Which Half David
By Mark W Sasse
Even though this was a modern day work of fiction, I will still call it biblical fiction. It’s a retelling of the story of King David and its done in quite a unique way.
First of all, the setting is in a fictitious city located in Asia. David is an American who is often challenged and tested by his ex-lover, a beautiful Asian woman who kind of shows up at the wrong moments.
So King David is somewhat of an average joe named Tobin Matthews. He’s a missionary who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time—or maybe the right place at the right time. Depends on your point of view. Tobin ends up being known as something of a hero in the local area because he manages to stop a group of human traffickers. Right off the bat you get a good look at the kind of man Tobin is. He’s a missionary but he also a good heart beyond his religious beliefs.
Throughout the book, Tobin proves himself to be a man of God but also a simple human being. He struggles, falls, and completely messes up but he also recuperates and finds his way over and over. This makes him relatable and more like David than I assumed he would be. David often struggled and some of the problems he faced were because of his own actions, so there were some distinct comparisons between the two men. There were also some differences. Like Tobin’s lover; she was beautiful and tempting and a bit of a whirlwind. I thought she was a good character and a nice addition to the story. She definitely served as an obstacle and, in a way, a good support for Tobin. I think I saw her as a way for him to grow.
I have read multiple Christian stories about King David’s journey and I think this one is definitely worth a read. It is different from all the others I have read because it takes place in such a vastly different setting—that fact alone makes it very interesting right from the start.
This wasn’t always a page-turner for me but I made it through the book relatively fast once I started it. I think any Christian or anyone wo enjoys biblical fiction will find something good to say about this book. If King David is one of your favorite people in the Bible, then you definitely want to grab this book today.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*