Who remembers the onlookers on the sidelines of big events? Such bystanders as the deposed queen Vashti, the blood-stained murdering grandmother Athaliah, the bluff soldier in King David's army, or the desperately searching mother Phoebe? In Bystanders Valerie Volk has created fifteen absorbing characters on the edges of familiar Biblical events. With psychological insight and compassion, she gives a new perspective on stories we thought we knew.

'Valerie Volk takes us on a different journey of understanding, through the intensely plausible thoughts and words from minor Biblical characters ... This book deserves a place not just for enjoyable reading but also as an aid to better understanding of Scripture.' - Rev. Dr Lynn Arnold, AO