Before the Giant: The Untold Story of a Shepherd’s Secret

There’s a moment in every great story when the hero is just another person, unnoticed, untested, unknown. Before David was a warrior, a poet, or a king, he was something else entirely: a shepherd.

But what if those quiet years in the hills of Bethlehem weren’t just preparation? What if they were the real story, the place where his destiny was shaped long before he ever stood before Goliath?

This is the premise of The Shepherd’s Secret, the new novel by Issac Thomas.

Why This Story Works

Historical fiction succeeds when it makes the past feel urgent, when it reminds us that legends weren’t born, they were made. And The Shepherd’s Secret does just that. It pulls us into the mind of a young David, a boy whose world consists of sheep, solitude, and whispers of something greater. It’s a novel that asks: What happens in the moments before history is made?

Issac Thomas doesn’t just retell the story of David; he reframes it. The book doesn’t start with a battle but with a boy staring up at the stars, wondering if they hold his future. The narrative is both intimate and epic, spiritual and deeply human.

What Makes This Different?

Most stories about David focus on his victories, his slingshot moment, his rise to power. But The Shepherd’s Secret is about what comes before. The doubts, the waiting, the small decisions that, in hindsight, weren’t small at all.

At the center of it all is Immanuel, a mysterious guide who doesn’t just tell David who he’s meant to be, he makes him figure it out. Their conversations read like echoes from another time, full of wisdom but never heavy-handed. This is what makes the book compelling: it doesn’t preach, it reveals.

Who Will Love This Book?

• Fans of historical fiction who want to experience ancient Israel in vivid detail
• Readers who loved The Alchemist because this, too, is a story of destiny
• Anyone who has ever wondered if their quiet, hidden work is leading to something greater

The Takeaway

Some books entertain. Others make you think. The Shepherd’s Secret does both. It’s a novel that lingers, making you reconsider the moments that seem small, the waiting seasons, the quiet lessons that only make sense in retrospect.

Because maybe the real story isn’t about slaying giants. Maybe it’s about learning how to see them in the first place.

???? The Shepherd’s Secret is available now in bookstores and online.