Mother of Kings: Zemirah's Story

Ordinary Women of the Bible

by Connilyn Cossette

Zemirah is sold as a handmaiden to Ashira, the wealthy and arrogant wife of Jesse, to pay off her family’s debts. But a terrible argument between Jesse and Ashira leads to Ashira packing her bags and leaving Zemirah behind. Jesse turns to Zemirah, who becomes pregnant when she is seduced by him. Before she can tell Jesse the news, she overhears a conversation that sends her fleeing to faraway Ramah, where she is taken in by the prophet Samuel and his wife.
As Zemirah mends her broken heart and prepares for the birth of her child, she learns the wonders of Yahweh’s deep love for her—lessons that she will cling to when Jesse finds her and brings her back to Bethlehem. Zemirah settles into a routine over the next few years as she trains her son to be a shepherd...until the prophet Samuel pays a visit and brings a shocking revelation about David’s future.

Genres: Biblical Fiction, Christian, Fiction

ebook

First published August 25, 2021

About the author

Connilyn Cossette is a Christy Award-winning and bestselling author of stories that illuminate the ancient world of the Bible, in hopes readers will dig deeper into the Word and encounter the Great Storyteller himself within its pages. She is blessed to be the adopted mother of two graduated homeschoolers and is a recent breast cancer survivor. She and her husband of nearly thirty years live just north of Charlotte, NC when they aren't traveling around, exploring the world together!

Connect with her at ConnilynCossette.com

Reviews

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him." ~ Psalm 37:40

"Mother of Kings: Zemirah's Story" by Connilyn Cossette is absolutely breathtaking. It displays the transgressions and failings of human nature in a blatant way, yet it's filled to the brim with wonder. The beauty of repentance, the peace of trusting God and worshipping him wholeheartedly. I can't begin to explain how wonderful this novel is, but to put it simply; it's a melody not easily forgotten.

I've absolutely fallen in love with this book and HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

[Stephanie Mccall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have given Connilyn Cossette less than five stars only once. Mother of Kings is no exception to her usual five-star record. Once again, Connilyn has taken a novel much shorter than her usual page count, thus with less time to develop a story, and come up with a multifaceted, uplifting tale faithful to Scripture.

The first thing that makes Mother of Kings stand out is, as you might guess, the mother herself, Zemirah. She is the epitome of a three-dimensional character--dedicated, compassionate, artistically gifted, yet lonely, sometimes selfish, and sometimes too fearful for her own good. She commits sins on a larger scale than many Christian authors are afraid to touch, even in Biblical fiction where we know the protagonists won't be "perfect." Zemirah also fights against the ensuing shame and grief. Yet she also learns to lean on Yahweh in real time and in increments, as many people do. She vacillates between doubt and trust in Yahweh as many people do. Zemirah is completely relatable and gives depth to not only her story, but the story of who her son will become, even though she's not named in the Bible.

The other characters are lovely and three-dimensional, too. I enjoyed seeing Eliora, Ronen, and the generations of their family again, and I loved the nods to Connilyn's new King's Men series. Other characters, from Ashira and Jesse to Jesse's older sons, Aylah and Samuel himself, all get a unique and well-written role to play in Zemirah's journey. Even those who get little to no page time, such as Yohanan, Zemirah's family, or Basmah, stand out because they push Zemirah toward Yahweh and her destiny.

As always, Connilyn did her homework as far as the ancient Israel setting and her use of Scripture to tell a fictional story. Jesse's home and fields, Samuel's community, the very roads of Israel--every location feels not only real, but true to its time period and the people living in it. Thus, Connilyn's themes of what makes a family, how love should be given, how Yahweh should be worshipped, the role of women in Hebrew society...those and others stand out that much more. They also feel developed without being bogged down in geographical or historical details, which again, Connilyn is good at avoiding but could have leaned on since this was a shorter book. I'm glad she did not.

Finally, Connilyn's spiritual threads are amazing as always. Zemirah's developing relationship with Yahweh is, again, a high point. But within that, we also get to see how others relate to Yahweh and how Jesse's family and household grows because Zemirah is in it. The scenes of Zemirah raising and nurturing David, while painful, speak to every mother, grandmother, and auntie heart that might read Mother of Kings. Zemirah's willingness to follow Yahweh even when it causes her great pain is nothing short of convicting and uplifting. And Yahweh's acceptance of Zemirah with, not in spite of, her origins and position, is a gorgeous forerunner to what and Who will come later.

As often happens, I found some "popping" scenes in Mother of Kings, scenes that stand out to me long after the book is finished. In addition to finding your own, look for:
-Zemirah's nursing of Jesse and his sons through an illness
-Zemirah's reunion with Aunt Serai
-Any scenes in the Ramah community, especially as Zemirah discovers her gift for music
-Any scenes of Zemirah with her sheep (the way she cares for them will melt your heart)
-The initial scene between Zemirah and Aylah
-David learning to play the lyre (loved the nod to synesthesia and wish Connilyn had time to explore that more)

As you can tell, I could go on all day, as often happens with books this good. But instead, I'll stop here and just urge you to read this rich novel in a small package. Zemirah is truly a queen among mothers.

[Joanna Bair · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely story that flowed so well I read it in an evening. I loved seeing some characters from her other books. And reading about David and Samuel in the Bible this book had me thinking about aspects and what ifs I’d never thought of. A very interesting take on why Samuel really needed to anoint David. A story of belonging and learning how the only place you’ll really felt loved and seen is in God’s kingdom.
And I’d never thought about it, but perhaps David’s mother was musical and loved sheep too. Very clever and well written story.

[Tina at Mommynificent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this deep dive into who King David's mother may have been. Mrs. Cossette unearthed some interesting tidbits I had never seen before in Scripture to make this an unexpected and beautiful story! I had never spent much time wondering about David's childhood and family and who influenced him to become the man he was, and this book sent me down those paths and encouraged me as I raise my own boys to hopefully become men after God's own heart!

[cindy simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this take on David's mother. Connilyn Cossette blew me away with this one she even brought in people from her other books. What a great book.

[Mary Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about another Woman of the Bible. Zemirah’s is the mother of David, who slays Goliath and becomes King of Israel.

[Wendy Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely riveting book. I loved it even more that she connected it with her previous series. A truly lovely and thought-provoking book.

[Paula White · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ There was so much in this story to ponder. I loved it.

[patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zemirah is an indentured servant to Jessie's wife. The wife leaves and when Jesse returns from a visit Jesse and one of his sons become terribly ill. Zemirah cares for them and they are restored to health. Zemirah is seduced by Jesse and becomes pregnant. She runs away to Ramah and stays with Samuel, the prophet's wife. She learns to read and write and play a musical instrument. But Jesse comes for her and marries her. Zemirah is badly treated by Jesse's sons and ignored by Jesse. Her son David is the joy and light of her life. Zemirah comes to the realization that Adonai was with her through all of her troubles and He was with her son. God did not remove the obstacles in her life as He did at the Red Sea He made a way through, He never abandoned Israel and He never abandoned Zemirah and David. Connilyn Cossette wrote Mother Of Kings: Zemirah's story. The story of a servant who became the mother of the King David.