Sarai Book Review

SUMMARY:  He promised her his heart.  She promised him a son.  But how long must they wait?
     When Abram finally requests the hand of his beautiful half sister Sarai, she asks one thing - that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives.  Even Sarai's father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if she makes a promise in return - to give Abram a son and heir.  Certain she can easily do that, Sarai agrees.
     But as the years stretch on and Sarai's womb remains empty, she becomes desperate to fulfill her end of the bargain, lest Abram decide that he will not fulfill his.  To what lengths will Sarai go in her quest to bear a son?  And how long will Abram's patience last?
     Combining in-depth research and vivid storytelling, Jill Eileen Smith brings to live the beautiful and inscrutable Sarai in this remarkable story of love, jealousy, and undaunted faith.

REVIEW:  Have you ever wondered what went through Sarai's head when her husband told her they were moving but he didn't where, when he asked her to call him brother while they were in Egypt, and when decades had passed and the child promised by God had not come?  I know I have.  The author gives us great insight as to what Sarai's thoughts might have been, the struggles she faced, and the decisions she made that looked and sounded good but ended up causing more grief.  Even though this is fiction and the author does take some liberty as the backgrounds of Hagar and Lot's wife, I feel I have a better understanding of this section of Genesis as a whole.  Sarai was a woman who loved her husband deeply and struggled with the stigma of barrenness.  She wanted to do the right thing but instead of trusting God and His timing, when it looked like nothing was ever going to happen, she decided to make it happen and do what was acceptable at that time in the culture around her.  But, God's ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts; and He sees the whole picture where we see only a VERY small portion.
     This is an awesome book that I think will help you understand one of the most pivotal characters of the whole Bible just a little better.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Available March 2012  at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba, all part of the Wives of King David series.  Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times.  Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.  To learn more about Jill or for more information about her books, visit her website at www.jilleileensmith.com.  You can also connect with her on Facebook (Jill Eileen Smith).