Book Review – Elisha’s Bones

Overview

Elisha’s Bones is a fictional story about archeologist Jack Hawthorne and his search for the bones of the prophet Elisha (see 2 Kings 13:20-21¹). Hired by Gordon Reese, Jack’s quest leads him into danger and intrigue. At first, skeptical about the very existence of the bones and the Biblical account, Jack ultimately find himself having to face the implications of their existence and the God whom Elisha served.

Review

Written in the first person, Don Hoesel’s story reads well. There is a good mix of action, dialogue and introspection. One of the things that I appreciated about the book is that it doesn’t “preach” at the reader.

The protagonist, Jack Hawthorne, is a skeptic whose pursuit of the bones of Elisha is rooted primarily in his need for resolving the pain of his brother’s death years earlier. Jack’s flaws and humanity are shown honestly and are apparent to himself and others. His own introspective commentary on his faults is believable, mixing confession and acceptance with a bit of remorse and self-justification. By writing in the first person, Don Hoesel makes Jack as easy to like as we like ourselves.

The book has action, too. World travel, dangerous circumstances, narrow escapes – all these combine to keep the story alive and ticking. The first person dialogue never gets in the way of the adventure, and it’s easy to get lost in the reading.

Overall, I would give the book a four out of five star rating.