Shepherd, Potter and Spy--And The Star Namer by Peggy Consolver, Author~A Homeschool Review Crew Review

    I received a copy of Shepherd, Potter and Spy--And The Star Namer from Peggy Consolver Author, for the purpose of a review.  Peggy did an excellent job in the writing of this book. She gained detailed knowledge as she spent 18 days in Israel with her family and went on archeological digs to gain the direct insight for this story.  She says “To actually visit many of those places changed my internal picture of biblical event from misty imaginings to solid reality.”  She shows just that change with the details that she has included in the book in the descriptions of the land and the people. 
       This Biblical Historical Fiction writing is based on Joshua 9 and 10.  It portrays primarily the life of a 13 yr old, shepherd~and defender of his sheep, a potters son~turned spy who is hopeful of a full life.  Young Keshub is the main character in the story who has a lot of responsibility that he “inherits” given the events that were happening at this time.  The story I feel is mainly written from his point of view and life. A typical teen, Keshub would rather play with his sling shot that tend the sheep, however that is not the case.  In this story, you will get an account of what it was like to live in the desert as he tends the flock, follow him as a spy and be on the look out for any uprisings.  The story takes place in ancient history before the Hebrews conquered the promise land.  It is a scary time for the people of the land.    
     In the front of the book there is a characters and relationship list.  This at first was a bit intimidating.  It comes in handy as the characters are intertwined through out the pages.  I had to refer back to it a few times to figure out who belonged to whom when I started reading the story.  
    The author has also put together an awesome study guide to the book that you can purchase directly from her.  The study guide has great information in 13 chapters to enhance your reading experience.
           Research links:  Here you will find links topics like Syrian Brown Bears or the medicinal and antibiotic properties of honey.
           Downloadable maps~provide a map that you can fill in as you read along as well as the answer map
           Finally videos!  The videos include things like:  How to make a square lashing or how to use a sling! Something my son loved!
  I would recommend this book for a mature middle school student or a high school student as I did think that at times it was a bit hard to follow.
                      You can Follow Peggy Consolver on Social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peggy.consolver  
              Check out what my Crew Friends are saying about the book! 
Thank you to Peggy Consolver Author and the Schoolhouse Review Crew for the opportunity to review this book!