Review of The Legacy of Job's Wife

[maureen Donovan]

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

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4 out of 5 stars

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I absolutely loved this book! The Legacy of Job's Wife by Cynthia J. Koelker tells the biblical story of Job from the perspective of his wife, Ix'ises. Job is a righteous and devoted man of God, whereas Ix'ises has not grown up in a religious family and has no knowledge of sacrifices or altars. This story stays close to the Biblical account and takes place in the same time period and geographical area.

I already knew of the story of Job, but little is written in the Bible about his wife. I found it fascinating to read of the daily lives and experiences of families in that time period. Cynthia J. Koelker is a detailed writer and does an excellent job of placing the reader right into the scenes she describes. I could almost feel the dust on my feet and the challenges of living in tents, raising children in that environment. The writer covers all aspects of living during that period of history, such as the food, duties of all the family, clothing, recreation, education and so forth.

I was hesitant to read this book as I am a Christian and was not sure how this Bible account may be distorted to turn it into an entertaining novel. My fear was unfounded as I did not find anything derogatory or contrary to the actual historical account in the book. The author has kept to the facts, including names of other characters in the original story. We do not know everything Job's family enjoyed doing and how they spent their time - this is where the author has embellished the story to make it so interesting. I especially enjoyed learning how the women were treated and how they experienced childbirth, how they bathed and what they cooked. These details transport the reader straight into the scene.

I was inspired to read the Book of Job in the Bible as soon as I finished reading The Legacy of Job's Wife. I wanted to see how closely the author stayed to the Biblical account. I was impressed to see that nothing was contrary to it.

There was not anything I did not like about this book, however, there were a few editing issues so I can only rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Christians and non-religious readers would both enjoy this book. Anyone with an interest in ancient lifestyles and different cultures would love it. The arts in that time period, such as music and poetry are also covered. A fascinating book.

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The Legacy of Job's Wife
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