Review by cd20 -- The Legacy of Job's Wife

[cd20]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Legacy of Job's Wife" by Cynthia Koelker.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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What if the thing you were most famous for were the words that you regretted most? What if those words were passed on from generation to generation, refusing to be forgotten? Would you want to be remembered for thoughtlessly flung words? Job’s wife is famous for saying, “Curse God, and die!” I recently heard a comedian say that Job lost everything that mattered to him. He lost his kids, his livestock, his health, his wealth, yet God left him his wife. What does that communicate about her? Yet, in The Legacy of Job’s Wife, we develop a more sympathetic portrayal of who she is and what could have caused her to declare those fated words.

The Legacy of Job’s Wife is written by Cynthia Koelker. Cynthia is a family physician that holds undergraduate degrees in humanities and biology. She resides in Ohio, along with her family members (including two golden doodles), and often plays piano for her local church. Readers might also be interested in her non-fiction self-help book, Armageddon Medicine, How to Be Your Own Doctor in 2012 and Beyond.

I was completely drawn into this story from the first two lines, “Curse God and die. It’s true, those were my words.” The Legacy of Job’s Wife is a slow read, but captivating. The narrative is told from Job’s wife, Ix’ises, perspective. Ix’ises recounts from the beginning of her life, her story, and Job’s story, intrinsically woven together. This novel is one of love and redemption, forgiveness and healing.

I enjoyed this fictional account of Job’s wife and their life together. I have read the story of Job in the Bible many times. However, there is something about reading a fictional account, with more details of how it could have been, that compels you to feel the emotions of the first story. For example, I know that Job lost everything, his children, his livestock, his wealth, everything. When you read it in the Bible, it is easy to just say, that is terrible, I cannot imagine, because you are not given very many details. But, from the way the author wrote it, you can feel the emotions, the devastation. She has given us many details, including a glimpse into the grief and despair of losing everything. This not only gives me a feel of what it could have been like for Job’s nameless wife, but it also gives me a broader understanding and perspective of the account in the Bible.

There was nothing that I did not like about this story. It is easy to give The Legacy of Job’s Wife 4 out of 4 stars. From the skillfully written storyline to the meticulous editing (no errors), to the depth of the characters, this story is worth reading. I unreservedly recommend The Legacy of Job’s Wife to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and those who like to read fictional accounts of biblical stories.

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The Legacy of Job's Wife
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[Anusha Thatavarthi]

This is truly a captivating story. I didn't read the Bible or Job's story before, but this story piqued my interest enough to read about Job. Ix'ises character is really well-written. I enjoyed your review very much!

[cd20]

This is truly a captivating story. I didn't read the Bible or Job's story before, but this story piqued my interest enough to read about Job. Ix'ises character is really well-written. I enjoyed your review very much!

Thank you for reading my review and commenting. It really was a great story and Job is such a hard book of the Bible to read, but having read a story from his wife's perspective really gives a broader understanding of what could have caused her to say those words! I do believe that Ix'ises character is well-written and a captivating story

[Eriny Youssef]

Awesome review! It seems you really felt the story and the emotions within it. Enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed the book.

[cd20]

Awesome review! It seems you really felt the story and the emotions within it. Enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed the book.

Thank you! I really did. It was so well-written, that even though it was a slow build, it was so good! I loved it.

[kdstrack]

This book is on my TBR list. I loved your opening and how you described the author's writing. The history around Job's wife helps bring her to life. Thanks for your amazing review.

[cd20]

This book is on my TBR list. I loved your opening and how you described the author's writing. The history around Job's wife helps bring her to life. Thanks for your amazing review.

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did. I have read similiar books to this and have enjoyed them, but this one was extremely well-written. You are right, the history around Job's wife really did help bring her to life, and you actually feel sympathy for her, whereas when you read the account in the Bible, you are annoyed that she said that to Job. You don't really stop to consider her perspective. Thanks for taking the time to comment on my review.

[Jagiine]

I think creative entries like this are important to personally understanding the Bible and its characters. Though we don't know much about her, I appreciate that this author invites people to consider her circumstances. Thanks for reviewing this book!

[DANAWEB]

Fictional novel with a different perspective in life . The Life story of Jobs's wife. Thank you for the detailed review!

[cd20]

I think creative entries like this are important to personally understanding the Bible and its characters. Though we don't know much about her, I appreciate that this author invites people to consider her circumstances. Thanks for reviewing this book!

Yes, I totally agree. The Bible should be our main source, but books like these help to give us a different perspective too! I really enjoyed the book. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

[cd20]

Fictional novel with a different perspective in life . The Life story of Jobs's wife. Thank you for the detailed review!

It was a very interesting book. It definitely helps to give us a broader perspective of how things could have been. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.

[Sohana Hasan]

I've never read this book before, but I'm intrigued now! I'm Muslim, so I've never read the Bible version of Job's story, but I've read the Quran's version multiple times. It's true that Job's wife seems insignificant and unimportant in the religious versions, so making her the main character here and sharing her story sounds like a difficult feat. This is definitely going on my TBR list!

[cd20]

I've never read this book before, but I'm intrigued now! I'm Muslim, so I've never read the Bible version of Job's story, but I've read the Quran's version multiple times. It's true that Job's wife seems insignificant and unimportant in the religious versions, so making her the main character here and sharing her story sounds like a difficult feat. This is definitely going on my TBR list!

It really gives a great appreciation to who Job's wife is and how it could have been. I felt that it was done really well. I have not read the Quran's version, so I am not sure how it is different from the Bible's version, but Job's wife is barely mentioned in the Bible, and she is not named. I would love to hear your thoughts once you have had a chance to read the book

[Sohana Hasan]

I've never read this book before, but I'm intrigued now! I'm Muslim, so I've never read the Bible version of Job's story, but I've read the Quran's version multiple times. It's true that Job's wife seems insignificant and unimportant in the religious versions, so making her the main character here and sharing her story sounds like a difficult feat. This is definitely going on my TBR list!

It really gives a great appreciation to who Job's wife is and how it could have been. I felt that it was done really well. I have not read the Quran's version, so I am not sure how it is different from the Bible's version, but Job's wife is barely mentioned in the Bible, and she is not named. I would love to hear your thoughts once you have had a chance to read the book

It's similar in the Quran version. It's been a while since I've read the story, but I think she's portrayed as a faithful, dedicated partner to Job in the Quran. However, she is still nameless and she doesn't seem very important to the story: Her only task is (basically) being a dedicated wife.

[cd20]

I've never read this book before, but I'm intrigued now! I'm Muslim, so I've never read the Bible version of Job's story, but I've read the Quran's version multiple times. It's true that Job's wife seems insignificant and unimportant in the religious versions, so making her the main character here and sharing her story sounds like a difficult feat. This is definitely going on my TBR list!

It really gives a great appreciation to who Job's wife is and how it could have been. I felt that it was done really well. I have not read the Quran's version, so I am not sure how it is different from the Bible's version, but Job's wife is barely mentioned in the Bible, and she is not named. I would love to hear your thoughts once you have had a chance to read the book

It's similar in the Quran version. It's been a while since I've read the story, but I think she's portrayed as a faithful, dedicated partner to Job in the Quran. However, she is still nameless and she doesn't seem very important to the story: Her only task is (basically) being a dedicated wife.

Then it is very similar! Thanks for taking the time to comment on the review. I really hope you enjoy the book when you get a chance to read it