Living Water: A Gripping and Lyrical Historical Novel of One Woman's Survival and Liberation from Abuse

by Obery M. Hendricks Jr.

Sprung from the pages of The New Testament, Living Water is a gripping and lyrical portrayal of a young women's search for identity set against the strict social confines of the time. This extraordinary first novel brings to life one of the most mysterious and intriguing characters in the Bible – the woman at the well. In a village torn apart by senseless violence, a young girl struggles to mute her passion for life to survive the harsh social restrictions of her people. Catapulted into a series of abusive marriages, she soon becomes a woman unrecognisable from the little girl she once was. After her fifth husband is found bloody and beaten, she emerges amid the scandal and accusations to try and reclaim her life. In the tradition of Their Eyes Are Watching God, The Color Purple and Paradise , Obery Hendricks uses both fine detail and broad strokes to crisply depict this period of early history. And in doing so, this sophisticated literary debut delivers a universal tale of liberation and reconciliation, love and faith.

Genres: Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2003

About the author

A former Wall Street investment executive, professional musician, and competitive martial artist, Obery Hendricks is the immediate past president of Payne Theological Seminary, the oldest African American seminary in the United States. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Professor of Biblical Studies at New York Theological Seminary.

Reviews

[Cindy Gaillard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first 300 pages were the hardest, and then this book opened up for me, despite my strident effort to hate it. The woman at the well is mentioned once and briefly. She has no name, and in her encounter with Jesus, His promise of Living Water leads her to become a follower. Yet the rich and detailed story of who this woman is, and why she was placed at that moment for such a time, is beautifully compelling. There is no coincidence.

[Beneth]

From Publisher's Weekly; Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information: Inspired by the New Testament vignette about the woman at the well, first-time novelist Hendricks imagines the life story of a Samaritan woman who spreads the word of God after an encounter with Jesus Christ. Growing up, Maryam is viewed with suspicion in her village; neighbors derisively call her "gibora," meaning brave and bold-qualities that girls are not supposed to have. Since the humiliating day when the Roman soldiers stripped and beat the Samaritan men in front of their wives and children, the men have treated women as chattel. When she's 12, Maryam's father marries her to Jalon, a spoiled, dissipated youth, but Jalon divorces her under the law of erwat dabar, which allows husbands to cast aside wives virtually at will. Having no other means of support, Maryam remarries four more times to a sorry collection of men, two of whom commit suicide, before finding Yeshua, a gentle, like-minded husband. She meets Jesus at the well when he asks for a drink of water, promising in return "a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Maryam is surprised that he speaks to her, as Jews don't normally have dealings with Samaritans, let alone Samaritan women. At Jesus' bidding, Maryam brings Yeshua to meet him, and Jesus sends them out to preach the word that men and women are equal under God. Hendricks has his characters speak in Southern black vernacular ("Why men treat women like that?... Sumpin wrong with women?"), which, while slightly distracting at first, is surprisingly effective. The slow-moving action and inspirational tone will turn off some readers, but those interested in biblical history will appreciate this inventive variation. (Feb.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

[Dr Jeanne Porter King · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heavy read! A refreshing read. Hendrick’s brings to life the culture and times of the biblical story of the Woman of Samaria, vividly and painstakingly details the oppressive weight of patriarch and political occupation. He foreshadows the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus at that now infamous well and her call to share the good news of the Messiah with her village through introducing us to women’s worship of the feminine side of God. Jesus and His message of love transforms the men and women of her village. This book is a great reminder of the transforming love of God for us today.

[Margo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any story that adds creativity and human-centered elements to scripture is a win in my book. Although at times this story got to be somewhat predictable, it is highly relatable to anyone as a tale of tremendous suffering, heartache, and difficult interpersonal relationships. We know where the story goes, though: redemption through Christ. This is an easy and uplifting read that puts a creative twist on a 2000 year old passage.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve ever read in my life!

[Phyllis | Mocha Drop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obery Hendricks' Living Water is an inspirational work of historical fiction. It explores the popular biblical parable of Jesus and the woman at the well but expounds upon the unnamed woman's life in ancient times under the rule of the Romans and laws of Moses. In the novel, the author gives her a name, Maryam, and delivers a well-developed character who struggles with self-identity, conformity, and the newly discovered Christian values of forgiveness, universal love, and equality.
Maryam was born with "gibora" - a strong, outgoing, free spirit; something that women are not to possess or openly demonstrate in a male-dominated society; thus she is taught to suppress it in order to avoid shaming her father/family and to make her more desirable as a potential wife. With no protection from an abused and broken mother, the young Maryam is wed to a lecherous, spoiled husband and is subjected to his perverse sexual demands. Although she tries her best to appease her husband, he exercises his right to "erwat dabar" and is publicly divorced. Consequentially, she is cast aside by society's communal laws, disowned by her father, and falls victim to public scorn resulting in her name becoming synonymous with impropriety. She is clearly a victim of poor circumstances and hard luck and even the most discerning reader is compelled to empathize with her trials and tribulations. Her next four marital relationships are wonderfully conceived and creatively written by the author. They provide much food-for-thought regarding the woman's role within marriages and in ancient Hebrew society.

Hendricks cleverly intermingles modern day African American vernacular and misguided values regarding skin hues, racial superiority, etc. which add practicability to an otherwise archaic story. Maryam struggles with oppression (to the point of nearly losing herself) and concepts of conformity throughout her life and receives the answers to her lifelong questions during her encounter with Jesus. Through Him, she finds renewed strength and courage to share the message of forgiveness, gender/race equality, and universal love among the very villagers who disparaged her.

This is a powerful story of strength, redemption, and liberation with a message that will transcend time. It is highly recommended to those who enjoy inspirational and moralistic works.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot Summary: What happens, When & Where, Central Characters, Major Conflicts[return]The author tells the story of "Maryam", the women at the well, from the time she is a little "gibora" girl, running around like a boy and getting herself into trouble for it. The story follows her as her spirit is broken again and again by the men in her life, as her father gives her in marriage, her new husband tries to force his perversion on her, she is cast aside, she finds love only to be abandoned, and so on. Finally she meets a good man, and then they encounter Jesus and she is given a message of hope to bring to the other people of her village.[return][return][return][return][return][return][return]Style Characterisics: Pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.[return]All throughout Hendricks mixes the Jewishness of the Samaritians with African culture. He also emphasizes the "divine feminine", making this a story of how the men of the village have dominated the women to overcome their own insecurities and how they must rediscover the "womb-spirit" to be healed. Jesus is portrayed as embracing this philosophy as well. The reader can feel for the characters as their pain is vividly portrayed, and the historical/cultural depiction of Samaria are also comes across well.[return][return][return][return][return][return][return]How Good is it?[return]Theologically I don't agree, but the author does do a great job with creating real life characters and throws and interesting cultural spin onto an old story.

[Shontal Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is me...Mr. Hendricks had me at Woman. He gently paints a picture of a little girl whose ideas and spirit are too big for most and refreshingly exuberant for those who love her most. However the few who genuinely care for the young girl fears for the young girl. Fear for her boldness, fear her questions of love and life, fear her ideas.... not because she has them, but fear those whose mindset depict women as something a little higher than the cattle they breed. Mr. Hendricks does a wonderful job interlacing old testament laws with new testament grace. Maryam's adventures are an old tale known and lived by today's women across the globe. Silenced just because they have a voice, crushed because they have the nerve to think out loud. Maryam is heroine crushed and beaten, realizes she is half of no man but whole woman resilient and triumphant. A great book with imagery of how one interprets scripture and is able to paint a glorious masterpiece with this novel.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is in the same vein as The Red Tent, but with an added dimension. It's the story of the woman at the well whom Jesus meets and tells her all about her life--her seven husbands, the fact that the man she is with now is not her husband. It turns all of what you learned in Sunday School about this story on it's head, as it explores the background of the Samaritan people, the cultures of the day, and what women and men really want and need from relationships.

The added dimension is that the author is African American. He superimposes the oppression of his people onto the oppression of the Samaritan people in a fascinating way.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who liked The Red Tent, anyone who is looking for greater meaning in the religious life, and anyone who is interested in the way that relationships between men and women work.

[Joy Del Orbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book about the liberation of women through Jesus. He brings biblical characters to life and they're real people. Hendricks' biblical personalities are not the kind you learned about in Sunday School. Read it soon 'cause he's writing a sequel!

[Kallee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insight to how women (and men) lived when Jesus walked the Earth; Roman rule and barbarianism, serving men, etc. This woman had a miserable existance and then met Jesus at a well, based on the fourth chapter of John.

[Michael Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fictional - an unbelievably realistic - fictional account of the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus is depicted with a sense of humor - he teases Peter about his short fuse.
Excellent. Just excellent.

[Lola]

i never finished this book out of lazyness, i plan on re-reading it soon.

[Latrell Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great...once you get past the first chapter.

[Dana Beauford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!!!