On the Alberta/Montana Border: Today's the Day!

Daughter of Ishmael has finally hit the shelves!

Do people regret their choices?

Would a child, raised with the rules and standards of their parents regret giving up those standards as an adult?

This is the premise of Daughter of Ishmael.

Hannah, a young Hebrew girl in the days of Jeremiah the Prophet, has been raised in the household of a strong, kind, faithful father, following a prophet of God.

Years later on the far side of the world, seated beside a roaring fire, she watches her son as he dances near the flames with the other men of the village, all painted in the blood of their latest victims.

Where did she--did they--make a wrong turn?

Could she have chosen a different path?

Hannah's thoughts hark back through the years to find out. And in so doing, take us, her readers, along on her voyage through her life and the lives of the people of 600 BC.

This is my first, ever, attempt to write a biblical story. It has been quite an experience. One that I'm hoping to repeat. I've discovered I love this time period and these people.

I will definitely be visiting them again!

About the author:

Photo: David Handschuh

Trained in journalism and raised by a family of storytellers, Diane Stringam Tolley has spent her life writing. From her first published work, “The Scary House,” penned in Mrs. Hainsworth’s grade six class, to her tenth novel, “Daughter of Ishmael,” Tolley has dipped into every genre from sci-fi/fantasy to spiritual. Her Christmas book, “Carving Angels,” has been featured on the “best of” holiday lists for Edmonton Public Libraries. And her follow-up novel, “Kris Kringle’s Magic” (2012) is currently a standard for discussions on prejudice and bullying throughout the Black-Gold region. Drawing on her upbringing on one of the last of the great old ranches of Southern Alberta, Tolley’s stories are filled with unforgettable characters, warm, family connections, and the strength of faith and love.