First Line Friday — The Nameless Ones

Happy Friday! It’s been a while since I taught a Faith And Fiction Bible Study at my church. Basically, we study scripture for 4-6 weeks and then have a book club using a novel that is inspired by the scripture we have been diving into. When I saw The Nameless Ones, a 3-story collection by Mesu Andrews, I thought it would be perfect for such a class. Check out the info below about the book.

Now here’s the first line of story #1, The 700th Wife:

I waited patiently for my royal groom in his opulent chamber, feasting on the surroundings.

Mesu Andrews has made her niche in biblical storytelling by developing characters in the Bible who are oftentimes obscure, almost forgotten, or perhaps unnamed. The Nameless Ones carries on the tradition by introducing us, in short story form, to fictional, yet believable characters who intersect with such famous Biblical people/incidents as: King Solomon’s writing of Ecclesiastes, Elijah battling the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, and the Assyrian siege on Jerusalem during King Hezekiah’s reign.

Why weren’t 699 wives enough for King Solomon? Did God have some great purpose for The 700th Wife? Could she make an impact on this wise, handsome, and aging king? In this story, you’ll discover the legacy of wisdom, love, and comfort her words may have been to the one called Jedidiah—beloved of the Lord.

Someone had to bring the water to douse Elijah’s sacrifice…why not The Water Girl who serves in the pagan temple of Baal? The three year drought has developed more than her thirst for water. When Yahweh shows His power, will she continue to waver between two opinions or will she find truth, freedom, and life in Him?

He is Judah’s Mole—a digger—and like all moles he’s most comfortable in the dark, away from people. As the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, marches on Jerusalem, only the Mole can save them by tunneling through a mountain to connect a spring outside the city’s wall to an internal cistern. But who will deliver the Mole from his own insecurities—perhaps The Mole’s Wife? Discover how her gift of faith matches her husband’s skill with a shovel, and together they save not only her husband’s dignity but also Hezekiah’s kingdom.

Mesu grew up with a variegated Christian heritage. With grandparents from the Pilgrim Holiness, Nazarene, and Wesleyan Churches, her dad was a Quaker and mom charismatic. As you might imagine, God was a central figure in most family discussions, but theology was a battlefield and Scripture the weapon. As a rebellious teenager, Mesu rejected God and His Word, but discovered Jesus as a life-transforming Savior through the changed life of an old friend.

The desire for God’s Word exploded with her new commitment, but devotional time was scarce due to the demands of a young wife and mother. So Mesu scoured the only two theology books available–children’s Bible stories and her Bible. The stories she read to her daughters at night pointed her to the Bible passages she studied all day. She became an avid student of God’s Word, searching historical and cultural settings as well as ancient texts and original languages.

Mesu and her husband Roy have raised those two daughters and now enjoy a tribe of grandkids, who get to hear those same Bible stories. Mesu’s love for God’s Word has never waned. She now writes biblical novels, rich with spiritual insight learned through fascinating discoveries in deep historical research.

Tags: Biblical fiction, Mesu Andrews