Review of The Legacy of Job's Wife

Amy Fellows · Post by **Amy Fellows** » 09 Sep 2022, 10:20

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

4 out of 4 stars

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The Legacy of Job’s Wife by Cynthia J. Koelker is based off of Job from the Bible. Ix’ises, Job’s wife, tells her side of the story. Only a small part of her story is told in the Bible. Koelker begins with her birth, and continues to the end of her life. She grows up in a loving family. They differ from Job’s family, and they do not share their faith. She watches Job and wonders at the sacrifices and prayers that make them different. When she is young, she meets Job’s three friends, Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar. They become quite close over the years. Hardship threatens to overtake her family. Her family is familiar with hard work, but this is different. Depression is something new to them. Work pulls Job away from her for a time, and they both grow up. Ix’ises becomes a woman, and their love is fully realized. Job prospers in all he does, and he is blessed by God. They have ten lovely children, and it is during this time she begins to grow in faith to a loving God. Ix’ises is filled with joy. In one day, they lose everything. The loss is almost unbearable for her. Soon after the tragedy of losing everything, Job is covered in pustules. Mercilessly, they are mocked for being cursed by God. Where is this loving God in their desperate time of need? Depression is crushing Ix’ises. Will she be able to endure this pain? This is a story of love, faith, pain, and healing.

I delighted in Koelker’s fictional story of Ix’ises. I had not thought about Job’s wife and her intense suffering. I had not considered the incredible life she had before the tragedy. I cannot imagine losing everything. I enjoyed the story of their love over their lifetime. He was everything I would want for in a man for my own girls. Bildad, Eliphaz, and Zophar are not explained well in the Bible. I enjoyed how the three friends were woven into their story. Ix’ises tried different things to hide the pain. It showed what people go through when dealing with depression or loss. I appreciated there were not any inappropriate love scenes. It was a book that made me respect the story of Job. There were lessons in forgiveness, faith, and hope. Despite the heaviness of some of the topics, I was left hopeful at the end of the book.

There was nothing I did not enjoy in this book. There were descriptions of animal sacrifice that might bother some people. This did not bother me. It helped clarify what it was like for them during that time, and it was not explicitly gruesome.

This book was exceptionally well edited. I found no errors. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to a friend. I think all my friends would enjoy reading this book. I look forward to reading it again. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

I recommend this book to people interested in biblical fiction, love stories, or God. I would also recommend it to people dealing with depression or loss of loved ones. It is a story of loss and hope. While it does contain stories of God and sacrifices from the Bible, I propose anyone could read it.

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The Legacy of Job's Wife
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