Sarai

Wives of the Patriarchs #1

by Jill Eileen Smith

Sarai, the last child of her aged father, is beautiful, spoiled, and used to getting her own way. Even as a young girl, she is aware of the way men look at her, including her half brother Abram. When Abram finally requests Sarai's hand, she asks one thing--that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives. Even her father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if Sarai 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?Jill Eileen Smith thrilled readers with The Wives of King David series. Now she brings to life the strong and celebrated wives of the patriarchs, beginning with the beautiful and inscrutable Sarai.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Historical, Biblical

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling, award-winning author of the Wives of King David series, the Wives of the Patriarchs, Daughters of the Promised Land, Heart of a King, Star of Persia, Miriam's Song, The Prince and the Prodigal, Daughter of Eden, and The Ark and the Dove. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Bible times.

When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable cats Kody and Kaelee. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Contact Jill through email (jill@jilleileensmith.com), her website (http://www.jilleileensmith.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jilleileensmith), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/JillEileenSmith).

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Years ago, I made the mistake of watching Lifetime's The Red Tent miniseries. I thought it was supposed to be done by the same people who did History Channel's The Bible, but that Lifetime production took way too much liberty with the Biblical account, and was among the most edgiest audiovisual productions I've ever seen, which made it a shock to my Disney Channel sensibilities. Though I enjoyed quite a bit of Sarai, parts of it reminded me of The Red Tent, especially the title character's doubting of God and involvement with false gods. So, this was quite a mixed bag.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love biblical fiction! I think it is the perfect way to get someone who has never picked up a bible, interested in the stories that the bible holds. Sarai, by author Jill Eileen Smith is the type of book that does just that.

The first book in the Wives of the Patriarchs, Smith has taken the story of Abram and Sarai and filled in all those missing pieces that makes these biblical characters real and vibrant. I love how she stuck close to scripture yet was able to use her imagination just enough to fill in those "what if's".

Abram has taken Sarai his half-sister to be his bride. She asks one thing of him - to promise never to take another wife as long as she lives. In return, she also makes a promise to her father - to give Abram a son and heir. But as the years go by, it becomes quite clear that Sarai will never have a child. When Abram assures her that Adonai has promised him a son, Sarai struggles with belief and makes a mistake that will cost her dearly.

This story follows Abram and Sarai from the land of Ur to the land of Canaan, right up until God changes their names to Abraham and Sarah. Even though I knew the story, I was very intrigued and couldn't put the book down because the author did a tremendous job of bringing the characters alive and she did her research, which made the reading all the more enjoyable.

Captivating and entertaining, you will want to pick up this book! I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read several of Smith's books and while I loved the first few I stopped reading "Michal" partway through and was very disappointed with this one's ending. The story itself is wonderfully imaginative and I liked the speculation throughout. At the very end, however, after all this intricate story and sharing of Sarai's heartache of infertility we basically get: a year later Isaac was born, Abraham was happy, the end. Gahhh! Really? No description of how she felt when she figured out she was pregnant? Abraham's response to this amazing miracle? Nope, just...Adonai visited, Sarah laughed, Isaac was born, the end. I was very much looking forward to finding out how Sarah felt, how the news was received in their camp, how her birth went, etc...all details we discovered with the other women, Hagar especially.

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to be mean on these books about influential women of the Bible, but this is the second book by Ms. Smith I have read and it did not capture my interest either. The characters were great, but they just didn't work for me as a story. This is supposed to be about Sarai/Sarah but it seems like she took a backseat to Abram/Abraham and what he was promised from on High, Melah and her selfish ways, and even Hagar to an extent. To me there was very little about Sarai and what there was seemed like it was forced to make the story because it was supposed to be about Sarai. Just didn't work for me.

I am going to be nice and give this a 3, rounded up from 2.5 because of the above. I do have another of Ms. Smith's books at home and hope that 3rd time is a charm.

[Abbie Riddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill Eileen Smith wowed readers with her Wife of David series in which she explored the lives of Michal, Abigail and Bathsheba. Now she is embarking on a new series called the Wives of the Patriarchs that promises to be just as exciting and engaging.

I was so excited to receive a review copy of this book. When I was first introduced to this author it was through the book Bathsheba, which I devoured with great excitement. I expected great things with this book and was not disappointed in the least. In fact her Wife of David series hooked me on biblical fiction as it causes the reader to revisit the biblical accounts and to look deeper than the surface, realizing that these are more than just historical accounts, or stories of legends - they are the actual accounts of living, breathing people who impacted their world and continue, years later to impact our world.

Sarai follows the life of Sarah and Abraham and offers a new look at a very well known bible story. My perspective of this woman and her life is forever changed. This book drove me into deeper study of the biblical account of this woman's journey and her story.

A beautiful woman admired by many, Sarai loved her half brother Abram - and that love was returned. However, she demanded a promise of her future husband that her father thought was too much - she demanded that he promise to have only one wife. In return her father made her promise that she provide Abram with a son and if she could not fulfill her promise that she would release him from the promise she had demanded. In her human pride Sarai accepted thinking the promise demanded of her was easy to complete. Little did she know that God had a plan much greater than Sarai - one that included her learning that in her own strength nothing could be accomplished and that she did not control the events of life.

Old but still a beauty to be reckoned with Sarai can scarce stand the pitiful looks she receives from Lot's young wife who was always bearing another child. She wilted under Meleh's scornful tone and fought the urge not to bend to Maleh's request that Sarai offer sacrifice to the false gods for favor. The weight of her own rash and prideful promise weighs on her heart and soul as she struggles to understand the God of Abram and to believe in Abram's love Sarai becomes restless to fulfill her promise.

When Abram is called to leave his family and to travel to a place God will show this couple embarks on a journey that will forever change their lives. This journey will test their faith in the spoken promises of God as well as their knowledge of Him, it will test their love for God and each other, and will drive them into an ever deepening knowledge of who God really is. Sarai will come face to face with a great and faithful God who outshines any man-made god, who upholds the weak, leads His children and always, always keeps His promises. I believe that she ultimately learns that we do not have any thing to promise any other nor do we have the ability to keep any promise we make other than through God and Him living in us.

This book is a rich tapestry of the full range of human emotion and frailty and the God who brings all imperfection into a beautiful work of art that screams His glory.

If you have ever struggled with your faith, wavered between the things of this world and the things that are unseen in God - find inspiration in Sarai as she too walks this road and in the end discovers the One True God. If your faith has been tested and the promises of God have grown dim in your sight - if you have doubted that He will in fact answer - take courage and see the example in this story of just how faithful God is.

Jill Eileen Smith - I must give it up to you. This is your talent - opening God's word and bringing life to stories that we often do not give enough thought to. You cause readers to stop and really think about these people in a new light - bringing life to the characters and a depth that we often do not allow ourselves the luxury to explore when reading the stories in the bible.

Thanks to Revell for this review copy.

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

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I love well-written Biblical fiction and this certainly fit the bill. I liked how both Sarai and Abram were portrayed as people of faith, but also people . . . imperfect, sometimes doubting people. That really helped me remember that I am not faithless when I stumble and fall, but that I need to use my faith in God to allow Him to help me pick myself back up and try again.
I was very intrigued by the addition of Melah (Lot's wife)'s point of view in the story. Again, we know what eventually happens to her, but to see the process to how she ended up with such a fate was definitely a cautionary tale.
This was my first Jill Eileen Smith novel. It will definitely not be my last.

[Darlene Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this very much, the play between Sarai, Hagar, and Lot's wife, named "Melah." She drew parallels between Sarai and Melah's positions that I had never considered before. How Sarai grew into a faith in Abraham's God, while Melah rejected Him. That much is clear from the biblical story, but I won't say any more.

[Kristen Kooistra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written account of what Sarai's life might've looked like as she awaited Issac's birth. Smith did a good job of sticking to the actual events and filling in the blanks where there are blanks. There's a good sense of the customs and life-style of the time period(in both Sarai's family and outside of it).

I've never liked Sarai much, so there's only so much a book about her can do for me. She started out as a fairly sympathetic character, but about the time Hagar gets added to the mix things go south.

It's Sarai's choice to give Hagar to Abram and the poor servant does as she's told and it's like a no win situation. I can see why Sarai would be upset with the situation and perhaps because of customs and promises feel like there was no choice, but at the end of the day she still made a choice and I've never been okay with her treatment of Hagar.



I think the nastiness, the jealousy, the flip-flop of emotions, and so on that Sarai experiences in the book are probably near accurate of what the real Sarai went through and I can't change history, so I support the writing of the story this way, but I don't have to like Sarai. :D

It's a little hard at times to picture the characters because people lived longer back then and I just assumed they aged the same physically, but here we have a 60 year old lady(at the start) who's so beautiful that Abram's worried about her being taken and that lady on the cover certainly doesn't look 60. Even as the years pass, it's a very long time before Sarai's beauty is no longer mentioned or that Abram actually acts anything like we'd expect from an aging old man.

Overall, an enjoyable read that went by quickly and had a really good immersive feel. It just had a MC that I can't connect with(which I knew going into the story.).

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel brought the Old Testament to life for me. Once again Jill Eileen Smith has given me a greater appreciation for the scriptures. I knew from reading the Old Testament that Sarai was bitter and jealous of Hagar when she felt like she had to give Abram her maidservant at the time she believed she was no longer physically capable of bearing children. This story shows how difficult it was for her, and for me it created a greater empathy for her plight because I better understood her pain. The culture in her day placed such importance on child bearing, and to have everyone around you bearing children had to be really hard. The scenario shown by the author was a great illustration of how taking matters into your own hands often makes things ten times worse than just trusting God. I pitied Hagar and her situation more than ever once I saw her suffering through the character in the story. I love how the author does this with each novel.

When it came to the whole situation with Abram telling Pharaoh that Sarai was his sister, I always understood the story in part, but this novel gave backing to the many fears that Abram had for his deception by showing the reasons he said those things. I never understood how deeply it must have hurt Sarai not to be treated as his wife for so long and to be neglected (in many ways) by her husband in the name of protection. I could see how this was selfish on Abram's part and at one point I laughed when Sarai asked Abram if he cared if she died (and implied he was only worried about his own neck.) So while the novel shows the struggles Abram, Sarai, and Hagar had, it also showed their faith. I enjoyed the subplot with Lot as well and his family drama. All in all this was an engaging read. I didn't see any inconsistencies with Scripture and feel like the author did a great job filling in the blanks to bring about a clearer picture of the past. Well done!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jill amazes me with the in-depth insights in her Biblical historical novels. Sarai: A Novel is no different! Though this may be a familiar story from the Bible to many of you, Jill brings it to life through the depths of her characters and their interactions throughout the unfolding of their lives.

From the introduction of idol worship, the call of Abram to Canaan, and the eventual settling in the land, we see the personal struggles, jealousies, regrets, greed, and anxieties of each character, particularly Abram, Sarai, Lot, Meleh, and Hagar. The nomadic lifestyle challenges their constitution, spiritual life, and their trust in God, having come from a more comfortable lifestyle. Jill is able to bring you into the story and let you experience the uncomfortable bedding, the ‘archaic’ method of cooking, the grit of the dust storms, the whispers of barrenness, the mocking of Hagar, and the fear of Pharaoh in Egypt.

The inner thoughts and emotions of betrayal, rejection, barrenness, and grumbling are aptly described, making them personal to your own thought life. Repentance and forgiveness become a necessary component of the story, as well in our lives. Abram and Sarai’s faith in God’s promise to Abram is resonant and tested throughout the whole book.

The relationship between Abram and Sarai is so intimate, and yet strained with the birth of Abram’s first son. The latter situation is one that I would find difficult to deal with. Sarai’s feelings came across loud and clear, and I doubt I’d feel much different! Only by the grace of God could one withstand such a predicament!

Jill brought this ancient story into today’s world without compromising the Biblical rendering of the story. For a touching, revealing version of Abram and Sarai, this is the book to read!

This book was provided by Donna Hausler, Publicity Assistant at Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review. No monetary compensation was exchanged.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jill Eileen Smith does such a wonderful job of bringing stories we have read all our lives in the Bible to life. I can honestly say after years of reading many different authors and books, that I enjoy the way that Jill does Biblical fiction best. She is true to the scriptural passages and the historical facts, but also bringing in her own take of the stories and making that come to life. Her descriptive powers are great, you can picture the scenes in your mind, and you feel like your a part of the story!

The story of Sarai (Sarah) wife of Abram (Abraham) is one of my favorite stories. But the way that Jill brought to life the disappointment that Sarai must have felt each and every year that passed without the promised child, was wonderful. I found myself crying as she dealt with the jealousy she felt when Hagar birthed Ishmael, and even the jealousy she felt between the relationship with Abram and Ishmael, just brings to your attention that the patriarchs and matriarchs of the Bible were as human as we are. Truly a story that you will enjoy! I was also fascinated with the relationship between Lot's wife and Sarai, it was truly interesting to see how they interacted with each other. And the horrible downfall of Lot's wife as they moved into Sodom and further away from the presence of Adonai. A great book!! 313 pages $US14.99 4 stars.



This book was provided by Revell for review purposes. No payment was provided for this review.

Available March 2012 from your favorite seller of Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What a failure her life had been. Would she have lied to God if she’d had more faith, been more righteous? How could she possibly have a son at her age? And yet, if she had believed all along . . .” ~from Sarai ~

These lines from Jill Eileen Smith’s novel share the anguish Sarai feels as she realizes how often she has missed God’s favor because she cannot bring herself to trust Him. God blesses Sarai with a very good life—especially for a woman of that time period. She has incredible beauty, an adoring, godly husband, wealth, servants, health. (Who wouldn’t want to look young and lovely at age sixty-plus?) Yet jealousy, fear, and doubt eat away at her happiness. When she compounds this with idolatry and bad choices, she sets in motion events that bring much pain both to Sarai and those she loves.

Though familiar with the biblical account, this book brought Sarai’s story to life for me. I rejoiced with her, hurt with her, worried for her . . . And I couldn’t help but think about heaven. I’ve often wondered how we will relate to other Christian women from cultures and time periods so different from ours. Stories like this remind me of all the sorrows, hopes, and dreams we share with the ones we’ll meet in eternity.

Rich in historical detail, Sarai is a great read!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarai tells the story about the agreement between God and Abram. The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Abram and Sarai made some hard choices to leave their father’s household and follow God into the unknown, looking for city whose architect and builder is God. Not like Abram who always keep the faith, Sarai sometimes had doubt and do the wrong choices. But in the end God always keep His promises. He has made everything beautiful in His time.

Beside Sarai there is another woman character which is Melah, Lot’s wife. Melah and Sarai had lived in the same circumstances and faced the same problems, but when it comes to how live in faith, they made the opposites choice. Melah didn’t follow the instruction of “don't look back” in the way they escaped from Sodom and in return she was turned into a pillar of salt.

Honestly at first I was totally bored with the plot and even stop read after some chapters. But I pushed my self to continue and finally finished it. Jill Eileen Smith did the good job to bring the bible story to life. Jill bring it through their characters and emotions which can’t we find in reading the bible. Maybe this what approximately happened in that decades before. I enjoyed reading this historical fiction.

[Naomi Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well researched and written look into the life of Sarah, a Biblical figure who isn't talked about much. Yet I think Sarah can be an encouragement to all of us. She made mistakes and yet God praises her for her faith in the book of Hebrews. He is gracious!
Perhaps Jill Eileen Smith did too good a job at portraying Sarah's humanity - I found her pretty annoying, especially in the first half of the book. But that's just me being picky. Another reason I rated the book down is that the ending feels very rushed.
On the plus side, the book explores a lot that you'd never normally think of. What was Abraham and Sarah's relationship actually like? How was it for Hagar?
All in all, a book that reminds you God's timing is always better than yours!

[Chantelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what it is about biblical fiction that I love so much, but I do. I blame The Red Tent, I think.

This was a free kindle book, the story of Abraham and Sarah. I enjoyed it. It definitely held my interest, and I learned a lot from it as well.

[Staci · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this part of the Old Testament is fascinating, this novel didn't capture my interest fully.

[Molly Jaber (Audiobooks And Sweet Tea) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became a fan of Jill Eileen Smith, when I first read book one in her Wives Of King David series. She took Biblical facts and mixed them with fiction, and created stunningly beautiful novels that pull the reader into the past, and the story, instantly. Now, she’s created yet another wonderful Biblical fiction series, starting with this one, and it’s AWESOME! I felt the pull to the heart of the story instantly and held on for an incredibly moving ride.

Ms. Smith created Sarai’s story with rich detail. Sarai’s story is one of betrayal, faith, hope and trust. Sarai longs to wed her half-brother Abram. It’s with a promise of bearing him a son in turn for a promise to be faithful from him, that she’s able to marry him. But, as years pass and still now heir is conceived, she starts to worry.

Will Abram keep his promise to stay faithful to her, if she’s not able to conceive? This book is filled with the answer to that and so much more. The accuracy of the story is incredible. I haven’t read the Sarai/Abram’s story in long a time, but each page turn brought something with it that sparked my memory from my Bible studies. The richness in the meaning behind the story of trusting in God (or Adonai as he was called in the story) is beautiful. The trust and the betrayal, the sacrifice…all of it was captivating.

I definitely recommend this 5 Book worthy novel to everyone. There is passion (though it’s clean!), there is hope, there is mysteriousness, and there is fact. You’ll be swept away to a time before Jesus was born and live among the people of the story, as if you, too, were a part of it. Once again, Jill Eileen Smith has created a fabtastic start to a wonderful new series and I am in awe of the feeling I get after closing one of her novels. I can’t wait for book two to release! Great job, Ms. Smith!!!

This review originated at Reviews By Molly(now Cover To Cover Café) in part with a blog tour.

*This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review, be it negative or positive.*

[Eva-Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a book supposedly about Sarai/Sarah, she didn't get as much page time as she should have. There was a lot from Abram/Abraham's, Hagar's, and even Lot's wife's POV. I honestly wish the novel had been about Hagar instead. Or at least that Sarai hadn't been so supremely unlikable. :P Overall, probably my least favorite book from this author so far.

[Maxine Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book, the first in the series, “Wives of the Patriarchs” by Jill Eileen Smith. The bones of the story are set from scripture, with characters from the Bible (eg Sarai, Abram, Lot and others) along with fictional characters added to make a believable story from that time in history.

[Julie Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really struggled with this book. Having read the Bible account of Abraham and Sarah, I was expecting the story to focus on Sarah being barren until she had Isaac, the child of God’s promise. However, I was a bit frustrated that it ended after isaac’s birth and didn’t carry on till the binding. I was expecting to read Sarah’s reaction to God’s command and her husband’s obedience.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the last few years I’ve really became interested in historical fiction—particularly biblical fiction.

It helps me visualize the world, the setting and the characters when I’m doing my Bible reading. It helps me look at the Bible differently by bringing to life the characters I’ve read about.

This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and I thought it was pretty good. I would definitely read more of her stories. I liked that she provided scriptures in sections of the story so I could cross reference the Bible.

Have you ever really considered what it would be like for women who couldn’t conceive many years ago? Sarai longs for a child but she is barren. She loves her husband and the thought of sharing him is more than she can bear but how else will she obtain a child?

This book follows Sarai through her many emotions as she longs for a child and the disappointment that she surely felt as she watched servants or friends bear children.

Sarai doesn’t have the faith that Abram has and in utter desperation she does the only thing she knows to do. She gives her handmaid to her husband. If Abram loved Sarai so much then how could he have ever agreed to such a thing? Well, in those days there weren’t fertility doctors. Rather than trusting God and his promise Sarai took matters into her own hands and set out to procure a child via a surrogate.

I thought the book was pretty good. It helped make Sarai real to me. She was a real woman with real fears, hopes and struggles. The book read pretty fast and was interesting enough to keep me turning the pages.
View all my reviews|Read an Excerpt

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: Sarai, the last child of her aged father, is beautiful, spoiled, and used to getting her own way. Even as a young girl, she is aware of the way men look at her, including her half brother Abram. When Abram finally requests Sarai's hand, she asks one thing--that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives. Even her father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if Sarai 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?

REVIEW: Having read several biblical fiction series, I found this book started somewhat slow but grew and developed along the way. The story of Sarai/Sarah and Abram/Abraham is a familiar one to Christians. Smith added life to it with realistic characters, vivid descriptions of the places and time period, yet Biblical accuracy.

Sarai tried so often to help God along and found, as we all do, that God's plans are way better than any of ours. She also displayed the impatience that so many of us founder in when God's timetable doesn't match ours. Abram, in contrast, tried to follow God's plans; but instead let Sarai talk him into her plans which only resulted in creating more problems.

I felt like the ending was rather abrupt as Sarah is pregnant and the story goes not further. Perhaps the author's reasoning was that she intends to continue the story in the second book of this series. A good historical fiction read that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys Biblical fiction.

FAVORITE QUOTES: "Don't look back. You cannot undo what is past."

"There was no sense guessing the future. Adonai alone knew what was to come."

"He knew Adonai could be trusted to keep His word, but it was the details of not knowing, not understand, that made Abram weak..."

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story Description:

Sarai, the last child of her aged father, is beautiful, spoiled, and used to getting her own way. Even as a young girl, she is aware of the way men look at her, including her half- brother, Abram. When Abram finally requests Sarai's hand, she asks one thing--that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives. Even her father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if Sarai 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? Jill Eileen Smith thrilled readers with The Wives of King David series. Now she brings to life the strong and celebrated wives of the patriarchs, beginning with the beautiful and inscrutable, Sarai.

My Review:

This was a beautiful story and followed the scripture in the Bible carefully. I love the way this author writes, her words were true to the era in which these events took place. I could feel the fresh air, see Abram and Sarai as they might have looked, and could hear the sounds of the crackling fires and the noises in the tents.

I’ve often wondered what it would have been like to be alive during this time. Although there were many tragedies and some very difficult and hard times, I would love to experience a day in the life of these people.

Jill Eileen Smith has made the story of Sarah and Abraham come to life and is well worth the read. Don’t miss it!


"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book in paperback format from the library in 2014, but they only had the first two books of the series in paperback, so I wasn't able to finish the series back then. Now, I've found that the library does have ebook editions of all three books of the series through Hoopla, so I decided to reread this book because I wanted to finally finish the series and my memory isn't good enough to jump back into a series after six years. Then, when trying to do this review, I realized that I had accidentally the book as a kindle edition rather than as a regular ebook edition, and when trying to switch it over to the correct edition, it switched the review of the paperback I did in 2014 to the ebook edition as opposed to switching my current review from the kindle edition to the ebook edition, which is what I intended. Anyhow, that's why I had to delete the review from 2014 to get this review straightened out.

This first book of the Wives of the Patriarchs series was a well written and interesting Biblical fiction novel about Sarai/Sarah and Abram/Abraham from the time they leave Ur, as God called Abram to do, up through the time of Isaac's birth. Appropriately, this novel was slow-paced and emotional as it dealt with the sadness and fear resulting from infertility, the jealousy and insecurity that occurs when a wife gives a maid to her husband in the attempt to have a son in that manner, and the joy that comes when a person believes God's promise. I enjoyed this novel and am glad that I read it again.

[Darlene Franklin]

Just started but I'm looking forward to this one. I love the inclusion of Lot's wife as a character--we get the woman who was turned into a pillar of salt late in life! Also the very real portrayal of the growt of Abram and Sarai's faith in these early pages, her despair at her barrenness. Promises to be a "good read" indeed.

[Holly (2 Kids and Tired) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read Jill Eileen Smith before, but I enjoy fictionalized accounts of biblical events. There is, of necessity, such a high degree of subjectivness to these stories, because the accounts in the Bible are brief and scholarly research can only take you so far. I think the author did a terrific job with her research and portrayal of Sarah and Abraham. Their relationship was a love story and one that, despite their grief at not conceiving children according to their own time frame, lasted through the ages.

The secondary characters of Lot and Melah serve to compare the faith of each family. Sarai strives to believe in Abram's God and Melah worships the gods of idols. Ultimately, one woman has her faith affirmed and the other loses not only her faith, but her life.

Abram's strength and unwavering faith were amazing. I also thought that the portrayal of Sarai's grief and regret over Hagar was well done. She seems to forget that it was at her own request that Hagar became pregnant with Abram's son. I loved Eliezer and Lila's and wish there was more to their stories.

Ultimately though, this was a story that had all the right parts and while fascinating and well written, it just isn't going to become one of my favorites. Fans of Jill Eileen Smith will enjoy it as will those who love stories about biblical women.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarai grew up in a family of wealth and privilege. She was a true princess of Ur. Along with this privilege came responsibility: bear an heir for her husband. In fact, she wanted so badly to marry her half brother, Abram, that her father finally consented on one condition. She needed to give him an heir. If she did, then Abram would be under no obligation to take another wife. If she didn't give him one, he would be released from the promise of monogomy and be able to have another wife.

Adonai appeared to Abram and told him to go to a land that he would show him. In addition to this command, He told Abram that He would make him a great nation and his seed would number the sands and stars in multitude.

As time passed, Sarai still did not have any children. Could it be that the promise was not really intended for Abram and Sarai, but just for Abram? Maybe God had a different plan for bringing this promise to pass.

Even though the story of Abraham and Sarah is quite familiar, there are so many things we don't understand, because we don't live in that culture. Jill Eileen Smith sheds light on how things were done (i.e. how an heir was always produced even if the wife could not conceive). She expertly integrates facts from the Bible and other historical facts with her imagination. You will come to appreciate all that these people went through to obey Jehovah.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarai – A Great Biblical Read!

This book tells the Biblical story of Abram and Sarai. If you are a believer and a follower of Christ you will know that this book follows very closely to the writings of Moses. I found this to be a great fictional read. I was so caught up and absorbed in this book that I didn’t want to put it down. I picked it up and read it every chance I got.

The author did an awesome job with the dialogue between characters. I felt like I was right there traveling with them on their journey and listening in on their conversations. I experienced their joys, sadness, anger, frustrations, and their hope.

Jill Eileen Smith is a new author to me and Sarai is the very first book I’ve read of hers. It won’t be the last. I have the Wives of King David series on my TBR list. I am eagerly looking forward to reading these books and the next book in the Wives of the Patriarchs series.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a review.
I was not required to give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book (and series, presumably) is a romanticized version of the Bible*.
Initially, my skeptic emerged at the first glance at this book, but I put it behind me and opened up the book. At times, I wanted to throw the book**, only to find myself picking it up again to read more. Like I said on Twitter, it's like eating a good piece of chocolate*** and then trying not to look like a pig as you devour the whole box. (okay, I said that better before...blech. Which is why if you're not following me there, you should be. ;D ) If you're a fan of historical and religious fiction, just get, read, love the read. And, feel free to say "thank you" to me when you do. ;)

*Yes, I realize some will go on about this book being fiction as well; my focus is on the novel, Sarai.
**no actual books were thrown; however, it was laid down for a bit to "cool down". ;D
***insert sweet/goody you like if chocolate is not your preference

[Amy Pinney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I initially found this book very interesting--how exciting to get (albeit a fabricated one) a glimpse into the feelings of Abram, Sarai, and Hagar, such prominent people in Biblical History. I'm sorry to say, though, that by the end, I was left sorely wanting. The book stretches through a loooong period of time, filled with Sarai's insecurity over her inability to produce a child for Abram, yet we get only the smallest of mentions of Isaac at the end of the book. Her pregnancy is completely skimmed over, jumping straight from Abraham being told Sarah will be pregnant within the year to Isaac's circumcision. After all of that building and enduring so much negativity and jealousy from Sarah, it would have been nice to experience her pregnancy. It's as though the most important piece of the story was completely neglected. Disappointing.