Sarah: Women of Genesis

Amazon.com

From New York Times bestselling author Orson Scott Card comes the finely crafted novel of Sarah, about a beautiful and courageous Jewish woman who changed the course of history through her faith, wisdom, and commitment to her husband, Abraham. As a man writing from a woman's perspective, Card nevertheless shows great perspicacity. Sarah's range of emotions is credible, including her fear as she pretends to be Abraham's sister in order to fool the Egyptian pharaoh Neb-Towi-Re, and her pain as she deals with her barrenness. Later, the kindness Sarah showers on Hagar, her personal handmaid, conflicts believably with her agonizing jealousy over her decision to let Abraham father a child with Hagar. Card's research for the book results in detailed descriptions that help make it memorable, from the practice of religion and styles of dress to the accounts of desert and city life. He succeeds in offering a memorable tale for both those who are interested in biblical women as part of their faith and readers who just enjoy a good story. --Cindy Crosby

Book Description

Sarai was a child of ten years, wise for her age but not yet a woman, when she first met Abram. He appeared before her in her father's house, filthy from the desert, tired and thirsty. But as the dirt of travel was washed from his body, the sight of him filled her heart. And when Abram promises Sarai to return in ten years to take her for his wife, her fate was sealed.Abram kept his promise, and Sarai kept hers they were wed, and so joined the royal house of Ur with the high priesthood of the Hebrews. So began a lifetime of great joy together, and greater peril: and with the blessing of their God, a great nation would be built around the core of their love.Bestselling author Orson Scott Card uses his fertile imagination, and uncanny insight into human nature, to tell the story of a unique woman--one who is beautiful, tough, smart, and resourceful in an era when women had little power, and are scarce in the historical record. Sarah, child of the desert, wife of Abraham, takes on vivid reality as a woman desirable to kings, a devoted wife, and a faithful follower of the God of Abraham, chosen to experience an incomparable miracle.

Customer Reviews:

LIFEGIVING STORYTELLING!.......2007-10-04

LIKE SO MANY WONDERFUL EVENTS THAT CAN BE HAD IN LIFE, THIS FINE BOOK IS A PART OF A SERIES!

THANKS TO MR. CARD'S CORE OF MYSTICISM THAT RUNS LIKE A VEIN OF GOLD THROUGH HIS WORKS, AND TO HIS COMPASSIONATE, LOVING AND DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF THE INNER WORKINGS OF WOMEN, THE STORY DOES COME ALIVE.

I AM INSPIRED TO DIG OLD MY OLD TESTAMENT AND REREAD THE STORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD.

WAITING IMPATIENTLY FOR THE FOURTH, ETC. IN THE SERIES.

Why did I doubt Card could handle this topic? :).......2007-07-05

He's done it again.

It's been a while since I've read anything by Card, but I'm happy to say his storytelling stills rings true. When I first saw this on a Borders bookshelf, I had my doubts. Quite frankly, I thought it was audacious of anyone to try and tell such a well-known Biblical story. After skimming it briefly, I bought the book out of sheer curiousity.

I was not disappointed.

Card tells a wonderful story, which as far as I'm concerned stays faithful to the essence of the Biblical tale. His characters are beautiful and sincere in their emotions and motivations. His story never really feels like a sermon to the reader. The plot is filled with political intrigue, betrayal, suspicion, and passion that the characters rendered ultimately feel like genuine people with very real and legitimate fears and doubts. And through it all, their faith is always apparent--in one way or another.

This was definitely an enjoyable read, which was unexpected.

A living saga of love, courage and everlasting faith.......2007-04-05

Prolific Science Fiction/Fantasy author puts his pen to the service of narratin the lives of the Hebrew Matriarchs in The Women of Genesis series. Here Card beautifully and sensitively narrates the story Sarah, filling in the gaps with consumate and imaginative skill.

Unlike some novels, such as Sarah by Marek Halter and The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant, where the women are portayed as worshiping idols and other gods, Sarah is shown as a strong women, devoted to the service of Yahweh since she was little, as are the other matriarchs in the Women of Genesis series.

In this account, Sarai was ten years old, a bright and inquisitive child, when she first met the desert nomad and priest of Yaweh, Abram, who had come to her house to negotiate the marriage of his cousin Lot to the to Sarai's wilful and selfish sister, Qira. Abram captures little Sarai's heart, and and seals her destiny by promising that he will come back and marry her, within ten years.

Sarai, a princes of the Royal House of Ur, is promised by her father as a priestes to Asherah, but renounces this future, and instead devotes her herself to the worship of the one living G-D Yahweh.

Her prayers are answered soon after she prays for Abram to be spared by the vengeance of an Egyptian official, Suwertu-an earthquake shakes Ur and Suwertu is killed.

Abram and Sarai are married in a union of love and faith, joining the Royal House of Ur to the high priesthood of the Hebrew Nation. The epic of love, faith and peril follows from Haran to Canaan to Egypt and back to Canaan, where Abram and his tribe settle in Hebron.
Card gives us an interesting perspective on Sarai and Abram's experiences in Egypt where she is passed off as Abram's sister, rather than his wife.
Sarai's great kindnes to her handmaiden who she is given in Egypt, the Arab slave-girl Hagar.
The wickedness of Sarai's sister and Lot's wife Qira and the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah, and Qira's death there- only Lot and two of his daughters survive.

Finally Hagar's birth of Ishmail and Hagar's newfound spite against Sarah. The miraculous birth in Sarah's old age of Isaac (after G-D's promise), and the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmail from Abraham's household after Ishmail's brutality to the little Isaac.

The narrative is told with sensitivity and prose. The slight deviations from the Biblical account do not in any way take away from the spirit of the Biblical narrative. I actually preferred the idea of Qira being killed by the flames and lava, rather than being literally turned into a pillar of salt.
The author's Biblical understanding is supplemented by his comprehensive study of Canaan, Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Near East. What results is a living saga of love, courage and everlasting faith.

The American Sarah?.......2006-11-20

I have to agree with the previous reviewer who found this novel lacking in cultural depth. The story was okay--if you like OSC's other stuff, you'll probably like the storytelling well enough--but I found myself annoyed throughout the book by the fact that the characters were not Middle Eastern, but American. Card, while ostensibly setting his tale in the Middle East of several thousand years ago, made no attempt to craft characters whose motivations and personalities might have been shaped by that place and time and culture. They all acted, to my mind, like 20th Century Americans, thus rendering the whole story unbelievable and silly to me. While I'm not a huge OSC fan in general, I prefer his sci-fi stuff, where he makes up the place and time and culture and then crafts characters to fit those circumstances. It's more believable to me.

Mind Opening.......2006-08-02

As a fan of Orson Scott Card and historical fiction, I picked up this book expecting just a good story. It is that and more! As a person of faith, I was so impressed at how Card brought these icons of Christian history to life - gave them thoughts, feelings, emotions that make them seem so much more tangible. Card told the story is way that honors scripture and historical documents and connects the pieces together to give the reader an exciting view of Sarah, Abraham & Lot as people, not just as biblical figures.

Average customer rating:

Somehow, left me feeling bleak....
Moving and engaging
A Little Too Fictional
Excellent stuff!!
Excellent

Rebekah (Women of Genesis)
Orson Scott Card
Manufacturer: Forge Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Rachel and Leah: Women of Genesis
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ASIN: 076534128X
Release Date: 2002-11-28

Book Description

Born into a time and place where a woman speaks her mind at her peril, and reared as a motherless child by a doting father, Rebekah grew up to be a stunning, headstrong beauty. She was chosen by God for a special destiny.Rebekah leaves her father's house to marry Isaac, the studious young son of the Patriarch Abraham, only to find herself caught up in a series of painful rivalries, first between her husband and his brother Ishmael, and later between her sons Jacob and Esau. Her struggles to find her place in the family of Abraham are a true test of her faith, but through it all she finds her own relationship with God and does her best to serve His cause in the lives of those she loves. In Rebekah, Orson Scott Card has created an astonishing personality, complex and intriguing, and her story will engage your heart as it captures your imagination.

Customer Reviews:

Somehow, left me feeling bleak...........2007-03-27

This version of Rebecca's life left me feeling that some would certainly have a misconstrued picture of who Rebecca was if they were to make the mistake of not actually reading the biblical text. While the story was readable, the writer certainly used creative license in the re-telling of the story. Enjoy this with that knowledge.

Moving and engaging.......2007-03-25

This novel by Orson Scott Card about the life of the matriarch Rebekah, is at once moving and engaging.
Unlike some novels, such as Sarah by Marek Halter and The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant, where the women are portayed as worshiping idols and other gods, she is shown as a strong women, devoted to the service of Yahweh since she was little, as are the other matriarchs in the Women of Genesis series.
Card has done a great job of filling in the gaps and bringing the women of the Bible to life.
The digressions from the Biblical account are not major and are, I believe, in the overall spirit of the Biblical account.
As a believing Jew, I did not find anything incongruent or objectionable in this book, although it is written by a Mormon.
Rebekah loses her mother as a baby, and is brought up under by a doting father, by her simple-minded and devoted nurse Deborah. She is also close to her brother Laban.
Her beauty is renowned and she has a headstrong and powerful personality temprered by an innate compassion.When she is seven years old an accident renders her father, Bethuel, deaf. She rejects marriage to a wealthy nobleman Ezbaal, because he worships pagan gods, and not Yahweh, and is by a strange series of events reunited with her mother Akyas, who was sent by Bethuel shortly after Rebekah's birth.

Later she knows, through G-D, when Eliezer meets her at the well, that it is her destiny to go with him and marry Isaac, and go's with Isaac to dwell at the home of his father Abraham at Kirjath-arba.
The love between Rebekah and Isaac is great but it is strained by the rivalry with his brother Ishmail, and the domineering nature of Isaac's father,. Abraham. She falls pregnant after twenty years, and in a dream is visited by her great ancestors Seth, the son of Noah, and Eber, and several others of whom she knew less. They inform her she will give birth to twins " You have two great men inside you, two mighty nations, two ways of life, and the one will be stronger than the other, and the elder will serve the younger".
Not long after the twins Jacob and Esau are born, their different natures become apparent. Jacob is good natured and obedient, while Esau is wild and wilfful. Rebekah favours Jacob and Isaac favours Esau. Esau hunts and kills the animals, while Jacob tends and loves them. A powerful anecdote is related to show their different natures, when they are five years old and and Jacob weeps because Esau throws stones at a puppy until it is blinded.
They grow up and finally Esau shows his true waywardness, bloodthirsty caharacter and his disinterest in the word of G-D, and he marries two Hittite women.
The book draws to a close with the famous events where Esau sells his birthrigh to Jacob for a mess of pottage, and where Jacob tricks Isaac into giving him the birthright instead of Esau. But according to the author's interpretation, Isaac really knows it is Jacob, but G-D tels him that indeed Jacob is worthy of the blessing.
The dialogues show the conflicts prevalent in the narrative.
It is written in modern language, and should bring the narratives alive to the readers.
I look forward to reading the other Women of Genesis novels.

A Little Too Fictional.......2007-01-12

I have taken a while to warm up to Card's writing as I don't enjoy some of his content, and so I read this one a bit apprehensively.

Overall, I found Rebekah to be an interesting character, but don't agree with several of his interpretations of other biblical figures--namely his protrayal of both Isaac and Abraham. Up to Rebekah's move to Canaan to be Isaac's wife, I found his story to be an interesting (though possible) prologue to Rebekah's part in the scriptures, but once he protrayed Abraham as prefering Ishmael's physical strength to Isaac's quiet personality (a personality Card gives him, IMHO), and sets up Isaac as doubting his own worth, I no longer enjoyed it. I also didn't agree with his interpretation of how Abraham's almost sacrifice of Isaac influenced their relationship in the future, nor of Abraham's supposed "death grip" on the sacred record he'd been preserving.

Card's ability to create believable female characters has greatly improved over the years, though, and I must say that I'm glad that they no longer seem to fall into cookie cutter shapes. Rebekah herself is protrayed by Card as a strong, self-aware woman who trusts in her faith in God to lead her to where she can serve Him best. Her ability to stick to her convictions and to help lead her family by strengthening her father are some of my favorite aspects to this book.

Excellent stuff!!.......2006-09-26

Rebekah is best known as the wife of Isaac and daughter-in-law of Abraham, the father of God's chosen nation. Her story is found in the latter chapters of Genesis. She is a daughter of a landowner, named Bethuel and by a variety of circumstances, becomes responsible for most of the inner workings of her father's household. She is taught to read and write, which is rare for men and almost never seen in women. She boldly declines a marriage to a rich suitor and prays to be married to a man of faith...a man that worships the God of Abraham, and not idols. Even after God answers her prayer and she marries Isaac, life is not easy, dealing with her father-in-law and patriarch, Abraham and especially her sons, Jacob and Esau and the issue of the birthright and privilege of carrying on the stories of God's works. Rebekah, a woman who, by the day's standards should be meek and submissive, is strong, outspoken and is instrumental in God's work.

This is a very romantic story, filling in gaps of scripture with a plausible, everyday tale of a girl that is devoted to her God, her family and to her hope of being a strong woman in a man's world. The author paints a realistic picture of life in early biblical times. Marriages, politics, travel, customs. Rebekah is a true hero in that she follows God's will against the times, against powerful men and even her own family.
While conjecturing about a biblical character and "filling in the gaps" of their lives may seem risky (unyielding fundamentalism comes to mind), I find that the exercise of speculating about someone's life in ancient times can be educational and romantic, especially if done well, which this book seems to be. The situations and events (specifically those not written about in the Bible) that happen to and around Rebekah are realistic and seem to reflect the times.

The author, in his forward, opines that there is an inconsistency or two in scripture and he uses this "fact" to make his story flow. I find this a bit presumptuous, but also understand that some biblical facts, especially dry historical ones, can often be incomplete or misunderstood without knowledge of the history.

I would recommend Rebekah to those who have ties with Christianity, whether practicing or just curious, especially those that love to read a good, clean romance or hero tale. It is not meant to be a persuasive work that tries to bring the reader to convert to Christianity, but merely shows several characters' commitment and relationship with God.

Orson Scott Card is the author of several science fiction tales dealing with future earth and alternate pasts of North America. He focuses a lot of his creative energy into characters that are children or women. He does not disappoint. Rebekah is the second "Woman of Genesis" that he has studied, preceded by Sarah and followed by Rachel.

Excellent.......2006-08-10

I must admit, I really have enjoyed the Women of Genesis series. Some might think you need a belief OR that you will be preached to if you read these books, but that is far from true. As a student of many religions I appreciated the fact that Card, with such strong personal beliefs, didn't feel the need to use these books to "convert" the reader.

I kept saying to myself "Wow!"

This is a good story, along the lines of the old oral storytellers. It makes you think, and I loved the fact that I could get angry at the foolishness of the characters that I grew to like so much.

Average customer rating:

Prepare to be surprised again
What goes around, comes around
Living as the bomb falls
True to the title: Shan is back!
A pause in the series - a lot of character chest beating and agony

Matriarch
Karen Traviss
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Ally (Wess'har Wars)
The World Before
Crossing the Line
City of Pearl
Fearless (The Lost Fleet, Book 2)

ASIN: 006088231X
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Book Description

In thirty years, the invincible Eqbas will arrive at Earth to forcibly return the planet to what it once was—as retribution, in part, for the gethes' thoughtless near-extermination of an alien ocean-dwelling species. First, however, another world requires their attention: the crowded, ecologically ravaged planet of the swarming, insect-like isenj. Efforts to drastically reduce the isenj population have sparked a devastating civil war—which may well do the savior/destroyers' work for them. And the human visitors can only watch.

Rendered immortal and ever changeable by a parasite in her blood, ex-cop Shan Frankland isn't content merely to play Matriarch to her two similarly infected mates—one earthborn, one alien wess'har. Her fears for the future of Umeh and the ultimate fate of humankind must be set aside while she tackles an unfulfilled duty that haunts her every waking moment—a mission that must be undertaken for the sake of the future—and pursues a righteous vengeance.

Customer Reviews:

Prepare to be surprised again.......2007-01-31

In "Matriarch," fourth of the saga of Shan Frankland, things take another surprising turn. The Eqbas take time out from their planned arrival on Earth to--they hope--straighten out the Isenj, who have so overpopulated their world that the very idea of a tree becomes a novelty. This causes some conflict between the two wess'har factions. Meanwhile, Shan learns that Rayat and Neville not only live, but are also infected with c'naatat, the stuff that immortality is made of (for those unfamiliar with the series, Shan is too), and she is not happy. Indeed she becomes increasingly obsessed with the problem: she doesn't want c'naatat to become widespread.

In turn, the spy Mohan Rayat and the former commander Lindsay Neville (who previously displayed all the signs of sociopathology) discover something interesting about the Bezer'ej, the seagoing species to whom they have been forced to provide aid, as a result of Rayat's attempt to destroy them (he's mostly succeeded). In an amazing sequence, as they lose their human characteristics they become in some sense more human. Journalist Eddie Michelat continues to file his reports back to Earth, whose nations have reached the brink of war over the impending arrival of the Eqbas. (Ms. Traviss, who is British, has a very Eurocentric view. Like Ken MacCleod and Elizabeth Bear, Ms. Traviss imagines a world in which the U.S. is no longer a major player.)

Ms. Travis's work continues to astonish, impress, and amaze. Obviously, readers should start with the first book in the series, "City of Pearl," and work their way north to this one. If they do, they will be well-rewarded. Each book tells a story complete in itself, while also leaving the reader waiting for the next volume to appear. As she has amply demonstrated before, as well as here, the author has a sure touch and seems to know exactly where she's taking this series.

What goes around, comes around.......2007-01-07

Matriarch is the fourth volume in British author Karen Traviss' Wess'har series. If you haven't yet read the previous novels, you might like to start at the beginning with City of Pearl. If you do, I'm sure you'll be back here to order this volume.

Matriarch picks up right where The World Before left off, with the the Eqbas, the technologically superior wess'har from the titular home world, preparing to ecologically rebalance the overpopulated and resource starved world of Umeh, inhabited by the spider-like isenj. Reporter Eddie Michallat's on-the-scene reports of the devastation provide the squabbling nations of Earth a warning of what the Eqbas have in mind for humans.

As with previous volumes, the writing's tight and the morals conflicted, making for another spectacular chapter to what has to be the most engaging ongoing science fiction series in the English language. A better one-word title for this book, though, might have been Harvest. Or perhaps Karma. I suppose Matriarch was chosen for the two lead characters, but it does nothing to capture the essence of the story, which is all about consequence, much of it ironic, about how your choices, your principles, even your dreams and desires come back to you in ways you could not have imaged.

Esganikan, the matriarch of the Eqbas, gets what she most needs to justify wess'har intervention on Umeh, an official isenj government invitation to rebalance the planet's exhausted ecology. Getting involved proves easy, but the price in lives from a fratricidal civil war tests Esganikan's commitment to her principles.

Lindsay Neville and Rayat Mohan swim in a world of water and guilt, living among the bezeri, the aquactic species now nearly extinct as a result of radiation from a nuclear bomb the pair unleashed on the world of Bezer'ej. The two work with the handful of remaining bezeri to help recover and catalog artifacts and records of bezeri culture, living in the oceans, slowly becoming, as a result of the alien c'naatat, gill-breathing, translucent fish who learn that those to whom they pay penitence are themselves morally defiled.

Shan Frankland, meanwhile, frets over her two mates, human Ade and wess'har Aras, and how she might make all three of them feel more like a family. This is perhaps the slowest part of the novel, a good-sized middle section where nothing much happens but talk about unfulfilled expectations. It takes a while to get there, but the finale of this particular sub-plot is a stunning act of moral consistency, something along the lines of Shan executing one of her scientists for collecting specimens (as depicted in City of Pearl). It's likely to be a scene well remembered once this series comes to a close at the end of 2007.

But for now, we can look forward to Ally and the Eqbas arrival on Earth, coming in April 2007.

Living as the bomb falls.......2006-12-15

The title of my review sums up the sense of dread that inhabits this novel. In the forth segment of her Wess'har Wars series Karen Traviss does, as one reviewer put it, gives us a pause in the break-neck speed with which other books in the series seemed to move, but instead of this pause simply being filler we have chapter after chapter of growing dread, as if the moral implications of previous actions have finally sunk home to certain characters. Much like in real life where a pause allows one to collect one's thoughts, Matriarch's sense of a pause (and this is a pause filled with an invasion, a suicide, mutilation of self, a genocidal eco-warrior race that may or may not be allies, revelations of past genocides, the transmutation of a species, and more, to the point that I really wish most books had these sorts of "pauses") allows the sense of dread to grow as the Equibas reveals hidden allies and an invasion takes place and the human characters get a chilling glimpse of what is in store for Earth.
Shan, Aras, and Ade all have to come to terms with the sins of their past, and in some cases, their present, and future.
It may be true that this novel doesn't move with the speed of some of the past novels, but there are still plenty of revelations, attrocities, wars, and moral quandries to keep readers flipping the pages and wondering who, if anyone, has a high ground to stand upon in the series, and raises the question of who the reader identifies with and why, and whether they should be comfortable with that identification.

True to the title: Shan is back!.......2006-11-17

Matriarch is the 4th in Traviss' standalone series featuring Shan Frankland and the wess'har, Aras. The books in order are City of Pearl, Crossing the Line, the World Before, and Matriarch. Read them in order. These books are set in a rich plot of space, light years away from earth. Humankind's blunders are catching up with them, and the Eqbas are off to settle the score for the universe. In 30 years, the Eqbas will knock on Earth's door and fix the problem by restoring the planet to what once was in retribution for the almost extermination of the Bezeri by cobalt-laced nuke on Cavanagh's Star. The Eqbas make a side trip to fix the ecologically challenged planet inhabited by the Isenj before heading off to Earth. Now, some of the Isenj don't want to be fixed, and a civil war breaks out. Eddie, the BBChan reporter tries to convince Earth that the Eqbas are serious.

Meanwhile, the familial peace between Shan, Aras, and Abe threatens to shatter when she discovers that Rayat and Neville are still alive and kicking, not to mention infected )by the boys) with the aggressive parasite c'naatat. The same parasite that is capable of allowing a host to survive under water, gunshots to the head, suffocation, etc.

I love these books, the characters are vivid, complex and well developed. The aliens are curious and interesting. The story lines are planned and woven to flow well together and separately. This particular book focuses more on the interaction and development of the characters instead of advancing the action of the overall series. The title Matriarch, pretty much explains it all since Shan steps firmly on the path of becoming the martirch of her c'naatat infected family.

A pause in the series - a lot of character chest beating and agony.......2006-11-11

The Eqbas invade Isenj and Lindsay and Rayat adjust to life among the Bezari pretty much sums up the contents of this book. Its basically a bridge story and a preview of the invasion of Earth that will probably be in the next book.

I have to say that this is my least favourite book in this series. Not a great deal seems to happen. There's a lot of agony over moral rights and wrongs and some character development but as a story it seems to lack focus in a way. This book should only be read if you have read the other books in this series, otherwise the story won't make any sense, but for me this was a stepping stone story to the climax which is yet to come and its probably not a novel I'd read twice.

Hagar, Sarah, And Their Children: Jewish, Christian, And Muslim Perspectives

Average customer rating:

Great book

Hagar, Sarah, And Their Children: Jewish, Christian, And Muslim Perspectives

Manufacturer: Westminster John Knox Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives (Overtures to Biblical Theology)
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The Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam: A New Edition (Princeton Classic Editions)
Reading the Women of the Bible: A New Interpretation of Their Stories
The Women's Bible Commentary - expanded

ASIN: 0664229824

Book Description

In different ways, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all trace their beginnings to Abraham. His wives Hagar and Sarah, though also pivotal in the story, have received far less attention. In this book, however, noted Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars focus on Hagar, Sarah, and their children, from Ishmael and Isaac to their many descendents through the centuries.

Moving from ancient and medieval sources to contemporary appropriations of the Sarah and Hagar story, the authors begin, in part 1, with an overview of the three religions—from their scriptural beginnings to their contemporary questions. Part 2, "Hagar and Sarah in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Traditions," explores how the story was developed after its canonization, in rabbinic interpretations, in the stories of Islam, and in the teachings of the early church fathers. And part 3, "Continuing the Conversation with Hagar and Sarah," presents contemporary womanist and feminist perspectives. Timely, relevant, and provocative, Hagar, Sarah, and Their Children offers a reliable and insightful look into a scriptural text foundational to these three great religions, and more important, it provides an entrée into interreligious discussion and understanding.

In addition to Phyllis Trible and Letty Russell, contributors are Elizabeth A. Clark, Riffat Hassan, Adele Reinhartz, Miriam-Simma Walfish, and Delores Williams.

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2007-06-07

Trible provides some excellent insight into women's roles in the history of the three big religious traditions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; it's a good read, pretty quick, and opens your eyes to the huge role gender plays in the biblical narratives, even though gender tends to be downplayed by the Christian church and arguably even the biblical accounts themselves.

Average customer rating:

Bible Women Come To Life
Disappointing
Lovely, Full of Comfort and Learned Wisdom

Sarah Laughed
Vanessa Ochs
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 007140290X

Book Description

Lessons and rituals from the women of the Bible, connecting contemporary women with their sacred stories

In this vivid collection, Judaic scholar Vanessa Ochs brings the legends of the biblical matriarchs to new life. Intimate, familiar, and wise, the heroines in Sarah Laughed are revealed to be inspiring role models for women today. From Eve's rebellious taste of wisdom to the righteous anger of Job's wife, each woman's story is retold in imaginative prose and accompanied by real-life rituals that you can perform at home, gaining insight into:

Finding inner wisdom
Speaking the true self
Being a good friend
Maintaining romantic partnerships
Raising a family
Letting go of children
Feeling blessed with a life well lived
And much more

Download Description

Lessons and rituals from the women of the Bible, connecting contemporary women with their sacred stories

In this vivid collection, Judaic scholar Vanessa Ochs brings the legends of the biblical matriarchs to new life. Intimate, familiar, and wise, the heroines in Sarah Laughed are revealed to be inspiring role models for women today. From Eves rebellious taste of wisdom to the righteous anger of Job's wife, each woman's story is retold in imaginative prose and accompanied by real-life rituals that you can perform at home, gaining insight into:

Finding inner wisdom
Speaking the true self
Being a good friend
Maintaining romantic partnerships
Raising a family
Letting go of children
Feeling blessed with a life well lived
And much more

Customer Reviews:

Bible Women Come To Life.......2006-03-08

I really enjoyed the characters in Sarah Laughed and some of these women are real characters! I like the format of each chapter beginning with the scripture reference, followed by a partially hypothetical story, then a personal account by the author and finally suggestions for real life. These womens' situations in life are not that different from our own. Very enjoyable and informative reading. As ususal Ms. Ochs has managed to bring reality to our spirituality.

Disappointing.......2005-09-13

Most of the stories in this book are about women being strong and independent. Eve, Miriam, even the Woman of Valor, the impossibly perfect woman. Then I got to the story of Esther. Instead of telling how she hid her identity and saved her people from destruction, Ochs has chosen to tell the tale of how she became the queen because of her beauty. I get that her point was that Esther had the ability to reflect the beauty of others, which is an admirable trait. But if Ochs wanted to depict a strong woman, she should have chosen a better part of Esther's tale. Instead, we're shown how beauty can get you everywhere. How about a trip to 2005, Ms. Ochs?

Lovely, Full of Comfort and Learned Wisdom.......2005-02-02

Vanessa Ochs has written a lovely book in which she fleshes out the stories of Old Testament women - stories that, very often, are short on detail and leave us with more questions than answers. In the process of filling in the gaps with imaginative and meditative narratives, Ochs supplies ideas on how modern women may use the lessons of our Old Testament forebearers to ease our souls, bodies and minds.

The book is divided into six sections, each addressing one aspect of modern womanhood - Being a Friend, Being a Parent, Living in a Woman's Body, and so on. Each section contains several chapters, each of which focuses on a single biblical woman. The opening chapter, in a section entitled Being Wise, focuses on Eve. The imaginative retelling of Eve's story (from Eve's perspective) following a modern-English version of a portion of the bible dealing with Eve, puts an interesting spin on the story and adds layers to what we assume we understood about the oft-blamed and misunderstood woman. A short essay (I'm tempted to call it a sermon) suggests ways in which we may hear echoes of Eve's story in our own lives - the ways in which we are misunderstood and blamed for the consequences of being too inquisitive, too adventurous and ignoring our own developing wisdom. Finally, we are invited to "Embrace the Gift of Eve" and Ochs offers suggestions for making the most of our abilities to explore and learn under our own volition and without apology. She recommends additional readings, rituals and even a recipe for apple cake to celebrate our existence as learning beings.

Other biblical woman receive similar nuanced tratement. Miriam, "The [Unnamed] Woman of Valor", Esther, the titular Sarah and even Job's wife are among those whose stories gain new relevance and interest under Och's able scholarship. No longer do women seem to hold a lesser place in the bible for Ochs fills in the blanks in their narratives and offers us valuable lessons for today and helps us learn their lessons - not just with our eyes and ears, but with our hearts.

Matriarch: Queen Mary and the House of Windsor

Average customer rating:

Blah, humbug
Good, Solid reading
This is a very well researched and most interesting read.
Royal Watchers will love it.

Matriarch: Queen Mary and the House of Windsor
Anne Edwards
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Royal Sisters
An Uncommon Woman - The Empress Frederick: Daughter of Queen Victoria, Wife of the Crown Prince of Prussia, Mother of Kaiser Wilhelm
The Women of Windsor: Their Power, Privilege, and Passions
The Grimaldis of Monaco
Ever After: Diana and the Life She Led

ASIN: 0688035116

Customer Reviews:

Blah, humbug.......2006-07-26

This biography isn't nearly --no, make that doesn't even come CLOSE-- to being as excellent as James Pope Hennessey's QUEEN MARY (1959). Yes, that biography was written almost 50 years ago and Pope Hennessey was writing an "official" biography, but it's chock full of interesting information and is backed by thorough research and excellent writing. Anne Edwards resorts to wondering, in the first chapter of this version, whether Mary's first fiance, the Duke of Clarence, was Jack the Ripper, and hinting that this could be possible. From that high point (she wrote sarcastically), it's all weak. Talk about a comedown. Don't waste your time with this trash version; go to the one that tells you what Mary was really like, and why.

Good, Solid reading.......2006-02-06

Biography can be a demanding form. The pitfalls range from the Kitty-Kelley-extreme of trashing a subject to the adulation of a hagiographer. There is a very, very narrow path of objectivity between.

It is clear Anne Edwards has a great affection and respect for her subject. Perhaps she does not stay in the rigorously objective historian's path as much as one would wish, but she does acknowledge her subject's faults. She does not pretend, for instance, that Queen Mary was anything but a bad mother even by the standards of her time. Still, at the end of the book one suspects Ms. Edwards believes in the Divine Right of Kings with as much fervor as her inimitable subject. I doubt that was her initial intention.

The tempo is perfect--the book is an easy read without being simplistic. There is a good selection of pictures that nicely illustrate the entire life of this truly one-of-a-kind woman.

Monarchy isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if it interests you this is a must-read book.

This is a very well researched and most interesting read........2002-04-12

Queen Mary was the consort of King George V and the paternal grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. She was a great influence on Queen Elizabeth II and the resemblance between Queen Mary and her famous granddaughter is uncanny. Queen Mary was the daughter of one of Queen Victoria's cousins, Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. Queen Mary's father was the Duke of Teck (a morganatic son of the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Wuerttemberg - now part of modern Germany). Queen Mary was destined to marry Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (eldest son of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) but he died before any marriage could take place. Queen Victoria wanted this marriage badly. Queen Mary at this time was Her Serene Highness, Princess Victoria Mary of Teck. To have lost the heir to the throne of England was a great loss. Queen Victoria knew that this Princess was worth keeping and soon Prince Albert Victor's younger brother George was married off to his late brother's fiancee. They eventually became King George V and Queen Mary on the death of King Edward VII in 1910. The marriage was a success and for Princess Victoria Mary of Teck it was a great rise from Serene Highness to Royal Highness and eventually Queen Consort. Queen Mary herself had a very interesting early family life. Her brothers were interesting characters as well as her parents. One of her brothers married King George V's cousin HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone while another caused Queen Mary much embarrassment with his gambling and other dubious activities. Queen Mary came from German stock and it is interesting to read about her German relatives. Her own married life is of much interest and of course her children are well known. She was the granddaughter-in-law of Queen Victoria, the daughter-in-law of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, the wife of George V and the mother of King Edward VIII and King George VI. Her life spanned a most turbulent period and she was a solid rock in the life of the British Royal family, providing a sense of security to the British Monarchy particularly during the abdication crisis. This is a very well researched book. It is well worth the read.

Royal Watchers will love it........2000-10-30

Anne Edwards is terrific and this book is no exception. It tells the story Queen Mary, the grandmother of the current queen Elizabeth, who rose from a minor royal relative to the queen consort of England. The path was difficult and almost lost - like Catherine of Aragon, she was betrothed to the heir who died prematurely (Edward, the whispered would-be Jack the Ripper) but married his brother instead. One of the most interesting episodes in the book is when her son, Edward VIII, chose love over duty, devastating his mother who had raised him to chose duty to the country over all else.

Book Description

The Fragrance of the Lotus is a collection of daily teachings originally circulated among the members of the Lotus Sangha of World Social Buddhismâa community of several thousand practitioners living and working primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asiaâof which Great Dharma Master Ji Kwang is the "Chung Chong," or Supreme Matriarch. These daily teachings were intended to serve her immediate students as personal reminders of the meaning of unhindered clarity and compassion. Gathered into chapters with such titles as "Social Buddhism," "Relationships," "Surmounting Suffering," "World Peace," "Success, Work, and Diligence," "Human Mind and Thinking," and "Beauty," Great Dharma Master Ji Kwang's teachings brilliantly integrate private, inner concerns with social issues and guidance for living as a Buddhist in the world. The brief messages are perfect for dipping into whenever one feels the need for illumination in the midst of our hectic lives in the often confusing and challenging 21st century.

Customer Reviews:

A guiding light.......2004-04-28

This book is a guiding light for every day's life. In it one can find help for all the multiple problems and tasks that life demands.
The passages are simple to understand and the texts are written in an easy English yet the entire manifold passages contents each of such a profound wisdom.
Ji Kwang Dae Poep Sa Nim teaches and shows how to combine the teachings of Buddha in every situation in one's life.
Thank you so very much to enrich humankind with such a precious jewel in form of this beautiful book.

Sarah: A Novel (Book One of the Canaan Trilogy)

Average customer rating:

Boring
Those Canaan Days
Doesn't do better than the original
Sarai?
a fast and enjoyable read

Sarah: A Novel (Book One of the Canaan Trilogy)
Marek Halter
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Biblical | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Zipporah, Wife of Moses: A Novel (Canaan Trilogy)
Lilah: A Novel (Canaan Trilogy)
The Book of Abraham
The Gilded Chamber : A Novel of Queen Esther
Rebekah (Women of Genesis)

ASIN: 1400052726
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Book Description

The first novel in a dazzling new trilogy about the women of the Old Testament by internationally bestselling author Marek Halter.

The story of Sarah--and of history itself--begins in the cradle of civilization: the Sumerian city-state of Ur, a land of desert heat, towering gardens, and immense wealth. The daughter of a powerful lord, Sarah is raised in great luxury, but balks at the arranged marriage her father has planned for her. The groom is handsome and a nobleman, but on their wedding day, Sarah panics and impulsively flees to the vast, empty marshes outside the city walls. There she meets a young man, Abram, a member of a nomadic tribe of outsiders. Drawn to this exotic stranger, Sarah spends the night with him, but reluctantly returns to her father’s house. But on her return, still desperate to avoid another wedding, she drinks a poisonous potion that will make her barren and thus unfit for marriage.

Many years later, Abram’s people return to Ur, and he discovers that the lost, rebellious girl from the marsh has been transformed into the most splendid and revered woman in Sumeria--the high priestess of the goddess Ishtar. But the memory of their night together has always haunted Sarah, and she gives up her exalted life to join Abram's tribe and follow the one true God, an invisible deity who speaks only to Abram. It is then that her journey truly begins--a journey that holds the key to her remarkable destiny as the mother of nations.

From the great ziggurat of Ishtar and the fertile valleys of Canaan to the bedchamber of the mighty Pharaoh himself, Sarah’s story reveals an ancient world full of beauty, intrigue, and miracles.

Download Description

The first novel in a dazzling new trilogy about the women of the Old Testament by internationally bestselling author Marek Halter.

The story of Sarah—and of history itself—begins in the cradle of civilization: the Sumerian city-state of Ur, a land of desert heat, towering gardens, and immense wealth. The daughter of a powerful lord, Sarah is raised in great luxury, but balks at the arranged marriage her father has planned for her. The groom is handsome and a nobleman, but on their wedding day, Sarah panics and impulsively flees to the vast, empty marshes outside the city walls. There she meets a young man, Abram, a member of a nomadic tribe of outsiders. Drawn to this exotic stranger, Sarah spends the night with him, but reluctantly returns to her father's house. But on her return, still desperate to avoid another wedding, she drinks a poisonous potion that will make her barren and thus unfit for marriage.

Many years later, Abram's people return to Ur, and he discovers that the lost, rebellious girl from the marsh has been transformed into the most splendid and revered woman in Sumeria—the high priestess of the goddess Ishtar. But the memory of their night together has always haunted Sarah, and she gives up her exalted life to join Abram's tribe and follow the one true God, an invisible deity who speaks only to Abram. It is then that her journey truly begins—a journey that holds the key to her remarkable destiny as the mother of nations.

From the great ziggurat of Ishtar and the fertile valleys of Canaan to the bedchamber of the mighty Pharaoh himself, Sarah's story reveals an ancient world full of beauty, intrigue, and miracles.

Customer Reviews:

Boring.......2007-09-19

I swear, i expected a lot more from this book. The blurb on the inside cover intrigued me, so i checked it out from the library.

I'm not even going to get into the biblicial inaccuracies here. I'm more concerned with the fact that the store seems to center around Sarah's continued beauty despite the passage of time, almost like God takes her fertility, but lets her keep her beauty. Apparently it's so stunning that even her adopted son tries to force himself on her.

The story was just flat. There was just not enough insight into Abraham and his belief in God, and Sarah's lack of faith in him(as the bible would have it). I did not feel for the character's. The character i did feel for was Hagar, being forced out after Isaac is born.

Just not interesting.

Those Canaan Days.......2007-08-17

I don't typically write reviews to compare one book to another, but since so many have already said, "If you loved The Red Tent, you'll enjoy Halter's Canaan Trilogy." I'm not disagreeing with that statement, but Sarah lacks the emotional depth and heart of Diamant's epic.

We meet Sarai as a child on the brink of womanhood, and the first half of the book observes her luxurious life in the city of Ur and her first encounter with Abram. The second half deals with her marriage to Abram, his developing relationship with Yhwh, and their travels throughout Canaan. The epilogue quickly covers the latter part of her life after Isaac is born and the Covenant, etc. It seems like Halter breezes past what could possibly be the most significant aspect of Abraham and Sarah's relationship with God.

However, the early parts of the narrative do shape who Sarai becomes as a woman and wife. She is often stubborn and jealous, and her feelings toward her husband, her life, and mostly her "miraculous beauty" seem to go from one extreme to another. She is a complex woman who has had to deal with difficult decisions throughout her life, and the burden of being barren and beautiful.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read filled with detail and atmosphere. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy, but The Red Tent will always remain the epitome of Old Testament fiction in my mind.

To see my opinion of the entire trilogy, view my review of Lilah.

Doesn't do better than the original.......2007-08-09

While as entertaining as any "Romance" novel, Sarah becomes a "modern woman" in this fictionalized account of the story of Sarah and Abraham. If you like Romance Novels, you will like this adventure packed, sexually broad novel. In this version, however, the story of Sarah is pointless.

Sarai?.......2007-07-16

As aforementioned, this story is best if you suspend all disbelief. It has beautifully written moments, but hurried ones as well (at the end). If biblical fiction appeals to you (as it does to me), this is a nice way to pass the day.

a fast and enjoyable read.......2007-04-25

As with the other Marek Halter books, this one is a very quick and enjoyable story. You wont want to put it down.

Ancient Sisterhood: Lost Traditions Of Hagar & Sarah

Average customer rating:

an interesting feminist perspective on biblical matriarchs
Should make everybody equally happy

Ancient Sisterhood: Lost Traditions Of Hagar & Sarah
Savina J. Teubal
Manufacturer: Swallow Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Feminist Theory | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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Feminist | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Sarah The Priestess: The First Matriarch Of Genesis
Hagar the Egyptian: The Lost Tradition of the Matriarchs
Hagar, Sarah, And Their Children: Jewish, Christian, And Muslim Perspectives

ASIN: 0804010013

Customer Reviews:

an interesting feminist perspective on biblical matriarchs.......2000-06-15

This book is also known as HAGAR THE EGYPTIAN. Since there wasn't a good explanation of this book on this page, I am adding the following. Teubal, an independent biblical scholar in her seventies, may be best known for her development of the Jewish ritual of Simchat Hochmah, Celebrating the Wisdom of Age, something like a bar/bat mitvah for those who reach their Golden and Platinum years. In this scholarly feminist study of the Genesis stories of Sarah and Hagar, she explores the matriarchal tradition in the Bible, which may have been covered over by succeeding patriarchal traditions. Sarah and Hagar are given an identity other than just being sleeping partners of Abraham. She also explores what the female led religious traditions were. This may be of interest to those seeking to create female-led rituals or New Moon ceremonies. Who was Hagar, the matriarch for Ishmaelic peoples and Islam? Was she a slave to Abraham and Sarah? Was she an empowered desert figure? Was she a gift to Sarah from a Pharaoah from their sojourn in Egypt? Was she a lady-in-waiting to Sarah, who was actually a priestess? What was the custom of surrogate motherhood in the Ancient Near East? These are some of the issues explored by Teubal

Should make everybody equally happy.......1999-07-13

The author's premise should make everyone equally happy since she makes Isaac the son of Abimelech, Ishael the son of an unknown father and mother, Hagar the mother of an unknown child, and Ketubah's children the only named children of Abraham.

Rachel's Cry: Prayer of Lament and Rebirth of Hope

Average customer rating:

Being honest with God

Rachel's Cry: Prayer of Lament and Rebirth of Hope
Kathleen D. Billman , and Daniel L. Migliore
Manufacturer: United Church Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Prayer | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0829813535

Customer Reviews:

Being honest with God.......2001-07-13

Rachel's Cry; Prayer of Lament and Rebirth of Hope, by Billman and Migliore, seeks to recover the biblical tradition of lament and protest, and exemplify its importance in one's spiritual life, especially for those who grieve while facing irrational suffering. The biblical figure Rachel is seen as metaphor "of the wholeness of prayer and spirituality that needs to be reclaimed by Christians today." Rachel's cry, her laminations, "need to be reclaimed in Christian prayer, the liturgy of the church, and pastoral ministry." The prayer of lament is the "unsettling tradition of prayer that includes expressions of complaint, anger, grief, despair and protest to God," found throughout the Bible, most often in the Psalms. One who did not believe in God could not have written these laments; they are honest, open conversations with a living, listening, God. The prayer of lament can co-exists with the prayer of praise and joy; in fact, it must if those that suffer are to be honest with them and with God. "How can the prayer of lament be free and joyful if the realities of broken human life are not named and lamented?" Lament adds to the wholeness of Christian life, and has its place with praise and thanksgiving in a holistic understanding of prayer. I highly recommend this book for those that are grieving or are seeking to comfort those that are suffering.

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