THE FIFTH MOUNTAIN

Derek Perkins combines the simplicity of narrating a fable with the complexity of delivering a modern novel's detail and character. The result is this reimagining of the Old Testament's Prophet Elijah. It's 900 BCE, and Phoenicia's Queen Jezebel vows to put all Israelite prophets to death and force the Hebrew people to worship the pagan deity Baal. Young Elijah is warned by his angel to flee to the desert. Later, he returns, falls in love with a widow, and performs a miracle to bring her son back from the dead. Maybe it's God's plan, maybe not. As the novel focuses on Elijah's personal redemption, Perkins narrates with a natural rhythm and just a hint of the authority of the King James Bible. B.P. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2023]