BKMT READING GUIDES
Garden of Madness
by Tracy L. Higley
Paperback : 400 pages
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For seven years the Babylonian princess Tiamat has waited for the mad king Nebuchadnezzar to return to his family and to his kingdom. Driven from his throne to live as a beast, he prowls his luxurious Hanging Gardens, secreted away from ...
Introduction
The untold story of King Nebuchadnezzar's daughter
For seven years the Babylonian princess Tiamat has waited for the mad king Nebuchadnezzar to return to his family and to his kingdom. Driven from his throne to live as a beast, he prowls his luxurious Hanging Gardens, secreted away from the world.
Since her treaty marriage at a young age, Tia has lived an opulent yet oppressive life in the palace. But her husband has since died and she relishes her newfound independence. When a nobleman is found murdered in the palace, Tia must discover who is responsible for the macabre death, even if her own freedom is threatened.
As the queen plans to wed Tia to yet another prince, the powerful mage Shadir plots to expose the family's secret and set his own man on the throne. Tia enlists the help of a reluctant Jewish captive, her late husband's brother Pedaiah, who challenges her notions of the gods even as he opens her heart to both truth and love.
In a time when few gave their hearts to Yahweh, Tia must decide if she is willing to risk everything-her possessions, her gods, and her very life-for the Israelites' one God. Madness, sorcery, and sinister plots mingle like an alchemist's deadly potion as Tia chooses whether to risk all to save the kingdom-and her family.
"The biblical story of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar's seven years as a madman, found in the Old Testament Book of Daniel, deepens and broadens thanks to veteran author Higley's historical research and vivid imagination . . . Readers will find much to enjoy here: fine writing, suspense, mystery, faith, love, and a new look at an old story." -Publishers Weekly
"Higley gives readers a dose of biblical history set in King Nebuchadnezzar's palatial gardens and a character like no other in Tiamat, devoted daughter of a king gone mad. The author's insights into a woman's inner strength as she searches for the one true God will leave readers rejoicing."-Romantic Times TOP PICK
"Her story will appeal not just to readers of historical fiction but also to those with an interest in biblical history." -Booklist
Excerpt
Chapter OneSeven years later
The night her husband died, Tia ran with abandon.
The city wall, wide enough for chariots to race upon its baked bricks, absorbed the slap of her bare feet and cooled her skin. She flew past the Ishtar Gate as though chased by demons, knowing the night guard in his stone tower would be watching. Leering. Tia ignored his attention. ...
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Notes From the Author to the Bookclub
Note from T.L. Higley: I’m fascinated by the culture of ancient Babylon, and the time that the Jewish people spent in captivity there. I began thinking about Nebuchadnezzar’s seven years of madness – what went on in the palace during that time? Where did they keep the mad king? Could he perhaps have been locked in the famed Hanging Gardens of his own making? Those two curiosities combined in my imagination and the story of Tia, the king’s headstrong daughter, was born. Tia is struggling with wanting to control her own destiny, and like her father, learning what that means. I would hope that readers would be inspired to look at their own life adventure differently after entering into Tia’s adventures.Book Club Recommendations
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