The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare
The Bronze Bow, Elizabeth George Speare
7 Rating(s)
List: $16.95 | Sale: $11.87
Club: $8.47

The Bronze Bow

Author: Elizabeth George Speare

Narrator: Mary Woods

Unabridged: 6 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/01/2007

Categories: Children's Fiction

Synopsis

After witnessing his fathers crucifixion by Roman soldiers, Daniel bar Jamin yearns for vengeance. Consumed by hatred, he lives dangerously among outlaws in the hills outside of his village, spying and impatiently plotting.In nearby Capernaum, a rabbi is teaching a different lesson. Time and again, Daniel is drawn to the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, only to turn away, disappointed and confused by Jesuss lack of action in opposing the Romans. Headstrong and devoid of tenderness, Daniel is also heedless of the love and loyalty of those around him, dragging them along his own destructive path.Winner of the 1962 Newbery Medal, The Bronze Bow is the story of a boys tormented journey from a blinding hatred to the acceptance and understanding of love.

About Elizabeth George Speare

""I was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1908. I have lived all my life in New England, and though I love to travel I can't imagine ever calling any other place on earth home. Since I can't remember a time when I didn't intend to write, it is hard to explain why I took so long getting around to it in earnest. But the years seemed to go by very quickly. In 1936 I married Alden Speare and came to Connecticut. Not till both children were in junior high did I find time at last to sit down quietly with a pencil and paper. I turned naturally to the things which had filled my days and thoughts and began to write magazine articles about family living. Then one day I stumbled on a true story from New England history with a character who seemed to me an ideal heroine. Though I had my first historical novel almost by accident it soon proved to be an absorbing hobby."" Elizabeth George Speare (1908-1994) won the 1959 Newbery Medal for THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, and the 1962 Newbery Medal for THE BRONZE BOW. She also received a Newbery Honor Award in 1983, and in 1989 she was presented with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her substantial and enduring contribution to children’s literature.

Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Amanda Kowal on 2021-03-29 18:47:12

Our three boys love audiobooks and have listened to boat loads. We all enjoyed this story greatly. I have heard both narrated versions (Pat Young & Mary Woods) and this one is by far the better version. Mary Wood's tone inflection and pronunciation is more enjoyable and not bland at all. Only myself and our eldest listened to The Bronze Bow and it was captivating and incredibly helpful in understanding how Israel felt at the time of Jesus' ministry and how the Jewish life and national attitude was affected by Roman occupation. Wonderful listen and great price here too!

Goodreads review by Josiah on May 09, 2025

WOW. WOW. WOW. And WOW again. I have almost unrealistically high expectations whenever I read an Elizabeth George Speare book, but each one has met and exceeded those expectations. The magnitude of The Bronze Bow is staggering. I can only compare the sheer importance of the story to Esther Forbes's......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on April 12, 2018

Elizabeth George Speare mostly stuck to colonial New England in her novels - Calico Captive, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, The Sign of the Beaver - but in The Bronze Bow, she pulls the reader all the way back first-century Judaea, a place not that different from pre-Revolutionary Boston. Both places......more

Goodreads review by Angela on August 11, 2008

What a beautiful book! I am so thrilled that it won a Newbery medal. Daniel (the main character) is aloof, sullen, and passionate - almost enough to become frustrating to the reader... except that he has a tenderness and a deep sense of responsibility that he gives reign to just often enough that yo......more

Goodreads review by Laura on April 27, 2022

2022 review: I finished this one with students this year, and I must admit that the book grows a bit more tedious with each reread. It is still one of the renderings of Jesus that I refer to in my imagination. I love the unexpected gentleness of Jesus that appeals to the zealot's heart and wins him......more

Goodreads review by Jason on March 30, 2018

Have been meaning to read this for some time; finally borrowed a copy from a friend and went to it. The book held my interest and got better as it progressed, despite some minor unrealism along the way (a Jewish guy named Amalek? Exodus 17:14, anyone?), and despite the fact that I'm generally uncomf......more

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