This is a perfect example of historical fiction, as it tells a story we all know but with the help of the 'what if' element.  What was behind David's use of his slingshot? What if he had had help inside the Philistine stronghold of Gath? What if there had been a trader who could get close to both camps?

A brilliant interweaving of the stories of a young David and Nara, the wife of the giant Goliath.  The story starts before David is proclaimed future king by the prophet Samuel and when Nara is a young woman, also of gigantic proportions, helping out in her father's smithy.

While Nara is a beloved child, David is despised for being weak by his father and brothers but, interestingly, it is David who has the greater sense of destiny.  But both must face agonising trials before their fate can be played out.

Paul Boorstin has reimagined the story of David and Goliath along 'what if' lines and, although faithful to the spirit of the Bible, introduces new characters to bring immediacy, relevance and even greater meaning to the life of the young Israelite who would become the most beloved character in the Old Testament.

So cleverly has Paul managed this that the book has been shortlisted  in the Inspirational Fiction category of the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.  We wish him well.

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