“Enter into the inner turmoil of the girl behind John the Baptist’s death in The Confession.” -The Confession, by Mae Heller.
I really love getting free books (who doesn’t?!), but I have a terrible habit of getting free books and then not reading them.
(Why am I like this?)
But, a few days ago, I signed up for Mae Heller’s email list, received The Confession, and read the whole thing in less than an hour!
(Which, btw, is my secret to a reading slump. Read a short story or novella to remind yourself that reading is still reading, whether it’s a 600+ page book or a 16 page book.)
I’m so glad that I read The Confession! Something I love about Biblical fiction is that you can delve into possible stories behind the people that are mentioned in the Bible! It’s still fiction, rather than fact, but most Biblical fiction can engage us and push us to study the Bible further. And The Confession does exactly that.
We follow Salome, the daughter of King Herod’s wife Herodias, and the story behind John the Baptist’s death that is in Mark 6:21-29 and Matthew 14:1-12. (In the Bible, Salome isn’t named, but the 1st-century historian Josephus names her as Salome.) We see the strange dynamic of mother and daughter and how fear, greed, sin, and even love can control us to the point of murder.
It’s obvious that Mae has done her research before writing The Confession, but not only that, the emotions that Salome experiences are tangible to the reader. It’s a quick, well-crafted, and emotional read!
There is truly no reason not to go to Mae’s website, subscribe to her mailing list, and read The Confession!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Why: Biblical fiction does not replace the Bible but when done well it does help motivate us to read the Bible more. Mae Heller has achieved that with The Confession; I now want to read the study in my Bible specifically about John the Baptist’s death!
Ending thoughts: Sign up for Mae’s email list and get your free copy of The Confession. I mean, it’s free! She has graciously given us a stellar story that is of no charge to us, so what’s stopping you? Plus, whenever she publishes stuff, you’ll be the first to know!
As always, have a terrific day, and go read your Bible!
Storm
Links to The Confession:
Mae Heller’s website
Storm Shultz 
I’m so happy my story inspired you to delve further into the scripture that inspired it! That makes it all worth it. Thank you so much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for writing it!
LikeLiked by 1 person