historical fiction
The Secret Chord tells the story of the life of David, conqueror of Goliath. I read this novel for book club. I’ve read two other books by Geraldine Brooks (for book clubs) and, although I think she’s a great writer and admire the way she weaves historical fact into interesting stories, the subjects of those books were only mildly interesting to me. I also felt that they sometimes bordered on too much detail and got a little boring in the middle.
This is my favorite of the three I’ve read because I found the story and the characters so engaging. It kept me interested to find out what happened next. I thought it was very effective to have the narrator be Natan, David’s prophet and counselor. He was in a position to know everything that was divulged in the story.
I’ve never given much thought to David. I knew he was little and Goliath was big when he became famous for defeating the “giant”. And that’s about all I knew of David other than he was the subject of the famous statue by Michelangelo. But, I now feel like I’ve read his biography and have learned all about his life from birth through death. And, what an interesting life he had! From very discouraging beginnings, to a youth of brilliance and success, to leading a triumphant kingdom, to his slow demise, David is a flawed hero who is difficult to reconcile at times. Brooks definitely made him seem human—wise yet imperfect. I thought it was a great novel.
If you like this novel, I recommend The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. It, too, takes a much closer look at a flawed, heroic historical character and brings him to life.
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