Shepherd, Potter, Spy--and the Star Namer (A Homeschool Crew Review)

Imagine living  during the time immediately following the Exodus and the time of Joshua, when the Hebrews are waiting to enter the promise land but are currently living in exile.  Imagine still being a young shepherd boy, unsure about the outcome of the invading people who want to claim your homeland as their own and saying the land is their's by their God's decree, and watching the entire story unfold before your eyes.

For the last few weeks, I've been digging through the pages of the book Shepherd, Potter, Spy--and the Star Namer by Peggy Consolver - Author.  This is a 375 page book published by Carpenter's Son Publishing brings the above scenario to life vividly.

About Peggy Consolver

First, I have to say, my hats are off to the author as she annually reads through the entire Bible each and every year.  I'm 41 years old and have only completed this feat once and it took me a bit longer than a full year.  She also has taught Sunday school for 35 years, so it's safe to say that she has a pretty extensive knowledge in regards to scripture.  Using the books of Joshua, Genesis and Psalms, she was able to take that knowledge in regards to the Gibeonites and weave together the novel Shepherd, Potter, Spy--and the Star Namer.  On top of that, she's also visited Gibeon in the Palestinian West bank and has participated on an archaeological dig.  In all honestly, I'm really in awe with the author and the wonderful experiences she has had.

About the Book

This book follows the story of Keshub, a 13 year old Caaninite shepherd who lives a pretty mundane

and boring life, guarding his family's sheep in 1407 BC.  He longs for adventure and dreams of experiencing some of the journeys that he hears about form the passing traveling caravans who pass his flocks on their way to much more exciting destinations than the green grass hills he lives. And he also longs for the time when he will no longer be bullied and tormented but instead can be a warrior and hero.   But all that changes when he rescues the son of the Amorite king.  Suddenly Keshub finds himself in a precarious position, playing the role of a spy for the Gibeons as the Hebrews begin their conquest to pursue the Promised Land.  Through it all, Keshub and the Gibeons debate the truth of the God if the Hebrews might be the God of their own ancestors.

The author describes this book as "a Bible Study disguised as a novel" and I can definitely understand this to be true as she invites you to return to the Scriptures to read it for yourself and approach it as more than just "a dusty old book of theology".  Readers are also invites to dig out Biblical maps to locate places of importance as the story takes place.  Consolver brings Biblical history to life with attention to the smallest of details which comes from her knowledge of the time period as well as the area, using her experience to get the facts accurate and creating a truly immersive Biblical experience far beyond just a book of fiction based on Biblical evenst.  After the story, she also includes a page of 10 discussion questions for small groups.

Also available from the author's website is a 12 unit study guide that allows teachers and students to dig even digger into the life of the time period.  From learning about the Gezer Calendar (an agricultural calendar of events), learning to tie a tripod lashing or videos on bow making, these quick lessons teach about skills and locations that would have been very important to a young boy responsible for keeping his flocks safe or to understand how worship has changed over the years.

In addition to the free unit study available on the author's website, a more lengthy and in depth study guide is available for purchase ($2.99 in Ebook format and $12.99 for a physical copy at time of writing) which includes discussion questions, research topics, geographical mapwork, Scripture reading and craft projects to be completed while reading the book. Digging Deeper into HIStory is available for purchase on Amazon.

To learn more about Shepherd, Potter, Spy--and the Star Namer and Peggy Consolver, visit the website or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/peggy.consolver