Speare's prose in The Bronze Bow has the fluidity, grace, and clarity that mark her other award-winning novels. The impressively researched story comes alive with images of everyday life in ancient Palestine; Speare subtly weaves these details into the action of the novel.

The title The Bronze Bow represents the central symbol of the novel. It is taken from the biblical Song of David as quoted in chapter 7: "God is my strong refuge, / and has made my way safe. / He made my feet like hinds' feet, / and set me secure on the heights. / He trains my hands for war, / so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze." Daniel misses the point of this quotation, remarking, "It couldn't really be bronze. The strongest man could not bend a bow of bronze."

Joel, too, misses the point, suggesting that "Perhaps just the tips were metal."

On...