long ago as Hannah and Elkanah try to hold onto hope and faith as their life does not progress as hoped. When her husband takes another wife, Hannah must hold on to her faith even more that her relationship with her husband will be as it once was. I don't know how I would react if I were pushed aside as Hannah was. She knew that Elkanah loved her and that children were important, but it would be hard to stay nice with the things that were going on in her life I received a copy of this book from the publisher, the review is entirely my own.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a wonderful biblical fiction story. Jill Eileen Smith knows how to bring biblical characters to life. She can take a paragraph from the Bible and make you understand what was going on in these peoples minds. She makes me laugh and cry. I received a copy of this book from Revell and from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Every book that I have read by this author, I have thoroughly enjoyed. I just love how Mrs. Smith truly brings to life the stories of the women of the Bible and faith. This book was no exception. Instantly, I fell in love with Hannah and Elkanah. They were a great couple. Even stronger for all of the trials and tribulations that that endured along the way. Their faith for sure was tested. Everyone around them was against them. Although, Penninnah was rude towards Hannah, I felt bad for her. She was coached into hating Hannah from the very beginning. Yet, through it all she was just looking for love and affection from her husband. That is what I believe that we all want. This is such a lovely story filled with interesting and personable characters. I could not stop reading. The ending was great. There was one quote from the ending that I loved "God did not look on the outward person but on the inner workings of the heart".
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Although I have read the story of Hannah from 1 Samuel numerous times, I have never read a fictionalized account of her life. Hers is a story worth telling, and I am so glad that Jill Eileen Smith has included it in her Daughters of The Promised Land series. A Passionate Hope is an outstanding novel and probably my favorite so far by Smith. Both Hannah’s personal story and the culture that she lived in comes alive in this sometimes sad, sometimes poignant, and ultimately victorious retelling of the Biblical narrative. If you are a fan of Biblical fiction, this book is a must-read.Hannah is very much a woman of her time — dutiful to family and God, her greatest desire is to be the mother of sons to her husband Elkanah. But tragically, her prayers go unanswered year after year. In a culture where children are an important inheritance from the Lord, Hannah’s empty arms mean scorn, derision, pity, and despair. Hannah’s barrenness is seen as a failure on her part, and her husband has every right to take another wife to bear him a child. When Elkanah does just that, God’s plan for marriage is overturned for what man reasons to be the the correct course.I loved the character of Hannah as portrayed by Smith. She remains strong in her faith in God, despite the unfair treatment by her husband’s family and his second wife, Penninah. But her faith reflects those of us all — doubt and sorrow often creep in. Her question to God — Do You see me? — resonated with my heart. But Hannah remains firm in her trust in God, even when Elkanah is persuaded by others to help God along by marrying someone to bear him children. I couldn’t help but like Elkanah, but he is a flawed character. In the Bible, as well as in the novel, he asks Hannah why he isn’t enough for her. But he never believes Hannah can be enough. That’s the overpowering pull of cultural expectations. In our modern world we can see how wrong his reasoning is, but aren’t there things that we place higher than important relationships (including our relationship with God)? Penninah is a disagreeable character in the Bible, and in A Passionate Hope she isn’t any better. As portrayed in the novel, Penninah is very human in her desire for love and her jealous and bitter behavior towards Hannah. No, I didn’t like Penninah, but I could see why she became the way she was. The corruption of the priesthood during this time in Israel’s history as depicted by Smith showed the importance of Samuel’s birth and made me want to reach for my Bible to see just what was going on. The best of Biblical fiction does that, and A Passionate Hope is one of the best.A Passionate Hope is well-written and well-researched. Its pages will help you see the Bible with fresh eyes and will urge you to read for yourself God’s word.Highly Recommended.Audience: adults.(Thanks to Revell for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love biblical fiction stories. A Passionate Hope, by Jill Eileen Smith, tells the story of the biblical woman, Hannah. It is the fourth Daughter’s of the Promised Land book series, and is a great stand-alone book. Though little is mentioned about her in the Bible, this story is created in such a way that it gives us a taste of what it was like for her during her life. The customs, the living conditions, dangers, and more, are highly researched and make the story come alive. The mix of history and fiction not only entertains, but also teaches us so much of the time of the Judges. I feel I’ve learned so much.There is limited Biblical information on Hannah. We know that she was barren and yearned for children. In A Passionate Hope, Hannah’s story is fleshed out, instilling emotions, hardships, and fears, as well as faith, redemption, and patience. I learned so much about the lifestyles and customs of the characters. Hannah: I adore her and the way she chose to live her life—in reverence to God and His ways. We would all do well to have her faith, strength, and perseverance.Elkanah: He loves Hannah so much—but I have to say, he frustrated me at times. I wanted him to be stronger, more assertive, but he was annoyingly passive at times. He is a good man, but felt rather weak.Peninnah: She is the perfect antagonist! She made me so angry (which is a good thing—creating tension and kept me turning pages.) I had sympathy for her, yet I wanted to make her go away as well. I love a character that creates strong feelings in me!The secondary characters are memorable as well, and add so much to the story.I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Biblical Fiction. This is a deeply emotional and memorable book.Cover: LoveTitle: LovePages: 368Publisher: RevellFirst Line (Prologue): Hannah walked with her father and brothers and fellow Kohathites from Ramathaim-zophim in the hills of Ephraim, nearly skipping for joy at the chance to accompany them Shiloh during their week of work.I was blessed to receive a complimentary copy of this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Do you like Biblical Fiction? If so, you will not be disappointed in this story. We all know that Hannah gave Samuel back to God, but this book shows us what Hannah's life might have been like. The story is very well written. The characters are very well developed. You feel like you could be Hannah's sister or neighbor. The story flows well and doesn't drag at all. It also isn't so fast-paced you get lost or left behind. It starts with Hannah as a young teen and follows her story through her adult life. Even though this is fiction, it is a very believable account of how her life may have been. I was interested from the very beginning and was not disappointed at all. It is not at all a preachy kind of book. It does show Hannah's faith and what that kind of faith can do for a person. It is a very uplifting story, although Hannah's life is definitely not a bed of roses. I asked Baker Publishing for a chance to read and review this book and was given the book to review. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and any who like a good, historical Christian fiction book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I won this off of LibraryThing give away.I have rad other books by this author and have enjoyed them a lot , and this one did not let me downThe book is a based on the Bible story of Hannah a woman of God. I found it took me a little to get into the story, but once I did I found the story interesting and the characters where done very well.Hannah is a young woman of marring age. She has look forward to the day she will be married andhave children. She is the favorite wife of Elkanch and the a rival to his second wife. Elkanch has beenpressed by his parents to take a second wife who can bear him a son. Hannah has not been able toproduce a son which is much favored to carry on the blood line of the father. Hannah has prayed thatGod would show favor on her and give her a child.Hannah's love for God is pure and she stand's by her faith and her love for her husband. She struggle withher self worth and does not understand why God has not answered her prayer. She has no one to turn toPeople are blaming her for not giving her husband a son.The story show us the struggle of Abram's wife Sara and how God did finally give her a son. So Hannahwill find that God will answer her prayers and what he has in store for her son. We just have to hold on andnot let go of what be believe and keep faith
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I'm not sure how I feel about fictionalizing people in scripture. It somehow feels inappropriate. That said, the book was very slow to get into and did not hold my interest. I don't know that I would actually recommend the book to anyone.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I don't have a lot of experience in reading Biblical fiction, but I did find the book to be interesting and well-written. The story of Hannah is a difficult one. She's the favorite wife of Elkanah and Peninnah's rival. But Hannah struggles with her own self-worth. As a barren woman, she feels awful about her inability to conceive and bear a child. Peninnah and her mother are no help to this situation. They do everything possible to make Hannah feel disgraced and a lesser woman. Elkanah demonstrates his love for Hannah by giving her a double portion of what he gave Peninnah. While that was nice, I never really felt that he stood up for Hannah and used his authority as husband to put Peninnah in her place. In the true story of Hannah, I have to wonder if Elkanah ignored all these opportunities to tell Peninnah that she had crossed the line way too many times.All that aside, the story is a good one. People who struggle with infertility can probably relate the frustrations that Hannah felt during this time. The author does a good job in bringing out the fact that Hannah is not the only one who struggled with this. Sarai (Abram's wife) and Rachel (Jacob's wife) also experienced the same frustrations. The cultural expectations were very high at this time. If you could bear a child, you were worthy. If you couldn't, you were looked down upon. But in the eyes of God, we are still valuable and loved
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    In A Passionate Hope, Jill Eileen Smith shows the longing of a wife to give a son to her husband. She illustrates with feeling the desire of women to fulfill their God-given role and the pain when that role isn’t fulfilled. She must compete with a second wife, who is able to fulfill her child-bearing responsibility, but suffers from rejection from the same husband. She retells a wonderful story of hope, love, and deliverance.I struggled to get into the book. Several chapters of wishing for marriage and getting there without any difficulty, made the pace slow and ho-hum.The majority of action was internal anguish: change the setting with the same thing happening. The repetition stalled the plot.I would like to have seen Hannah and her husband as humans, not just suffering saints. I felt their pain, but they suffered silently, with only a hint of quiet anger, nothing to show a “chink in their armor.” They were imperfect people that God used.SPOILER: I understand wanting to end the book quickly after the main event, but there was no indication of any change. Resolution between the rivals happened without any lead in or indication of change, just “puff” it was resolved and a miracle happened.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Smith tells the story of the biblical Hannah. When Hannah fails to provide an heir to her husband Elkanah, he is pressured by his family to take a second wife, Peninnah. As Peninnah gives birth to one child after another, Hannah fears that she will lose her husband's love. At the same time, Peninnah does not miss an opportunity to remind Hannah of her barrenness.Smith fills in the biblical sotry with details from the time and culture, bringing her characters to life. While much of the story is fictional, the biblical narrative is also maintained. There are a few sections where Hannah's despair and Peninnah's taunts become tedious, but overall this is a wonderful story of God's unfailing love for his people, even when it seems like He doesn't hear their prayers, and our need to trust Him and His timing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I don't often read Christian fiction, but I am always captivated by Jill Eileen Smith's tales about women in the bible. The bible mentions the women she writes about but with little detail about their lives, and what Ms. Smith creates about their world and their lives in biblical times is truly fascinating and of course plausible. Many of the same issues women faced back then are issues women still face today; barren wombs, problems with their husbands, jealousy, etc. That is one reason why the bible remains the top-selling book of all time - it's relatable (of course Christians buy it but that is perhaps why it's so popular). Hannah's story is so poignant as well. The beloved wife is barren so that the husband is forced to take another wife, one that is mean to Hannah at every turn, until a vow is made and a miracle happens, with more to come. It's a timeless story that could just as easily be from this year instead of from roughly a thousand years before Christ. (Well, maybe not with the polygamy but I hope you understand what I mean). If you're looking for a dense tome, this is not the novel for you, but if you want a light, pleasurable historical fiction novel about biblical times, this is the book for you!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Bible stories often encapsulate years of history into a few short verses. Further, the stories focus on God's interaction and intervention with His people (and rightfully so; that's what it's all about), but it often leaves readers wondering about the details. The people. What they wore. Their backstories. We'll hear the real stories in Heaven, but in the meantime, writers like Jill Eileen Smith help us out a little."A Passionate Hope" is a well-written, well-researched expansion of the story of Hannah, a beloved bride who couldn't conceive. The extra-biblical details are plausible and respectful, and gives us a broader appreciation of the first couple chapters of 1 Samuel. A good, light, gentle read.