Praise for By the Waters of Babylon

“I absolutely loved it, from start to finish. A real page turner with a main character that gets inside of your head and heart.”
—B. A., the Netherlands

“By the Waters of Babylon by Christopher Farrar is a wonderful read, full of engrossing characters, set in a fast-moving plot that puts the reader in a time of ancient empires and national tragedy for the people of Judea and Jerusalem. . . . The protagonist, a precocious twelve-year-old girl named Ya’el, is a delight and a heartbreaker. She is a sort of proto-feminist who insists on learning to read and write and dreams of a school where she will teach all children these skills, both boys and girls. She studies the scrolls with a respectful but critical eye and voices profound questions of both man and God. . . . By the Waters of Babylon powerfully portrays the variety of emotional responses to disaster and exile as well as the refusal to despair of the ultimate victory of return and redemption.”
—G. H., USA

“Kudos to you. I really enjoyed the story. The characters stuck with me from one reading to the next, and I cared about what happened to Ya’el and Abir-ilu in particular, as well as others.”
—N. K., USA

“We see this headstrong, often impulsive, sometimes uncompromising, definitely courageous girl of twelve, encounter criticism and even rejec-tion from some of her fellow captives because she is different, because she challenges the norms. We find her making bitter enemies of two of the soldiers but engaging in a friendship of sorts with a third, and earning the respect of their captain. Yet in spite of Ya’el’s plight, in spite of the dire conditions she experiences daily, we see her love for learning, her thirst for a deeper knowledge of [God], prompt her to persuade one of the three priests to teach her from the sacred scrolls he managed to salvage from the burning Temple. One of these is from the hand of Jeremiah. . . .
“As Ya’el eventually comes to be appreciated by her fellow captives, these scrolls, this poem, provide for a very emotional ending to this story. At least for me, evoking unexpected tears. I cried.”
—P. K., USA

“I just finished reading By the Waters of Babylon; my copy came just before Christmas. I very much enjoyed it! I loved the historic and linguistic de-tails, Ya’el’s strong character, and the way her confidence grows through-out the story.”
—S. C., USA

“The story is of Ya’el, a young Judean girl on the long exile to Babylon. Will she survive the journey, can she freely utilize her talents and voice, or will she become a slave? This book is about biblical history, but for me it resonates because of a young girl who is divergent—will she have the courage to create a new brighter path for herself and others, or will she succumb to society’s mores? A story from biblical times that resonates with today.”
—Amazon customer

“This well-researched novel [that] gave me a better understanding of the Babylonian Captivity through compelling fictional characters (and some actually historic characters such as the Prophet Jeremiah). The story of Ya’el, an intelligent twelve-year-old girl with a gift for languages, is emo-tionally authentic. Those interested in biblical archeology, and the geog-raphy and culture of 6th century BCE kingdom of Judah, will find much to appreciate. Highly recommended.”
—Amazon customer

“Although the genre of this story is commonly referred to as Historical Fiction, I would call this book Historical ‘Faction,’ as the author skill-fully weaves in much fascinating information about the geography, eco-system, language, and peoples of the region involved. Very stimulating; I will be interested now in exploring more about the land and history of that region.”
—H. L., USA

“This is an engaging and compelling narrative. Farrar weaves his biblical, historical, and linguistic expertise into a lively and very readable fictional narrative about the Babylonian exile. His protagonist is a sharp-mind-ed—and sharp-tongued!—twelve-year-old girl, through whom Farrar is able to bring a modern sensibility to his historical narrative in a way that is believable and fascinating.”
—Amazon customer

“I just finished this book and very much enjoyed it. I have not read any historical fiction for quite some time, but I was intrigued by the biblical background. While it is fiction, it brings so much life to the biblical ac-counts of the exile of Judea. I immediately looked for other books written by this author. None yet, but I will keep watching for more.”
—Amazon customer

“As someone who spent years researching Psalm 137 for my book Song of Exile (Oxford), I always wondered about the conditions on the ground for the Judean exiles marching to Babylon. The Bible is almost silent. Christopher Farrar has done an outstanding job imagining this trauma, focusing on a plucky but plausible pubescent named Ya’el. He brings the terrain of greater Babylon to life—all its sights, smells, tastes, insects, dust and heat—along with the complex relationships among and be-tween Judean captives and Chaldean soldiers. And he keeps us hooked in the suspense of hoping Ya’el will somehow survive all the perils that engulf her. We’ll never know how or by whom the psalm was written, but Farrar creates a compelling backstory.”
—D. Stowe, author of Song of Exile, USA

“This is a beautifully written book about a fascinating period of time. The plot and characters created a connection to history that brought it to life. Looking forward to what comes next from this author.”
—J. D., USA

“This book is exceptionally well researched creating a unique glimpse into the Jewish people’s exile into Babylon. Written from a young woman’s perspective, the author gives us insight into this ancient world of belief and of gender. By the Waters of Babylon takes the reader on a journey along with the Jewish people, as they are forced to leave their land and go toward an unknown future. The book will intrigue and in-form. It is a wonderful addition to the historical understanding of this time in Jewish history, but it has universal appeal as a personal account of one woman’s story.”
—Amazon customer

“The journey is difficult for the captives, the captors and the readers, who find themselves not viewing the trek, but joining it. With Biblical guidelines, the author resurrects a time when life was short and cheap… where exceptions to gender and class roles were breathtakingly limited. No Phoenix here. Yet Ya’el, a female in the last whiff of childhood, by luck or G-d’s design, fulfills the role of amanuensis to those who knew, instinctively, the importance of the written word and its place in the thin, weaving thread of history.”
—J. M., USA

“Takes you from sadness to hope. This well-written novel mixes historical truth with imaginative plots, taking you on a thought-provoking journey to the past. I look forward to his next book.”
—Amazon customer

“A fascinating book! As I read it, I thought, Nothing happens—but it is still spellbinding. It isn’t true that nothing happens—Jerusalem falls to a siege and the survivors are herded on a long journey to a new land where they become farmers for the Babylonians. But the daily picture is very small scale—what happens in the life of a young girl, not yet a woman and yet full of intelligence and self-assertion. For her intelligence (and lack of awareness of other people’s feelings) she suffers greatly and is attacked several times by one of her captors. But the bare outlines of the plot do not do justice to the quality of the writing—evocative, historically informed, full of small details and characters that make it interesting. The protagonist, frustrating and irritating as she is at times, “This book is exceptionally well researched creating a unique glimpse into the Jewish people’s exile into Babylon. Written from a young woman’s perspective, the author gives us insight into this ancient world of belief and of gender. By the Waters of Babylon takes the reader on a journey along with the Jewish people, as they are forced to leave their land and go toward an unknown future. The book will intrigue and in-form. It is a wonderful addition to the historical understanding of this time in Jewish history, but it has universal appeal as a personal account of one woman’s story.”
—Amazon customer

“The journey is difficult for the captives, the captors and the readers, who find themselves not viewing the trek, but joining it. With Biblical guidelines, the author resurrects a time when life was short and cheap… where exceptions to gender and class roles were breathtakingly limited. No Phoenix here. Yet Ya’el, a female in the last whiff of childhood, by luck or G-d’s design, fulfills the role of amanuensis to those who knew, instinctively, the importance of the written word and its place in the thin, weaving thread of history.”
—J. M., USA

“Takes you from sadness to hope. This well-written novel mixes histor-ical truth with imaginative plots, taking you on a thought-provoking journey to the past. I look forward to his next book.”
—Amazon customer

“A fascinating book! As I read it, I thought, Nothing happens—but it is still spellbinding. It isn’t true that nothing happens—Jerusalem falls to a siege and the survivors are herded on a long journey to a new land where they become farmers for the Babylonians. But the daily picture is very small scale—what happens in the life of a young girl, not yet a woman and yet full of intelligence and self-assertion. For her intelligence (and lack of awareness of other people’s feelings) she suffers greatly and is attacked several times by one of her captors. But the bare outlines of the plot do not do justice to the quality of the writing—evocative, historically informed, full of small details and characters that make it interesting. The protagonist, frustrating and irritating as she is at times, still has an intelligence and will to learn that earns the admiration of the reader, and eventually of key members of her surviving community.

“I think the book, like the protagonist, is likely to appeal to a variety of people. Other girls her age, equally intelligent, are likely to find her very appealing. People interested in having Biblical history brought to life will likewise find it enthralling. The author by no means hits you over the head with his scholarship, but it is evident that he knows whereof he speaks, in terms of the history in the Bible and elsewhere and his references to the development of Jewish beliefs. He gives a little more background at the end of the book. Ultimately, however, it is the story of the young girl at the heart of the story that carries it. As in the book, you either love her or are exasperated by her—or a little of both. But you can’t put her down.”
—D. C., USA

“Christopher Farrar’s debut novel melds the biblical with historical fic-tion. Ya’el, a precocious twelve-year-old, is orphaned, captured, and being herded to Babylon during the Babylonian exile. By the Waters of Bab-ylon is her story. Ya’el reads, writes, is inquisitive and intelligent, skills and attributes not accepted and threatening to men and women, alike. Undeterred by her social isolation, Ya’el continues her learning during the forced march. She reads and interprets written scrolls with a willing teacher, scrolls that unbeknownst to her will become the Hebrew Bible. Mr. Farrar’s linguistic and biblical archeology knowledge is evidenced throughout the novel and in his addendums. The story this author cre-ated along with his biblical explanations has piqued my interest in fur-thering my biblical knowledge. A thought-provoking and engaging read, Ya’el makes you yearn for more of her life’s saga. I hope a sequel is in the works, as I would like to read more about Ya’el’s life and her progeny.”
—B. P., USA

“As an avid reader, I can be a pretty harsh critic and never finish a book unless it gifts me something—be it knowledge, an escape, admiration (for a character or the author), or best of all, something that piques my interest, holds my attention, and has me asking questions for long after I finish reading. Christopher Farrer’s By the Waters of Babylon offered allthose gifts. It is set in a time and amongst people who I really knew nothing about, but through beautiful and descriptive prose, both the scenery and characters become vivid. Highly recommended!”
—K. B., Australia

“This book makes ancient history come alive. The details of daily life make the story believable. Following the journey of the heroine, the read-er comes to better understand the emotional, spiritual, and physical toll that the forced displacement of refugees takes on people. I would highly recommend this book for both teens and adults.”
—Barnes & Noble customer

“This is a story not told in the Bible. Farrar’s exciting novel invites the reader to join the Judean exiles on their journey from Jerusalem to Babylon. Well written and carefully researched, the book is a welcome addition to the genre of historical fiction.”
—T. Alstola, PhD, Centre of Excellence in Ancient Near Eastern Empires, University of Helsinki, Finland