Shadow of the Mountain

Not the Caleb of the Bible that I Envision!

I was quite excited to receive “Shadow of the Mountain,” by Cliff Graham, because the summary for it was so favorable.  However, after only a few pages, disappointment set in. The author states right up front that the Bible does not yield very much information about Caleb.  He tells us that he has taken a great deal of liberty in fashioning Caleb’s background, because Caleb didn’t appear in the Bible until Moses called upon him and Joshua to lead the spies into Canaan.  Apparently, the author chose to not delve deeper into historical documents written by other authors of that time period.  Caleb’s character as portrayed by Mr. Graham is one with which I am not comfortable.  I cannot see Caleb as a mercenary for the Pharaoh in Egypt, heartless and cruel.  Nor can I see him as one who rose to the ranks of a special group called Red Scorpions after passing punishing and brutal tests and surviving near-death experiences.  Supposedly, Caleb became the most excellent soldier in the land and won the Gold of Honor, the highest award in the Egyptian army and in the kingdom itself.  “It was reserved only for those who exceeded every understanding of courage and valor in battle.”

If you’re not looking for biblical fiction based on fact and if you like stories about raging battles of war, blood, and guts, then this book might be considered very entertaining.  At least two-thirds of the story is about the grueling military training that Caleb experienced, and his battles, then finally in the last third of the book Moses and Aaron enter the story, and finally Joshua.  I finished reading the book only because I said I would read and review it.  This is only one woman’s opinion – you might find it really entertaining.

Bethany House Publishers provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review.

Blessings,
Annie