My Impressions:
I was a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed Sarai by Jill Eileen Smith. Bringing a Biblical character to life is a bit daunting. You have the Scripture to draw from, but there is definitely a balancing act between God’s word and filling in with fictional details. Smith does a great job in crafting an ancient woman who I can certainly identify with.
Sarai takes place from the call of Abraham to leave Ur up to Isaac’s birth. The characters are well-developed and act and react in believable ways that correspond with what we know from the Biblical account. Abram and Sarai’s stories are well-told including all of their missteps and doubts (Abram passing Sarai off as his sister in Egypt and Sarai giving Hagar as a surrogate for the child promised by God). The heart-ache of infertility, even more acute in ancient times due to lack of medical knowledge and cultural expectations, is woven throughout the story, as is God’s persistent promises to Abram. Smith does a wonderful job of contrasting God’s faithfulness with the fears, doubts and failings of Abram, Sarai, Hagar as well as Lot and his wives and daughters.
If you like historical novels set in Biblical days, I recommend you read Sarai.
Recommended.
To purchase Sarai, click the image below.
(I bought Sarai for my Kindle.)