Reviewed by Saifunnissa Hassam for Readers' Favorite

Linda Dindzans’s novel, A Certain Mercy (A Certain Future series), is a profoundly moving and inspiring Christian historical story set in Judea in the first century AD, in the time of Yeshua of Nazareth. Zara is a young Judean Jew from a wealthy family. She is married to Joram, a compulsive gambler. He neglects Zara. Auriga Maximus is a champion charioteer, the son of a famous gladiator. He is also Joram’s slave. Zara and Auriga are passionately attracted to each other, and Zara is irresistibly drawn into intimacy. She is dragged to the Temple Courts to be tried for adultery. She is thrown at the feet of Rabbi Yeshua of Nazareth. No accuser or witnesses are present. Yeshua speaks a few words to the crowd, who disperse, leaving their stones at the Temple Courts. With a few words, Yeshua gives Zara incredible hope, an unexpected new beginning in life. Kind, gentle followers of Yeshua lead her to safety, and Zara becomes one of the followers of Yeshua. Zara’s journeys become challenging and dangerous.

​I particularly enjoyed reading A Certain Mercy for its remarkable character development and the tightly interwoven storyline of the teacher, guide, and healer, Yeshua of Nazareth. I particularly liked the focus on Zara and how Yeshua transforms her life by giving her new hope. Zara’s deep unhappiness as a neglected wife, her fall into adultery, and her subsequent spiritual transformative journey were expressed very well through well-crafted settings, intensely emotional dialogues, and dramatic interactions. I felt the story gained great depth, as Zara struggles with fear, hope, and the torment of her sin of adultery. She struggles with how to forgive herself, how to forgive those who have wronged her, and how to forge a new life. Zara’s struggles and character sprang to life vividly through the story’s other characters, and I loved the immersive development of those who struggle through their own moral and ethical difficulties, seeking and giving forgiveness. I loved the richly evocative and imaginative way in which biblical characters and parables, like the good Samaritan and Lazarus, are woven into the overall story. For me, undoubtedly, the stories of Zara and the key secondary characters became more powerful through the character of Yeshua, his teachings, his love and mercy. I think the most moving part was the series of events leading to the crucifixion, as well as the aftermath. In particular, I liked how Zara and other followers of Yeshua continue to learn from Yeshua’s own courage and unforgettable love and mercy. I highly recommend Linda Dindzans’s A Certain Mercy to readers who enjoy inspiring stories of new beginnings, forgiveness, redemption, and hope.