Jezebel

by Eleanor De Jong

Set against the sweeping backdrop of the ancient Holy Land, Jezebel is a tale of love, loss and deceit - and one woman’s struggle to survive in a land filled with rivals plotting her downfall…

Her name is iconic. Her courage extraordinary. Her story remarkable.

Jezebel, a young princess of Tyre is destined to be married to King Ahab of Israel. Yet she is determined to rule her own life and begins an illicit affair with Jehu, a visiting prince at court.

Years pass and Jehu, unable to relinquish his love for Jezebel grows bitter and twisted. But he is unaware of Jezebel's greatest secret – that he is father to her eldest son Ahaziah, the heir to Israel's throne.

With the King's health deteriorating, Jezebel gradually assumes control of Israel but hatred of her is spreading across the land, fanned by the prophet Elijah and his aide, the terrifying Elisha. As they plot her downfall, Jezebel must find her inner strength and fight for her beliefs against all odds.

Set against the sweeping backdrop of the Holy Land comes an epic tale of one of the most courageous and controversial women of all time. Jezebel will enthrall fans of The Red Tent and The Borgia Bride.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Biblical, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Historical, Ancient History

359 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Eleanor de Jong is the daughter of academics and grew up in Europe, America and the UK. She studied history and politics at university, and is now settled in London with her partner. Delilah is her first novel.

Reviews

[Ashish Jaituni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jezebel - I loved reading the book. A much despised figure in the Bible. The author takes a sympathetic view of the queen and writes a nicely carved story which is probably absolutely fiction but the good point she makes is on the dangers of a fanatically driven state. The book reminds us that these dangers are very relevant in today's world. A very readable book.

[Iona · Rating 4 out of 5]

The name Jezebel is so known, but I do not know anything about the woman other than the loose image. I do not know her story or her place in history.
Whilst I am realistic enough to know that this is fiction, and has been written as a 'love' story within history - I found myself drawn more and more in to Jezebel's story and environment. Removing all the 'romance' and cleanses of the story-telling, I recognised that Jezebel has her place in the history of the bible, and of that region. I am determined to know more of her.
I put the book down with a sadness - that monotheism is so cruel and intolerant. It was then, and is still. And yet the religions of many gods seem to recognise that everything and everyone has a place - and can work together.

[Jill Hudson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected to love this book because I enjoy historical fiction and especially biblical fiction very much. This novel did have some good things going for it: an unusual perspective on the Bible, an easy-to-read style and some clever plot twists. However, it had several serious drawbacks in my opinion: many examples of sloppy writing; some serious anachronisms (silk was far too readily available!); too much in-your-face research (the author was very keen to assure us that she knew what Tyrian purple was) and worst of all, the shameless blackening of certain characters' reputations in flagrant defiance of the verdict of history. Whilst I enjoy attempts to rehabilitate history's 'villains' by trying to understand where they were coming from (as Hilary Mantel famously does with Thomas Cromwell ) I deplore libellous attacks on dead people who are not around to defend themselves! The Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha were certainly formidable, but according to the biblical accounts they were also men of compassion and integrity. This book makes them out to have been evil manipulators. It doesn't quite say the same about God himself, but comes pretty close: in fact I'm sure many readers would find it disturbingly anti-Semitic. It is always a mistake to judge people from the past by modern standards: today it may be much more acceptable to be open-minded and multi-cultural, but we need to understand why this was not the case in ancient Israel, instead of naively castigating the monolatrous worshippers of Yahweh as narrow-minded bigots.

[Richard Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this story as it had been chosen for a book club I belong to. Since the subject matter is getting close to the period I like to write about (it is set only a few hundred years later, and in the same general region as `In a Milk and Honeyed Land`) I was unsure what I would think of it. I was acutely aware of the risk of judging it much more strictly than an equivalent book from another period.

In balance, for me, this was a four star book. The historical background had been looked into to a degree, though I suspect almost entirely from the pages of the Hebrew Bible. The characterisation of the main characters, especially Jezebel herself and her immediate retinue, was reasonably convincing, if not really tied effectively into the historical setting. It read fairly well, and the "continuity errors" that others have spotted did not bother me. But the main problem I had was that I could not really identify with the key people, nor feel much emotion (positive or negative) for the situations they found themselves in. This transcended issues of accuracy and the like, and although I finished the book quite quickly, I never found myself bursting with eagerness to read on. It just did not grab me.

Now, some other reviewers have commented on Eleanor's reconstruction of the events and people described in the biblical text, and whether they thought that this was appropriate. I don't at all mind the general principle of thinking critically about these events, and coming up with an alternative version that tries to amalgamate different perspectives. However, the particular storyline chosen here seemed to me to be rather uninteresting. Basically the biblical picture was simply inverted - events and people seen in that source in one light were just presented in the opposite light. I was hoping for a rounded picture of Jezebel, with a credible mix of good and bad personality traits and actions. Without giving anything away about the plot development, I can say that this sort of interesting personality is missing. Jezebel comes across here simply as a nice person who was wrongfully pilloried by later writers expressing their own bias. To me, this came across as an opportunity lost. This could have been a great chance to flesh out a fascinating person and a fascinating period of history, but the chance was, I feel, thrown away.

There was a good mixture of personal and political action in the book, and the various, and changing, alliances of the age came over well. Eleanor presents these simply in terms of relationships between the various small-scale nations in the Levant, without dealing with the wider picture of Mesopotamian involvement. On one level this is fair enough as it avoids introducing too many potentially confusing characters. However, it also avoids the poignancy that all of these little inter-kingdom rivalries were about to be dwarfed by the arrival of a vastly superior enemy in the form of the Assyrians. Indeed, some critics (such as Astour) see the fateful fight near the end of the book (in which the house of Omri suffered a fatal blow) as actually against the Assyrians and not the Aramaeans. The assassinations would then be a calculated move on Judah's part to buy favour with the new invaders. This possible dimension was not explored - the biblical text was accepted uncritically, albeit in a mirror.

On balance four stars then - it was good to see this place and time being chosen for fictional exploration, but there could have been so much more to the story. Sadly, I think that this was an opportunity lost.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jezebel, a princess of Tyre is to marry King Ahab of Israel, but not before she has an affair with Jehu, a visiting prince, that leaves her pregnant with his child. As she moves to Israel, she finds herself at odds with their customs and their religion, whilst meanwhile trying to protect the identity of her son’s true father.

Compared to how she is depicted in the Bible, this rendition is much more in favour of Jezebel. Some of this is due to a liberal artistic licence and changing certain events. For example, in the Bible Jezebel gives the order to kill Naboth for not handing over his land, whereas in the book the order comes from the prophet and land he does not own yet. This would make her seem more likable than the prophets in the book.

Keeping in mind that the writers of the Bible and the prophets would have found Jezebel a significant threat to their religion it is not unreasonable that she painted in a more unfavourable light than she deserves, and that truly she was defending her religion in the same manner that they were. Therefore, putting it in her point of view makes a more favourable impression.

Overall, I liked the story and found it easy to read. The POV was different and the romantic interest of Jehu keeps the story interesting as he is so entangled in their story that they meet frequently. The character of Jezebel is shown to be strong in the face of opposition, loyal to her husband and her religion, and thoroughly likeable. It’s no easy feat to make a notorious figure into a loveable character, so bonus points for that.

I’d recommend both de Jong’s books: Jezebel and Delilah, they have certainly sparked my interest in reading more books set in this period.

[Daisy Jenel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book: on the one hand, I like the way that the Biblical figure of Jezebel is fleshed out; on the other, I don't like the way that the prophets Elijah and Elishah as depicted as dirty old men with designs on Jezebel herself. I think this is definitely a very romanticised view of Jezebel, and if you don't know your Bible or want just to accept this as a piece of fiction, then you'll probably enjoy iy. It's certainly worth reading, but I found the author's depiction of Judaism in general and the two prophets in particular distasteful to say the least.

[Evie Pey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, well written and engaging.

I have never read a bad book by this author, can't wait to read the next release.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story which makes you like the character Jezebel when you are led to believe otherwise in the bible. As a Christian, it was difficult to read in places where Elijan and Elisha are portrayed as the villains of the story. However, it was told in a good way to understand more the political side along with bringing parts of the bible to life .

[Hannah Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I read this a while ago so I can't recall specifics, more just the impressions the book made on me. Which may be slightly off. I would go back and reread it but honestly, I can't manage the slog right now when there are far more interesting reads. Maybe one day (if so I'll update this review).

So Jezebel was okay.

I love iconic, strong women of influence through history (I could binge read on the various Egyptian princesses and Chief Royal wives all day) and was looking for the same political intrigue, exotic flavour and vibrant characters in Jezebel.

It partially delivered but I found the character of Jezebel a little too...umm...polished? Desired by all, clever and compassionate, victimised for her religion. Yes, I can see that this woman would have a pretty hard time of it being thrown into the somewhat xenophobic land of the Jews (I don't say this as a criticism of the religion of Judaism, but as a cultural observation. Other religions often are not tolerated by monotheistic religions or the people who practise them, I myself am a Christian and admit that historically we are more than guilty of this. In fact as a teen I was told "only date Christian boys", so it's not even strictly 'historic') and when a leader brings home a pagan for a wife, turmoil would be rife.

Gosh, imagine if the prime minister of the UK decided to wed someone who was publicly a wicca or worshipped Hathor and Amun. There would be outrage on so many fronts.

So I guess I can't gripe about her victim mentality, the her vs everyone pity party she throws at certain points in the book, as that would have been the situation, I imagine. But it did occasionally make for repetitive reading. Not that she was just passively taking it, or even that she made a constant deal of it, but it just seemed like she never found much to love or connect to in her new home.

She tackled issues head on though and used her best judgement, which I appreciated.

I kinda liked the portrayal of the prophets, although it was as OOC as I could imagine for the biblical characters I was raised with. Yes, they were zealous and steadfast, but not the lecherous men described here.

When he reaches out to grope her and shows his sexual desire for her, that's when I recoiled a little at this representation. Sure, I'll go with the zealous 'madmen', power hungry and bordered on terrorist at a stretch as artistic licence. But desperate perverts who desired the oh-so-lush pagan queen? Um, no thanks.

If it had just been advances made to make her feel vulnerable to him, I may have let it slide (although it still doesn't sit at all with the image of the prophets, but then I wasn't there and all historical documents are giving one side of the story, who is to say they were as righteous as they sounded) but having him actually on some perverted level show attraction for her just put me off.
It didn't work with the rest of the narrative and just seemed like it was added to super duper vilify the prophets and reimagine them as sickos.

Fine, but it lost points in my eyes.

Aside from her being so over the top perfect, like the author's own little Mary Sue, and the ridiculous characterisation mentioned above, I found it readable.

It wasn't a gripping narrative by any means (maybe because I didn't care all that much for Jezebel herself, you may find different) but it was a fresh take on the biblical story I had been spoon fed as a kid and so I will give it a modest but respectable three stars.

[samantha ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF on page 98.

I had high hopes for this. Jezebel is an incredibly famous name but her story? Not so much. Although going into this, I knew it is historical fiction but it didn't change the fact that I was super excited to read about Jezebel and the conflicts between the kingdoms and whatnot.

The beginning was promising, featuring Jezebel realising she has to get married. Right, this is fairly typical for historical fiction; cue the angst and the "I don't want to get married yet!" bullshit. However, she just accepts it so that's a bit of a change. What I don't like is that we aren't given a lot of time to actually like Jehu before she goes and falls into bed with him. (Also, what the fuck? I know he's your supposed intended but have you ever heard of a thing called pregnancy?)

And surprise, surprise she winds up pregnant and only discovers it en route to Israel, the ruler of which she is actually betrothed to. Does she drink the purge potion thing her friend who so happens to be a healer whips up for her?

Of course not.

I don't know man, I just couldn't deal with Jezebel because she keeps making stupid mistakes and doing things that are fucking illogical. She ignores her friends' advice and doesn't stop to think about how her actions reflect on herself. (Guess I'm just too used to clever manipulative characters like Lada, whoops). Anyway, when Jehu finally turned up, I knew I had to stop because I cannot, will not endure more stupid "'"romance"'" between these two who don't even have any chemistry.

My review is only based on what I've read. Maybe it gets better, I don't know but I just can't find the will to keep on reading.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved Biblical stories. So I was looking forward in reading this book and I was not disappointed. It is easy and fast paced to read, and the novel is full of historical details in relation to the wars taking place at that time and the different cultures of the Judaens, the Israelites and the Phoenicians. I must admit that I did not know anything about Jezebel's story and this novel left me intrigued (That's the beauty of historical fiction, I guess). The historical accuracy is however, very debatable - some of the events described in the novel as being detrimental to Jezebel were apparently committed by herself to others. The novel describes the main heroine as this perfect woman who has never wronged in her life making the character less relatable to the reader and unfortunately due to this, at times her too immaculate character is rendered unbelievable.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. If you're going to take an infamous historical character and retell her story, you might want to make sure your character is a believable human being. While every other character is dynamic and flawed, Jezebel can do no wrong. Throughout her life, she is strong and good at the core while others eventually fall to flawed ideology or pride.

Reader beware: this is nothing like the historical Jezebel, but instead a creative perspective on what her life was like. Prophets are lecherous rebel-rousers, Jezebel is desired by every man she encounters, and she is a unique ruler who can see flaws in plans before the other rulers can.

[Sougata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure how much of it is true, but it's a really good read. I guess most of the stories in it and incidents are fictional, but now it interests me to find out how she actually was, and how close the real life Jezebel was, to the book's character.
My first experience of reading a novel based off a historic character plot and I'm pretty impressed.
Simple narrative, clear well written and pretty descriptive.
Perfect novel that shows how love can make or break lives...and how human being become blind in love and hatred and get manipulated in the name of God! :)
It gets a little slow in the middle, but picks up pretty well in the second half!
A worthwhile read.
Overall 7/10

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading books is a passion for me. I love to sit and get lost in a book. "Jezebel" was not a book that I was passionate about. The author used choice words that she could have most certainly used other words to describe. Some of her choice words are not in my vocabulary. I comprehend that the setting in the book was in bible days. Why ruin a book with words that could have been used more carefully. I have read other books like this one and the authors chose their words more graciously. I finished the book, but was not at all wanting to read more when I read the last page.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful exploration into the young woman who was betrothed to seal alliances between the Judeans, the Israelites and the Phoenicians. The arrogance of two strong prophets, first Elijah and then Elisha, makes for an interesting contrast with the usually received perception of these renowned Biblical characters. Jezebel shows great strength as she negotiates the political complexities of ruling in this time.

[Shanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

NOT BIBLICAL ! Claims Elijah Tried TO RAPE HER ?Where does the author get her information ? She speaks eloquently about the useless demons Jezebel worships and falsely accounts of the prophets of Yawah , the one true God ! Beware of this evil author. Read Reign of the Queens by Ginger Garrett, for accurate biblical account of this child killing witch. Or better yet, read 1Kings of the Holy Bible. Apparantly the authour of this Poor account didn't.

[Mousumi Bhattacharya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the most discussed and cussed fallen woman in the history of fallen women. In fact her name has become synonymous to fallen women. The incidents in her life that made her infamous are in the book. But, the way the incidents are perceived is different. I loved it and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction.

[Savannah Asztalos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book overall but I hated last part of the book. I was really upset with the author's decision though I'm sure it had to be done considering the historical contex. The ending was alright considering the last part. Overall a great book really enjoyed reading it :) I recommend it

[Jimi-carol Benton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good book but I found it distressing how much it went against the bible. I should have known though that the book would favor Jezebel. I really hated that it made the prophets of God look so evil.

[caffeinated reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Consider her side of the story:Jezebel, Phoenician princess and Queen of Israel in the 9th century B.C.E, harassed by prophets Elijah, Elisha and their followers as she co-rules with Ahab and introduces an alternative belief system in a strongly patriarchal, monotheistic society.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st read 2011

[Anne-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this. Don't know enough about the history to know if its accurate but it was a good read and not overly heavy or descriptive which was just what i needed after my last book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put this one down, but the artistic license based on historical events was quite liberal.

[Justin Neville]

Rating and review coming.

I know some of my Goodreads friends are currently reading this book or about to for our book group, so I won't prejudice their responses to it...

[Kathleen Wells · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful book. Inconsistencies, and didnt have much to say. I cant even say if it is "historical" fiction.

[Kim Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Looking forward to seeing how biblically accurate it is.

[Nehal · Rating 4 out of 5]

umm...the book was so good that I wanna read it once again...been sometime and I've forgotten it..
but surely an awesome read!

[Rachel Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped; I was hoping for The Red Tent but this didn't match that. Entertaining but sometimes irritating

[Masha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Will read more by this author.

[Juanita]

this book states that it is historical, where there is some history to it a lot of it is way off base.
If you are going to write a story based on a Bible character, at least get your facts right.