Sarah's story 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 balks at the marriage her father has planned for her. On her wedding day, she impulsively flees to the vast, empty marshes outside the city walls, where she meets a young man named Abram, son of a tribe of outsiders. Drawn to this exotic stranger, Sarah spends one night with him and reluctantly returns to her father's house. But on her return, she secretly drinks a poisonous potion that will make her barren and thus unfit for marriage. Many years later, Abram returns to Ur and discovers that the lost, rebellious girl from the marsh has been transformed into a splendid woman--the high priestess of the goddess Ishtar. But Sarah 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. From the great ziggurat of Ishtar to 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:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Great read:
This book is a great piece of historical fiction. Some reviewers seem concerned about possible historical inaccuracies, but historical fiction is just that - fiction! The author did a great job of telling his interpretation of the story behind the woman in the Bible. I found it entertaining, heart-wrenching, and very real. Side note: as a Christian, I wasn't offended by way the author treated the Biblical story of Sarah. There's a lot we don't know about Sarah from the Bible, so his story is as good as any... more info
Historical:
This was a great woman perspective. I was amazed to find out that the author was a man. I really enjoyed Sarah's version.
A New Empathy for an Old Character:
This is the first historical / bibilical novel I have read in awhile. I think the last one that I really read was "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamante about Dinah and I had loved that one novel so much that I actually dug up a copy of the bible to find that one small passage where Dinah is mentioned. This book was similar to that one in so many ways. Sarah (Sarai) is quite a major character in the Old Testament but is portrayed as quite a shallow character. This novel by Marek Halter takes a little... more info
Shockingly bad!:
I don't think Marek Halter ever looked at the Bible. (See below for truly great novels on Bible Characters.) He certainly is confused about Sarah. The book starts out with Sarah finding out she is bleeding for the first time and disgusted. Later in the book, Lot (Abraham's nephew ) makes a pass at her (when she is 60 years old)! What a disgrace this book is. It was disgusting and portrays porn scenes almost from the beginning. Recommendation: Read "Sarah" "Rebekah" & "Rachael & Leah" in the "Women... more info
