ABIGAIL by Jill Eileen Smith

This is the second story in "The Wives of King David" series, and I found myself enjoying it more than book one, which was about David's wife Michal.  It is a story that shows a woman's struggle to love a man who chooses to have many wives.  I don't often read biblical fiction stories, but this one did a great job of helping you see the turmoil David experienced by marrying many wives.

Abigail finds herself in a bad, abusive first marriage.  When her husband dies, David takes her hand in marriage, making her wive number three.  Abigail grows to love David, but as he continues to take more wives, the heartache and pain it causes her and his other wives is obvious.  How can you love a man who wakes up in the morning and spends a few minutes of his time devoted to you, and then moves on to another wife.  A man who sends for you periodically and expects you to be okay with the whole arrangement.

The story was well done.  The historical and biblical facts were there, although one will never know exactly what went on between any of David and his many wives.  I can only say as the author did at the end of her book, "Despite three thousand years spanning between us, human nature has not changed.  Men and women will always find ways to justify their actions."  David tried to justify his many wives, but as you can tell from reading this book, his excuses seemed pretty weak in the eyes of someone who loved him.