Rebekah: Women of Genesis, by Orson Scott Card
As he did in his previous novel Sarah, Orson Scott Card has once again told a fascinating tale about a biblical character, making Rebekah come to life in a way that is both plausible and profound. The wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau, Rebekah comes across as intelligent yet humble, beautiful yet modest, and strong-willed yet obedient to her own sense of God's calling.
My one quibble with the novel was that some dialogues between characters seemed overly long, discussing a point to death from all possible angles. Yet even this seemed plausible in the context of the novels ancient setting. In a society with no television or other forms of distraction, I imagine people did have very long conversations with each other. The slower pace of life "back then" would also provide longer time to reflect on ones actions.
Card is able to flesh out a biblical story yet not detract from it. Racing through this exciting installment in the lives of the matriarchs, I found myself noticing broader biblical themes that I had not noticed through reading the Bible alone. In addition to providing a great story that is exciting to read, Card's greatest achievement may be in pointing us to the biblical story, and serving as a helpful guide in its interpretation.
PUBLISHER: Forge (Tom Doherty Associates, LLC), 2002; ISBN: 0-765-34128-X
SEE ALSO: Sarah, by Orson Scott Card
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