“It’s just a scratch.” A scratch that will scar and probably ache for months.
He tipped his head sideways. “They’re home.”
She held her breath and listened. Yes, their parents were home, and Abba wasn’t happy. She reached into her belt for the shekel. “Maybe you should hold this.”
Cedron nodded as she slipped it into his hand. It would be safer with him. He pinched her sleeve to stop her before she stepped forward. “Nissa,” he whispered, “remember, don’t make him angry.”
“I know, I know. Don’t worry.” She wouldn’t this time. No matter what he said, she wouldn’t let it get to her. Her wayward tongue had landed her in enough trouble tonight. Nissa pushed at the gate, juggling the barley and oil. Good, the cooking fire was lit. Bread might calm her father.
Mama jumped up as they entered, looking with relief at the wheat in Nissa’s basket. With thin, graying hair and deep furrows on her brow and cheeks, she looked more like a grandmother than a mother.
Nissa had heard the lament countless times. Mama had given birth to Nissa late in life, when she and Abba both had been sure their only child would be the one cursed with blindness. They’d rejoiced in the hope of a boy who could care for them in their old age. Instead, the Lord had cursed them again with a plain, clumsy daughter—a daughter who had been a disappointment to them for twenty years.
Her mother snatched the jar of grain and hurried to kneel at the stone quern, pouring out a generous measure to grind but spilling as much on the dirt.
Nissa curled her hands into fists, her nails biting into her palms. We don’t have enough grain to waste, Mama.
Her father stood with his hands on his hips. His hair, almost completely gray, was bushy and unkempt, as was his beard. His eyes were bloodshot, and his full lips cast in a perpetual frown. “I come home to no food, a wife who can hardly stand up, and no daughter to wash my feet after a day of labor.” He pushed past her and lowered his body onto a bench beside the door.
Day of labor? Abba hadn’t labored today, unless he counted throwing dice as work. He’d left Amit tied up instead of carrying bundles of kindling to sell in the wood market. Cedron squeezed her arm. She bit down on her lower lip and patted his hand. Don’t worry. I won’t make him angrier.
She poured water into a wide clay bowl and brought it to her father. Kneeling before him, she untied his sandals like a good Jewish daughter.
He set his dirty feet in the water. “And where were you when you should have been preparing bread for us?”
Nissa tensed. What could she say? “I found work for the day. Weaving.”
“And did you get paid?” her father jerked, tipping the bowl sideways and sloshing water on the ground.
Nissa lunged to rescue the bowl before it broke. “She . . . she said she’d pay me tomorrow.” Her voice wavered like an old woman’s.
“Give it to me.” Her father held out his hand.
She shook her head. “I don’t have it.” That was the truth.
His hand snaked behind her neck and closed on her hair. He jerked down until she was forced to look up at him. “You have it. I know you. Now give it to me.”
He demanded her money when he’d spent the day gambling his away? “When Elijah returns.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wished them back.
Her father’s face darkened with anger. “Don’t get mouthy with me, girl.”
Didn’t Abba understand? They needed the money for rent. “But Gilad was looking for you today.”
“I curse Gilad and the womb that bore him. He stole enough from me today. I’m the father and the head of this family.” He stood, dragging her up by her hair. The bowl pitched to the side and broke against the rocky ground. His other hand dipped into the folds of her belt and came back empty.
“Where is it?”
She shook her head and blinked back tears from the stinging pain in her scalp.
He released her hair and pushed her away. “Why did the Lord curse me? A blind son and a daughter who can do nothing right. You got a job weaving! The woman must be as blind as your brother. Your fingers can neither weave nor spin. And your cooking! No wonder no man wants you.”
He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her so hard her teeth rattled. “Now. Give me what you earned today.”
“No.” She wrenched away, pain scorching through her injured shoulder. She ran behind her mother—still swaying over the wheat—as if she could help her. “You’ll only gamble it away. Like you do with everything we earn. Why don’t you go gather wood and sell it, use your own money for the dice!”
He came after her, his fist raised.
But she couldn’t stop. Words flew from her mouth. “I won’t work so you can throw dice with the pagans and so she”—Nissa tipped her head toward her mother—“can drink up the rest in cheap wine. The neighbors call you am-ha-arez, and they are right!”
Her father swung. She saw a burst of stars as his fist connected with her cheek. Pain arced behind her eyes. She fell to the ground with a swallowed cry.
“Stop, Abba!” Cedron stood suddenly, holding out his hand. “Father. I have it. I took it.”
Abba was breathing heavily, but he didn’t advance on
Cedron.
“You are right.” Cedron showed the coin to his father. “You are the head of the family. According to the law, it belongs to you.”
Her father stalked to Cedron, snatched the coin from his hand without a word, and ducked into the dark house.
Cedron shuffled toward Nissa, his hands out until he touched her bent head. “I’m sorry, Nissa. I had to.”
Nissa sniffed and buried her throbbing face in his chest. She would have done the same if Abba had been hitting him. But Abba never hit him. Only her. I should have given it to Gilad. At least then we’d have the rent paid.
She’d have to find another way to pay Gilad. The money Cedron brought in from begging wouldn’t keep them fed. Her father was right: she couldn’t weave or spin, her bread was always burnt, and her lentils were hard and tasteless. No man would marry her; no woman would hire her. She was a failure at everything—everything but stealing.
If you enjoyed this excerpt, order the next book in Stephanie Landsem’s Living Water Series today.
ORDER YOUR COPIES TODAY!
The
WELL
Stephanie Landsem
Reading Group Guide
INTRODUCTION
In the small Samaritan village of Sychar, the well is the place where women gather to draw their water and share their lives with one another—but not for Mara’s family. Shunned for the many sins of her mother, Nava, Mara struggles to keep her family alive in the face of starvation and the threat of exile. Then their lives are forever changed with the arrival of two men: Shem, a wealthy young man from Caesarea with an air of mystery; and Jesus, a Jewish teacher who transforms Nava’s broken spirit with his talk of forgiveness. When Nava is stoned for her mistakes, Mara embarks with Shem on a journey to seek Jesus’ help—a journey that brings unexpected love and unimaginable heartbreak.
TOPICS & QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Nava’s family is both shunned and sustained by their community. Discuss how charity is often a double-edged sword in the novel.
2. In the novel, marriage and friendships play an important part, especially for women. How has this changed from Mara and Nava’s time to today? How is it the same?
3. Did hearing it from both Shem’s and Mara’s points of view change the story for you? Did hearing it from Nava’s point of view for one chapter make you more sympathetic to her? Is there another character you would have enjoyed hearing from?
4. How would the novel be different if it were told from Nava’s perspective, given that she is the most affected by Jesus’ arrival? Do you think readers could sympathize with her as much as they do with Mara?
5. Jacob’s
well is important both as a source of water and gossip and as the site of Nava and Jesus’ meeting. Is there a modern equivalent in your community?
6. What surprised you most about life in Sychar?
7. How does Shem’s attitude toward the simpler life of his grandfather change throughout the book?
8. Would Mara have married Jobab if she hadn’t met Jesus or Shem? Is finding a place in the community and supporting her family worth the loveless marriage?
9. When Jesus first arrives in Sychar, no one believes Nava when she says the Taheb has arrived. “Jews don’t even speak to Samaritan men—never to women.” What parallels do you see to the tensions between religious groups in modern society? Do you think the author has done this deliberately?
10. “She must make him see—he had been called by the Taheb, to Jerusalem. To do what, she didn’t know any more than he did. But it was important. More important than her dreams of a life with him.” Do you agree with her? How does she hope to accomplish this?
11. When attacked by Tirzah, Nava acknowledges her faults, even though she risks death or exile for her family. She says Jesus “did not condemn me but called me to repent and start again. He forgave me.” Would you have the strength to admit your sins to someone out for revenge? If it meant your family might suffer?
12. Do you think Mara is right to marry Enosh, given that she loves Shem? Why, or why not?
13. Does Shem have a more difficult time accepting Jesus and his faith because he is a scholar? Discuss the differences among Mara’s, Nava’s, and Shem’s acceptance of Jesus as the Taheb.
14. Did the epilogue surprise you? Discuss your reactions as a group.
ENHANCE YOUR BOOK CLUB
1. Discuss the story of Stephen, the first martyr of Christianity, and compare his life and death as related in the Bible to his youth in The Well.
2. Mara and her family survive because of the grudging charity of their neighbors. In keeping with the tradition of being a “good Samaritan,” volunteer with a group that helps those in need.
3. Create a virtual trip that follows the path Shem and Mara followed to find Jesus. Imagine what their journey must have been like by researching their trail.
A CONVERSATION WITH STEPHANIE LANDSEM
The Well is your first novel. Did your original plans for the novel differ from what you ended up with?
I was very much surprised with how the novel changed and developed as I wrote it. Research is a great source of inspiration for me. As I dug into the history and culture of Samaria, I found fascinating story elements just waiting to be used. I love it when that happens! As to the characters, they changed as well. Mara became stronger while Shem showed more of his weaknesses. Asher’s role expanded, probably because I just loved him so much.
What inspired you to write the story of Mara and Shem?
When I read the Bible, I’m sometimes left with many questions. In some passages, so much of the story is not told that it seems to beg me to fill in the gaps. The Samaritan woman at the well is one of those. Who was she? What had happened to her and why? And why did Jesus stop on that day, at that particular well, and speak to her? I couldn’t resist filling in the details. And when I did, there was the story that I wanted to write.
You include a lot of specific details in your novel, lending authenticity to your settings and characters. How did you conduct the research for this story?
I absolutely love the research part of writing. In fact, I can get so caught up in research that I spend days deep in books. The Internet is useful but I love finding books that are written by historians, archeologists, and anthropologists. There is nothing as thrilling as discovering that little kernel of historical detail that puts the reader right into the story, experiencing it firsthand. Besides, with piles of books all over my desk, I always have a good excuse to avoid laundry and dishes.
The characters of The Well travel across the ancient world from Caesarea to Galilee and Sychar. Have your own travels changed your writing? In what ways?
I’ve traveled since I was a teenager, and it never fails to amaze me that as diverse as people are—in language, clothes, food—we are more alike than we are different. We all search for love, for happiness and security, and ultimately we all search for God. No matter what our cultures or geography, God has given each human a hunger to find him. Like Mara and Shem, we are all on a journey to discover his plan for us, no matter if we live in Minnesota, Sychar, or Timbuktu.
Mara was often outside the community of women, though she longed to be part of it. Do you have a community you rely on, both in life and for your writing?
Absolutely, and I’m blessed that my writing and faith communities intersect so much that sometimes I can’t tell them apart. My family is a huge support and always there to lift me up. Friends who have helped me through pregnancies and child rearing are now glad to be my first readers and my biggest fans. In the past few years, many of the talented writers I’ve met have become instant friends because of our shared love of words, but even more so because of our shared faith. Of course, my larger church community is a huge source of strength and inspiration and is where I go for spiritual rest and peace.
Was it difficult to write Jesus as a character in your novel?
Yes and no. I’m always excited when Jesus enters into the story. He’s the only character who is not only real but present—here and now. I love to imagine what it must have been like for my characters to meet the Incarnation face to face. On the other hand, he’s not fictional. I can guess what he looked like and imagine what he wore, but I’m not comfortable putting words in his mouth. Surely Jesus said much that wasn’t recorded, but I don’t want to guess what that might have been and I don’t think readers want that either. So I stick to what was actually written down in the Bible.
Not much is known about Stephen the Martyr’s conversion to Christianity. Why did you choose to have him encounter Mara and the Samaritan community?
That was one of my most amazing moments as I researched The Well. At first, Shem was just a wayward Samaritan, unsure of his faith and sent to Sychar in shame. But as I began to research the Samaritan people, I came upon a debate among scholars (scholars do tend to debate). Some Samaritan and Bible scholars, after examining Stephen’s speech against the Jews in Acts, believe that Stephen could have been a hellenized Samaritan—a well-educated Samaritan from a Greek-speaking, cosmopolitan city, such as Caesarea. It fit so well with my mental picture of Shem, I still get goose bumps. We don’t know much about Stephen, which is why it was exciting to imagine what he might have been like and what might have inspired a faith so strong that he was willing to be the first to die for Jesus.
Were you tempted to give Mara and Shem their happy ending?
No one wants to see their favorite characters die or be separated, even the author! But sometimes what the world considers a happy ending is different from THE happy ending: eternal life with Jesus. That is the happy ending that I always want—for my family and friends, my readers, and yes, even for my characters.
The different religions and groups portrayed in The Well seem to be at constant odds with each other, from the Jews, to the Samaritans, to the Romans. Did the religious tensions of the modern world affect how you chose to portray this issue?
We’ve all experienced religious differences—in our communities, among friends, and even within our own families. Since our belief in God is so fundamental to who we are, I think those differences can divide us more deeply than, say, cultural or language divisions. Nava found that believing in Jesus in the midst of disbelief in Sychar required both faith and humility. Humility—not self-righteousness or judgment—is just as important today as we live among differing views of Jesus, God, and religion.
How does your faith influence your writing?
I hope that it influences everything I do, from loving my husband and kids to volunteering at school to battling the daily household mess. And so, when I sit down at my desk to write, my prayer is p
retty simple: Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.
Are you working on another book? Can you tell us anything about it?
Yes, and I’m really excited about it. It’s called Siloam and is set in Jerusalem. Like The Well, it is told from two points of view and one is that of a familiar character: the red-haired Roman, Longinus. Siloam is about a Roman centurion looking for peace and a Jewish woman hiding a terrible secret. When a miracle at the Pool of Siloam brings them together, her secret will keep them apart and ultimately lead them both to the foot of a cross on Calvary.
© J DUNN PHOTOGRAPHY
STEPHANIE LANDSEM writes historical fiction because she loves adventure in far-off times and places. In real life, she’s explored ancient ruins, medieval castles, and majestic cathedrals around the world. Stephanie is equally happy at home in Minnesota with her husband, four children, and three fat cats. When she’s not writing, she’s feeding the ravenous horde, avoiding housework, and dreaming about her next adventure—whether it be in person or on the page.
MEET THE AUTHORS, WATCH VIDEOS AND MORE AT
SimonandSchuster.com
Facebook.com/HowardBooksSimonandSchuster
Twitter.com/Howard_Books
We hope you enjoyed reading this Howard eBook.
* * *
Join our mailing list and get updates on new releases, deals, bonus content and other great books from Howard and Simon & Schuster.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
or visit us online to sign up at
eBookNews.SimonandSchuster.com
Howard Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
The Well Page 31