Midbar Kodesh Temple Book Club: The Secret Chord

Geraldine Brooks, author of "People of the Book" takes on one of literature’s richest and most enigmatic figures: a man who shimmers between history and legend. In the "Secret Chord" Brooks peels away the myth to bring King David to life in Second Iron Age Israel. She traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and diminished dotage. Midbar Kodesh Temple Sunday Book Club will review the story on Sunday, January 29 at 10:00 a.m. at the synagogue

"The Secret Chord" provides new context for some of the best-known episodes of David’s life while also focusing on others, even more remarkable and emotionally intense, that have been neglected. We see David through the eyes of those who love him or fear him—from the prophet Natan, voice of his conscience, to his wives Mikal, Avigail, and Batsheva, and finally to Solomon, the late-born son who redeems his Lear-like old age. Brooks has an uncanny ability to hear and transform characters from history, and this beautifully written, unvarnished saga of faith, desire, family, ambition, betrayal, and power will enthrall her many fans.