ASK THE AUTHOR: Lynn Austin

LATEST PROJECT: Return to Me (9780764211508, hardcover, $19.99; 9780764208980, softcover, $14.99; October), book one of “The Restoration Chronicles.”

PUBLISHER: Bethany House (Baker Publishing Group).

How can Christian retailers briefly summarize your new novel, Return to Me, for their customers?

Return to Me is the first in a three-book series based on the biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah. In this novel, a small group of Jewish exiles make the difficult decision to return to Jerusalem from Babylon to rebuild the city, their temple and their faith in God.

Why did you call your new series “The Restoration Chronicles”?

When the people of God were carried into exile in Babylon, they began to compromise with the surrounding culture until true Old Testament faith in God nearly disappeared. Ezra, Nehemiah and the other characters in this series lead a movement to restore the Jews to their promised land, to rebuild the temple of God and, most of all, to restore the people’s faith and their relationship with God.

What first drew you to the genre of historical fiction?

When I wrote my first books, the “Chronicles of the Kings” series, I discovered how much I enjoyed researching the past, seeing the challenges and choices people faced and then showing the lessons that we can learn from history. That passion has remained the same for me. 

You have written many novels since your last biblical saga, “Chronicles of the Kings.” What led you to write another series of biblical fiction?

My readers asked for it! So many people wrote to me saying that the biblical books were their favorites and that they loved the way those novels brought the Bible to life. Reading and studying Scripture is one of my greatest passions, so fulfilling my readers’ request was an easy choice to make.

What research did you conduct to write this series?

I began with the biblical texts, reading and re-reading them in several translations. Then I turned to the commentaries on this material, Christian and Jewish. I also read numerous history books and learned about the archaeological discoveries from this time period. I even took some courses on the Jewish faith at the Chicago Torah Network. But my favorite way to research was to travel to Israel and immerse myself in the country’s sights and sounds and tastes and places.

Who are the four point-of-view (POV) characters in Return to Me, and why did you select them?

I chose Iddo and his grandson, Zechariah (who prophesied during this time period), because they’re listed in Scripture as being part of the first wave of exiles to return to the land. Curiously, Zechariah’s father (Iddo’s son) isn’t mentioned, which provided me with plot ideas. The other POV characters are Iddo’s wife, Dinah, and Zechariah’s friend, Yael, whom I created to provide the women’s viewpoint of these events. Ezra and Nehemiah don’t enter the story until books two and three.

These characters examine the nature of their own relationships with God, whether they are motivated by love or fear. Can you tell us more about that?

Some of my characters witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s temple, and they decide to return, not out of love for God, but out of fear of His wrath if they disobey. They must learn to truly know God and serve Him out of love. The same is true for the women, who initially return because they love their husbands, not because they love God.

At one point, Iddo asks his family if they are willing to obey God no matter the cost. Why did you include this question? Does it have a broader meaning for the Israelites of that day and/or for God’s people today?

It took an enormous sacrifice to obey God’s call and leave the comforts of Babylon to return to a desolate, ruined land. Obeying meant giving up many of the things that had become “idols” in their lives and stepping out in faith to trust a God they barely knew. Today, I think we have to make daily decisions to choose between God’s call and the pull of our culture. Sometimes those decisions also have a high cost.

How did the backstories you created for each character come together in such a satisfying way that is also consistent with Scripture?

I started with the story from Scripture. Once I understood the biblical events and the issues they raised, then I could create my characters and place their stories in that context. 

What other information about Return to Me might be helpful for Christian retailers to share with customers?

Return to Me is the first novel in a three-book series; the others are Keepers of the Covenant, which will feature Ezra as the main character, and On This Foundation, which will feature the story of Nehemiah.