Take a contemporary Jewish archaeologist, Rivka
Meyers, who is a Believer with a photographic memory, and a Israeli physicist, Ari Kazan
who is not a Believer, toss them back to A.D. 57 through a worm hole - just before the
Jewish revolt but after Paul has been arrested – what do you have? PREMONITION.
But don’t stop there! Rivka and Ari have become very close friends with Hanna an
ex-prostitute and her husband Baruch, an honorable God-fearing man who struggles with a
heart-wrenching situation. This story line brings us heart to heart with human pride and
leads us to discover the depth of God’s sacrifice for us, in His son, Jesus.
Because of her extensive historical knowledge, Rivka becomes known as a ‘seer’
but she struggles with her place in this new country. A country where a woman cannot look
a man in the eye, or even speak to her husband in public. She is intelligent and can make
a difference, if they let her.
Premonition has it all: romance, intrigue, suspense, mystery, history, time travel. While
the plot is compelling, I found myself more drawn to the lives of the characters. When
they succeeded, I cheered, when they failed or were hurt, I had to read on to see if they
survived. Some of the writing is painfully graphic and real. It might hurt your heart.
Transgressions is another book of Mr. Ingermanson, which he suggests you read after
Premonition, to get the whole story of why Ari and Rivka are in A.D. 57. But, this book
stands on its own.
The author is also a physicist. I wondered what the book could possibly offer me – a
woman of words with no talent for numbers. The only phrase that threw me off in the whole
book was “phase space” theory (which is apparently common knowledge. Except by
me.) However, I did grasp the meaning by the end of the mention. There is nothing
difficult to understand in the book.
Time travel authors seem to battle the question – if we went back in time could we
change history? And, Rivka does struggle with that, and with the ‘seer’ talent,
she’s been pegged with. What if she is not entirely correct? It could be the
difference between life and death and the survival of the Jewish race.
Mr. Ingermanson tackles the task of reviving ancient Jerusalem with obvious talent,
knowledge, and research. We meet historical characters; we feel the dirt in our sandals,
and smell the meat in the open market. It is like transporting to a different time, it is
a great journey, and well worth the trip.
Since this is Book 1 in the series, we can only wait for Book 2…waiting, waiting,
waiting.
Reviewed by Linda Mae Baldwin for the Road to Romance
December 4, 2003
|
