Thanks to my friend, Chautona Havig, for recommending this wonderful book, My Brother the King, by Jubilee Lipsey! I absolutely LOVED it! The story of Jonathan and David has always seemed like more of a “Guy” story, but author Jubilee Lipsey brings a level of emotion and understanding to their friendship and to ancient Middle Eastern culture that absolutely gripped my heart! Plus, it’s been a fantastic book to read as I prepared to write the series on King David’s brides and the time during David’s flight from Saul in the wilderness.
Book Description
Book 1 in My Brother the King Trilogy:
Still reeling from his father’s break with the God of Israel, Prince Jonathan is in line to inherit a throne that has already been stripped from his family. The young shepherd David is the man after God’s own heart, chosen to take Jonathan’s place. Carrying a secret anointing that won’t stay hidden, David yearns to fight alongside his childhood hero rather than against him, but his calling threatens both their lives at every turn.
Instead of fighting to the death over a crown that can’t belong to both of them, the two young warriors forsake rivalry and pledge themselves to a friendship forged in the passionate pursuit of the God who called them—both.
Walk alongside two Biblical heroes as they embrace the will of God through a selfless covenant that would withstand the brutal tests of family jealousy and war—a friendship that would change history.
My Review
5 Smiles 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
This is the second five-star review I’ve given in a row, which is unheard of for me, but I was so awed by the spiritual and emotional impact of Jubiliee Lipsey’s portrayal of David and Jonathan that I must rank it as one of my favorite books of 2023. I’ve read three this year that rank in my top five favorites of all time—which is a HUGE statement—and this book is one of them!
Is it because I’m currently writing my own novel about David’s flight from Saul? Perhaps. But I also think it was Lipsey’s ability to make the hard-to-believe seem real. If you’ve read the biblical account of David and Goliath, doesn’t it seem odd that Jonathan, the crown prince, so abruptly embraced David in what seems an overwhelming gesture of friendship? Of course, everyone was excited that David had just proven God’s power to intervene on Israel’s behalf, killing a giant that was at least double David’s size. But why would the king’s son make such an emotional overture to a shepherd boy?
Jubilee Lipsey’s, My Brother, The King (Book #1), leads us into the hearts and minds of 9th-Century B.C. Middle Eastern warriors to understand their culture, their aspirations, their emotions, and their spiritual conundrum. Jonathan had watched his father Saul plummet from Yahweh’s chosen, humble king to a tortured, God-forsaken pawn of the people. Jonathan, more than anyone, understood that he was NOT the crown prince because he KNEW the throne had been taken from his father. My Brother, The King is the heart wrenching story of how he and David build an eternal bond that surpasses every human obstacle. This was the first book I’ve read by Jubilee Lipsey, but it won’t be the last!
For More Info On the Author
Jubilee Lipsey’s passion for writing began with a childhood love of the Bible and expanded into a lifelong obsession with the authentic lives behind the scriptural stories that form the foundations of her Christian faith. An avid reader, storyteller, and closet-actor, Jubilee earned her BA in English from Catawba College in 2013 and has continued to write in her spare time since then, living out her penchant for drama on the page rather than the stage. Her dream in writing is to share breakthroughs, igniting the faith of readers hoping to experience God in their everyday lives. The transplanted North Carolinian has traded the sunny southern mountains for the Great Lakes and currently lives in Kenosha, WI with her husband, Tim, and their rambunctious fur-boys, Arlo and Linus. Visit her website for shared breakthroughs and Bible study, www.jubileelipsey.com.
