Book Review–The Wanderer Scorned

About the Book:

Book: The Wanderer Scorned

Author: Natasha Woodcraft

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release date: March, 2024

“It all started with the banishment. As soon as the truth was known about their disobedience, my parents were driven from the Garden planted for them by the LORD God, Yahweh Elohim. A garden pleasing to the eye and filled with every kind of food. Yet for them, it had not been enough.”

Kayin lives in the shadow of his parent’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden and its lingering cloud of shame. He believes in the Creator but struggles for affirmation. When suffering comes and sibling rivalry threatens, Kayin wrestles with God, grasping at shards of faith. But his cries drown in the noise of his own doubts and fears, until his youthful faith lies shattered, replaced by a twisted dance of pride and jealousy.

As Kayin spirals further, misunderstandings within the family dynamic dominate, and whispers of temptation slither through the cracks. Then a chance at redemption presents itself. With flames of forbidden love still raging hot, Kayin and his brother bring sacrifices to Yahweh.

No one foresees the resulting tragedy.

The Wanderer Scorned is the first installment in The Wanderer Biblical fiction series, immersing readers in the world of Genesis 4. This exploration of the first murder brings the Bible to life in a fresh way, delving into the character of the Creator God and His earliest interactions with humankind.

My Thoughts:

As I have stated before, I am cautious about Biblical fiction. I have read some that I really enjoyed, and some that included bits that were not accurate with the Bible. I am willing to try out new authors to see what their books are like, so when I was offered The Wanderer Scorned I decided to give it a go.

The Wanderer Scorned really made me think. I don’t know if I agree with altogether everything the author has written about the pre-Flood world and the life of Adam, Eve and their children, but it does sound plausible. I did really like the way she showed the way a person can get to the point of murdering a loved one. It doesn’t start with the physical action—it starts in the heart. The condition of a person’s heart and what flows out of that is the main focus of this story; it shows clearly how a person’s heart condition affects what that person does. 

I also appreciated a discussion about why bad things happen. That is such a hard question! I am always thankful for an author who tackles it. Then there were the voices in Kayin’s head, telling him that everyone was against him. How clearly this illustrated the battle most of us have to face, to sort out truth from the lies being fed to us by the enemy. On the other hand, there was one thing I didn’t like so well: at one point, two people needed to cross a deep river, and saw trees growing together to form a bridge for them—as they watched. I know God can do anything, but I’m just not sure about this one!

Overall, I am quite impressed with Natasha Woodcraft’s research and storytelling ability, and I’ll be watching for opportunities to read further books in this series.

WARNING: Prologue: Men grabbing at a woman. Chapter 20: Man imagines touching a woman’s body. Chapter 26: A murder.

About the Author:

Natasha Woodcraft lives in a slightly crumbling farmhouse in the UK with her family of boys and menagerie of animals. She holds an honours degree in Theology and believes stories have power to communicate deep truth and transform lives. Also a songwriter, Natasha peppers her emotional prose with poetry and song.

I received a review copy of this book from the author, and these are my honest thoughts about it. Links may be affiliate links, which will benefit Esther’s website if purchases are made through them.

More from Natasha:

Q & A with Natasha Woodcraft

• You’re an Author from the UK. Tell me more about that.

That’s right. I’m a Brit, which is great but has its challenges, like negotiating single quotation marks! There’s a massive lack of Christian fiction here. It’s not stocked in secular bookstores, there are few Christian bookstores left, and there aren’t many big conventions or publishers. I’m part of a team passionate about changing the landscape. We offer support services to authors and publishing services. Please pray for us and our country, and support British writers if you can.

• Who do you share your home with?

My husband, Ben, and four sons ranging from 15 to 7. Plus a dog, 2 cats, 3 goats, 9 chickens and 16 quail (though they don’t all live in the house.) It can get a little crazy…

• Sounds like it. How do you find time to write?

Good question. My mornings are usually taken up with feeding/cleaning kids and animals. My afternoons with working for the family business or publishing house. Before tea, I’ll be out picking vegetables and pulling weeds – we try to grow as much as we can ourselves. Writing gets squeezed into late nights, early mornings and quieter days. It’s my downtime and my favorite time spent with Jesus.

• You write Bible-based fiction. What specifically?

The Wanderer Series is based on the story of Cain & Abel in Genesis 4. It came about because I woke up one morning wondering what prompted the first murder (no kidding; my brain is weird.) I’d been pondering Jesus’ words about murder and anger in the Sermon on the Mount and praying about what I should write for a while. Suddenly, I knew it had to be a reimagining of Cain’s story – from his perspective.

• Hang on. From Cain’s perspective?

Yeah. Though there’s certainly a place for them, I personally dislike stories that are too simplistic. Where bad guys are really bad and good guys are really good – that kind of thing. The Bible teaches us that we all need grace (especially me), and as regards Cain – I don’t think he was much different to any of us. Writing from his perspective gave me opportunity to spend a lot of time in the Word of God, exploring Cain’s slide into sin in a way that challenged me to examine my own heart.

• That’s some heavy stuff. Did you have any background that helped you tackle this story?

Sure. I have a degree in Theology, and I’ve also studied English Literature and Creative writing. Mostly though, it was a case of leaning heavily into what God wanted to teach me through this book and hoping some of that resonated with my readers. The reviews so far say it has!

• What would you say to those questioning whether Bible-based fiction is right for them?

I totally understand the fear surrounding this genre. I felt it myself when I started writing and that was something I had to take to God and trust Him with. “Is it even ok to write these stories?” I asked.

Essentially though, it isn’t much different to a sermon. It’s exegesis and expansion of the scripture, just presented differently: in fiction rather than non-fiction. I’ve researched, covered my writing in prayer, and had pastors check my work. I’m super careful about handling scripture faithfully but state where the story comes from my imagination. It isn’t intended to replace the Bible. Quite the opposite – I hope it will inspire people to pick the Bible up. I even include an appendix that explains decisions I made, and study questions, at the back.

My hope and prayer is that Jesus will be glorified as lives are touched by this ancient story reimagined. If you’re still not sure, why not give The Wanderer Scorned a go? You don’t know until you try…

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