The Bronze Bow

A studious young friend recommended this 1962 Newberry winner to me, and I am glad she did. I would consider it a living book, which is a fictional book set in a historical period so that readers get a sense of life during that particular time.


In this case, the setting is Galilee, during Jesus' lifetime. The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare, follows the struggles of Daniel, a young outcast preparing for the big battle he knows will come when the promised Messiah leads the Jewish people, currently under the pain of Roman rule, to a new day with the establishment of a new kingdom. Daniel's family was destroyed by the Romans, and he can think of nothing else but defeating his oppressors. Daniel thinks he may indeed have found the leader of the new Jewish kingdom: Rosh, a Robin Hood of sorts who lives in the mountains with a band of outlaws. However, when a new Teacher begins gaining popularity, Daniel begins to question Rosh's motives and his own loyalties. Can Jesus' message of love really be more powerful than Daniel's desire for revenge against the Romans?


Elizabeth George Speare does an excellent job of placing the reader right in the middle of the sights, sounds, and smells of Jesus' day. Daniel's internal struggle is skillfully portrayed so that readers at once understand his torment and sympathize with his situation. If you want your kids to get an idea of what it might have been like to be a Jewish kid during Jesus' time on earth, this is the book for you.