The Nightjar on the Arabah

James Goddard's novella is a tale of unlikely friendship between the young David son of Jesse, and Aram the Edomite, a shepherd in service to King Saul. Like the Bible narratives themselves, this cross-country adventure unfolds against the timeless landscapes of Benjamin, Judea, Ephraim and the wild desert vastness of the Arabah. Another title for this tale might have been 'King David's Other Jonathan.' A simple yarn, crafted as memoir, it preserves the hope and memory of peace and belonging, even when peoples apparently sworn to be enemies, deem these gifts of true friendship impossible.