Bronze Bow

Rating:
Summary: It started out as a school project, but my view changed.....
Review: When I first received the book in my grade eight class, I thought, oh man, another book that will have no affect on me whatsover, etc etc. I was wrong. Though it took quite a few chapters to find out what the bronze bow was, I definitely feel that it's one of the best books I've read. The author, Elizabeth George Speare, portrayed the characters, especially Daniel, very, very well. I couldn't put the book down! Soon it didn't become just a reading homework assignment. While reviewing the book and making up questions, I found it very interesting, the way love was shown. Jesus' love was quite evident and I loved the way Daniel was drawn to Him. As a Christian, I belive Jesus was portrayed very well. The plot was good, new problems peaking around every corner, and Samson really touched my heart :). I recommend it for anyone my age to 90! Also, in the book it shows that love can overcome war and hate that Daniel has towards the Romans. Hate can try to bend a bow of bronze (taken from a psalm of David, this was there "password"), but love does a much better job. :)

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME BOOK!
Review: I personally thought this was a really good book. Yeah, I read someone's comment that the author doesn't explore Judaism, but that's not the issue here. The point of the story is how love can change a person. I really liked the characters, and I thought it was an awesome book. I liked 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond' too.

Rating:
Summary: This is a historic-fiction book of a young Jewish man.
Review: The story takes place in Galilee during the life of Jesus and the Roman rule. A young Jewish man named Daniel bar Jamin and his friend Joel bar Hezron both want the Romans to flee Galilee forever. They make a plan and gather all of the young men who hate the Romans. They call themselves the "Bronze Bow." They named themselves after a part of the song of David. "God shall train my hands for war so I can bend a bow of bronze," is running through their heads. But soon Daniel is taken in by the words of Jesus.

Rating:
Summary: Speare at her best
Review: Elizabeth George Speare's sense of compassion and trust shines through in this novel.Her characters come alive with a special sense of love.Jesus may be in the story,but religon isn't the issue-love is.The best bronze bow is bent by compassion, forgiveness and understanding-as Daniel realizes when he tries too hard to bend the bow through war and hate.The actual(small)bronze bow in the story that Daniel makes as a gift truly reprsents the best bronze bow-made through love.

Rating:
Summary: Truly Captivating
Review: The first time I read The Bronze Bow I read it at intervals.The second time I read the story,it was all the way through.I found that I wanted to read the story all the way through the more I reread it-and also the more I reread The Bronze Bow,the more I saw-depictions of love,character and childlike faith.I'd recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: How a life can turn around
Review: The Bronze Bow has more than one message and a truly special story of how one youngman's life can change from one of mindless hate to one of mindful love.This is the real truth behind the tale,as Daniel learns to see his longtime leader for what he really is-an outlaw.He learns how graditude can become devotion and sacrifice.He sees the value of friendship and the closeness of love.Love is not inspired by hate,fear or prejudice.He realizes war could bend a bow of bronze-but love can bend a much better one.

To think this was written in the early 60s-years before the slogan,"Make love,not war!"

Rating:
Summary: Compelling and Moving
Review: I couldn't put this down!The Bronze Bow is such a marvelous story-with such meaningful dialouge and lessons about prejudice and faith and love.

Daniel has much to understand,and he realizes at the end that love and faith can have so much more power than hate and prejudice.Joel is someone who learns in his own way the values of chairty over violence.Thacia truly had a special love which Daniel realized over time.She also grew to have faith in Jesus-and in her own pure,sweet,simple, childlike,darling way so did Leah.

Rating:
Summary: I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!
Review: The Bronze Bow was one of the best books I've ever read! I love this kind of historical fiction, including others like Johnny Tremain, Dragonwings, etc. This book was so gripping, I just could not put it down! I loved it! The characters were very interesting and the author's perspectives gave me a new view of Jesus and what life was like during the 1st century AD. It helped me understand Jesus more. Daniel's character changed for the better, and Leah really opened up and wanted to know more about Jesus. I also like the sub-plot about Joel and his sister Malthace, although I still wonder about Rosh and his band of thieves. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has an open and mature mind. It's not just for kids, but for adults, too.

Rating:
Summary: A Special Love Story
Review: At first,I thought it was going to be another one of those religous books.It took chapters to get to the reason for the title.But then,something happened as I was reading.

The lessons of love impressed me deeply.There are many kinds of love here-the love of God,a lesson in loving your enemies,love which stems from graditutde,love between friends,love between brother and sister,love between man and woman.

The love between Marcus and Leah is a case of a lonely young man and a frightened young woman each helping one another.The love between Daniel and Thacia is mutual admiration,regard and closeness. Many kinds of love can really bend the bronze bow.

Rating:
Summary: A compelling,marvelous story
Review: I was amazed when I first read The Bronze Bow.The novel is gripping,and truly shows how love can be a stronger force than mindless hate.I doubt that religon is a real issue here.All jews weren't Zealots then,and Jesus wasn't trying to start a new religon.He was merely showing us the Way to Heaven,which many jews knew already.The author,a Sunday School Teacher when she wrote the book, wanted to show what Jesus was really teaching.He was a Man of God!

I read that Mrs.Speare,having written other novels where the main character was female,had originaly intended for her main character to be female.Yet the more research she did into the Judean way of life during that time,the more she realized her main character had to be male.Yet this did not stop her from giving identity and personality to the women in her story.Thacia and Leah are both wonderful-each in her own,special way.