"Eleanor Gustafson is one of our best... We know more of David’s life than any other biblical person. But not nearly enough. The tangle of motives and emotions, chaos and charisma continue to kindle the imaginations of our best writers, drawing us into a story in which we see every detail of our humanity against the epic of salvation" ~ Dr. Eugene Peterson, Theologian, Author, known for The Message Bible Translation
"You will never read the story of David in the same way again... Gustafson adds color to the biblical account that will make you remember and understand the warrior-poet in fresh ways" ~ Laura Kuruvilla, M.A. Medieval English Lit, Harvard; M. Philosophy, Cambridge
"…brings Israel’s most famous king to life - I heartily commend it!... In these pages Eleanor Gustafson has brought to life one of the great epic stories of the Old Testament - the life of David. Told from the perspective of Asaph, the author masterfully unfolds the narrative to the reader with a keen eye for detail, yet without ever losing touch with the larger drama of God’s work in the life of David and the nation of Israel. Whether you have read the biblical story all your life or this is your first encounter with this intriguing and complex figure, The Stones will bring Israel’s most famous king to life - I heartily commend it!" ~ Dr. Timothy Tennent, Author, Christianity at the Religious Roundtable, Evangelicals in Conversation with Hinduism
"Bread For Your Soul... The David of Eleanor Gustafson’s creative reconstruction and disciplined imagination delights, disturbs and breathes new life into the master narrative of the Christian story. Enjoy these Stones. They may actually turn into bread for your soul" ~ Mark Shaw, Th.D, Professor of Historical Studies and Dean of Doctoral Programs, Africa International University
"Brilliantly succeeds in bridging the spheres of creative imagination and historical reality... High-quality biblical novels are both difficult to write and to ‘get right.’ Eleanor Gustafson brilliantly succeeds in bridging the spheres of creative imagination and historical reality. In The Stones: A Novel on the Life of King David we meet ourselves in the Bible. We, like Israel’s greatest king, are humanly complex and spiritually a ‘work in progress.’ In this work, Gustafson skillfully takes her readers on an enlightening and absorbing journey into David’s world. Like a needle and thread, Gustafson’s well-chosen words guide her readers skillfully into the rich and colorful fabric of David’s character and the interweaving of his life’s experiences" ~ Marvin Wilson, Ph.D., Professor of Biblical Studies, Gordon College; author, Our Father Abraham
"Wonderful Reading Experience... Few persons have a more prominent place in the Bible than David, son of Jesse. And few have captured the drama and the grief more dramatically than Eleanor K. Gustafson in The Stones: A Novel of the Life of King David. Though these events are very familiar to me after a half-century of teaching and tracing Old Testament details, I found that Gustafson’s creative, imaginative, and enjoyable approach brought David’s story to life for me, all over again. I highly recommend this novel as a wonderful reading experience that will open up new vistas on life and a new portal through which to view this giant character of the Bible" ~ Dr. Walter Kaiser, Theologian, Author of The Promise-Plan of God: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments
"Beautiful Piece of Literature... Eleanor Gustafson has given us a beautiful piece of literature that not only allows us to see the flesh and bone in the ancient story, but also guides us through the deeper theological and moral questions posed by the complex and dynamic biblical figure of King David. As someone who has known Eleanor for thirty years, I am confident that she understands the mind of David and mirrors his passion for music, worship, God’s word, and a thirst for knowing and obeying the King of kings" ~ Glenn K. Gunderson, Jr.-senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Pomona CA, Author of Biblical Antidotes to Spiritual Toxins
"Impressive and Authentic... In Eleanor Gustafson’s powerful narrative, warrior king David’s complex character and often ambiguous motivation become not merely legendary but clothed in flesh and blood, in colloquial dialog and a sense of almost physical impact. There is no shrinking back from the brutal facts, the sensual encounters or the violence of the time. The historical research is impressive and authentic. And there are no cardboard characterizations here; the relationships of David with men, women and God achieve a startling reality. Read between the lines of the biblical record with Gustafson, and discover the story as if for the first time" ~ Luci Shaw, Author, Poet God in the Dark, The Green Earth, Accompanied by Angles: Poems of the Incarnation; What the Light was Like; Breath for the Bones
"Gustafson offers a treasure... For the serious student of David's life, for anyone who has sought to understand exactly why David is described as "a man after God's own heart," Gustafson offers a treasure - biblically-based, penetrating insight into the heart of Judah's greatest king. Abiathar and a host of other oft-forgotten personages come alive in these pages" ~ Finny Kuruvilla, M.D. Ph.D., Chemistry, Harvard
"In this work, Gustafson skillfully takes her readers on an enlightening and absorbing journey into David’s world. Like a needle and thread, Gustafson’s well-chosen words guide her readers skillfully into the rich and colorful fabric of David’s character and the interweaving of his life’s experiences" ~ Dr. Marvin Wilson, Our Father Abraham
"The book shook me up so much that I had sleepless nights and had to read slowly, as I could only take it bit by bit. I normally race through books I am enjoying" ~ Ruth Bauman, MN
"Gustafson's integration of David's psalms within actual events in his life adds additional historic relevance to one of the most loved books of the Bible. So often we read the book of Psalms with an eye only to what these verses mean to us, and how they apply to our lives, rather than considering what they meant to the author himself" ~ Jennifer Bogart, Quiverfullfamily.com, Alberta, Canada
"Fantastic! I felt sad when I finished the book because there was no more to read" ~ Nancy Overhiser, NH
