Review of The Legacy of Job's Wife
Posted: 06 Mar 2025, 04:23
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Legacy of Job's Wife" by Cynthia Koelker.]
The author develops a biblical story into The Legacy of Job's Wife and narrates it from a new and interesting perspective: that of Ix'ises, the wife of the biblical character Job. The book is a remarkable fiction that takes us into the ancient world of Uz, which seems familiar in a strange way. The author describes everyday life in that region in carefully considered detail, giving these stories a fascinating timelessness and the sense of familiarity mentioned above.
The story of Ix'ises is about the birth of faith within a person and the hardships the process is subjected to on its way to becoming unshakable.
The first part of Ix'ises' life evolved peacefully in her large, happy family. The only difficult moments during that period were related to the unexpected death of a pet or the difficulty of accepting the idea of ritual sacrifices. The first sacrifice she partook in was during her childhood, marking her significantly after the accidental death of her lamb. Further, these rituals took on another meaning for her when the divinity protected her children in a dangerous circumstance.
Music was a constant in the main female character's life, complementing the idyllic atmosphere described in the book. A remarkable idea is composing and singing birth songs to tell each person's life stories.
Her life unfolded without significant setbacks, and she started her large family with her loved one, Job. Ten children and resources to supply them with everything they needed; likewise, many other less fortunate people around them made Ix'ises a fulfilled woman.
Her husband's faith was an aspect that was always present in their lives, but as long as their life was quiet, it mirrored only to a small extent within her heart. When misfortune struck, her rebellion was immense and poured out on the God in whom her husband had so much trust. The famous words "Curse God and die" were spoken by her in a moment of maximum strain and came against her husband's unwavering faith.
The characters are diverse, believable, and meticulously constructed.
The book's editing was accurate, and I could not identify any typos. It is easy to read and alert, but it may pose problems to some sensitive readers due to the mention of ritual sacrifices typical for that period.
I chose to give it five stars out of five for the presentation, for the careful editing, and last but not least for the idea of building a standalone story starting from a fragment lacking many details from the Bible and especially for telling the story from the perspective of another character who did not hold the gift of unwavering faith.
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The Legacy of Job's Wife
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The author develops a biblical story into The Legacy of Job's Wife and narrates it from a new and interesting perspective: that of Ix'ises, the wife of the biblical character Job. The book is a remarkable fiction that takes us into the ancient world of Uz, which seems familiar in a strange way. The author describes everyday life in that region in carefully considered detail, giving these stories a fascinating timelessness and the sense of familiarity mentioned above.
The story of Ix'ises is about the birth of faith within a person and the hardships the process is subjected to on its way to becoming unshakable.
The first part of Ix'ises' life evolved peacefully in her large, happy family. The only difficult moments during that period were related to the unexpected death of a pet or the difficulty of accepting the idea of ritual sacrifices. The first sacrifice she partook in was during her childhood, marking her significantly after the accidental death of her lamb. Further, these rituals took on another meaning for her when the divinity protected her children in a dangerous circumstance.
Music was a constant in the main female character's life, complementing the idyllic atmosphere described in the book. A remarkable idea is composing and singing birth songs to tell each person's life stories.
Her life unfolded without significant setbacks, and she started her large family with her loved one, Job. Ten children and resources to supply them with everything they needed; likewise, many other less fortunate people around them made Ix'ises a fulfilled woman.
Her husband's faith was an aspect that was always present in their lives, but as long as their life was quiet, it mirrored only to a small extent within her heart. When misfortune struck, her rebellion was immense and poured out on the God in whom her husband had so much trust. The famous words "Curse God and die" were spoken by her in a moment of maximum strain and came against her husband's unwavering faith.
The characters are diverse, believable, and meticulously constructed.
The book's editing was accurate, and I could not identify any typos. It is easy to read and alert, but it may pose problems to some sensitive readers due to the mention of ritual sacrifices typical for that period.
I chose to give it five stars out of five for the presentation, for the careful editing, and last but not least for the idea of building a standalone story starting from a fragment lacking many details from the Bible and especially for telling the story from the perspective of another character who did not hold the gift of unwavering faith.
******
The Legacy of Job's Wife
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon