What a great, quick read! I thought the author did a believable job with the setting and culture. It brought the scriptural (this is an LDS book loosely based on the genesis of Nephi's record) situation alive- of Lehi's family leaving suddenly and what must have gone through these daughters of Ishmael's minds and hearts as the families were obviously close enough for the Lord to inspire the events that occurred for them to be together. It's very cute, but also dramatic and faith-promoting.
My companion and I found this book in the church library and decided to read it on a p-day. It was one of the funniest book I have read. It is very corny when it comes to the romances and the way they speak to each other. I would recommend it to young adult like maybe 12 or 13 year olds. It made a great p-day book for my comp and I.
This book was my first taste of the scriptures coming alive. Of course there isn't a lot of factual basis to this book, sort of like a loosely based historical fiction, but great for a young girl that wants to feel that the people in the Book of Mormon are real. Super cute and clean love story!
One of my fondest memories was the discovery of this book in 1993 (same year it was published) at my local library and thinking it was the most romantic story I'd ever read. I was sooo naïve. This was back in the days when LDS historical fiction was still in its infancy. Heather B. Moore's "Out of Jerusalem" series was a decade away. If you wanted a story based on scripture, Robert H. Moss was your only choice ("I Nephi..." "The Covenant Coat,"). At 107 pages, this text is dense with a slow moving story, lots of grammatical errors and two-dimensional characters who suffer from drastic mood changes making them hard to believe and root for. Twelve year old Ari'el (did the author watch "The Little Mermaid" a few times?) is the youngest daughter of Ishmael. She spends her days tending a flock of goats, imagining where her favorite cousin, Nephi, and his older brothers might've disappeared to and vowing she will never marry. Her older sisters are some of the silliest girls in Jerusalem. Ishmael allows himself to be manipulated by a wicked Captain, who only has eyes for Ari'el of course, just so he can get his daughters married and out of his hair while his wife is dead set on marrying off her girls to the sons of Lehi, as they've always planned. This whole plot complication is wrapped up in the last few pages when Nephi and his brothers FINALLY come for the daughters of Ishmael and the rest of his family to carry them off into the wilderness. Not much from 1 Nephi is in here. While there is nothing offensive, the idea of female subjection and the subtle message that a woman is nothing without a man makes up the entire dialog of this book as the sisters' entire focus is on getting a man to notice them while Ari'el pleads with them to follow their Uncle Lehi and cousin Nephi. Oh, and God too, of course though He's rather an afterthought in everything these Hebrew women do.
I read this book as a teen and have returned to it often when I was in the mood for a quick and clean love story. It is loosely based on the historical accounts found in The Book of Mormon. "Romancing the Nephites" tells the tale of Lehi's family and their flight from Jerusalem, but through the eyes of Ismael's family. It may not be historically accurate but it brought the scriptures to life for me and made me think about the story in a whole new light. I think this a great read for the young girl who wants to feel a connection to the people in the Book of Mormon. (And feel sappy and lovey-dovey at the same time.)
I read this book in highschool after a temple trip and read it on the way home (8 hour drive). it was an interesting concept to have similar sisters in Labans family as there were to the brothers in lehi's family.
I remember loving this book as a young teen. It is really cheesy and I'm sure that the author took some liberties with the story. The truth is that it follows the story in the Book of Mormon quite closely while adding characters in.
I loved this book! It took a good part of BofM history and made it into a sweet little love story. It's very short and only took a day to read, but I did enjoy it.
I read this book when babysitting the Hennis kids. Many many years ago. I really liked it alot! I am glad that I did. It was funny, quirky and all around fantastic!