I admit it, I've always enjoyed reading fiction books about individuals from the Bible. It seems a natural fit for me, as I love history & grew up reading the Bible & even teaching Bible school for a number of years. I'm pretty familiar with the book of Joshua, & I was definitely intrigued by the premise of this book - especially because, in this world today, how was the ending going to end up a happy one, when thousands of people are going to die?

The characters are all very well written & are very believable, Wolf does a wonderful job in drawing you into Sala & Rehab's world, & discusses the religious aspects of the book in a very realistic way. She only briefly touches upon the city's utter destruction in the final climax of the book, making the story be more about Rehab, her family, & her change from paganism to Christianity.

In fact, I enjoyed this book so much, that I pushed her other titles that have been in my "TBR" pile further up the list!


I received a copy of this book for free to review from Book Sneeze. I was not paid for this review, but I do get to keep the book! ( )

I was familiar with the 5 paragraphs that the prostitute Rahab takes up in the Book of Joshua-I had read it years ago. I was uncertain that any author could write a love story around her.
I should never have doubted that Joan Wolf could do it. She uses archives unearthed on Canaanite culture, religion and history and uses it to flesh out a plausible and very enjoyable story. She convincingly fashions a love story that will explain how a Canaanite woman could be a believer in the God of Israel and be invaluable in the campaign of Joshua against the city of Jericho (the oldest city in the world and a fascinating archaeological site.) She explains in an afterword exactly what she did.
The only warning that I would give is not to give it to a Biblical literalist who will be offended by any deviation from the text.
I understand that it is a fictional imagining of a bare bones mention of a woman in the Bible who will be very important in the New Testament. I absolutely loved learning about the culture and history of Canaan and the sequence around the walls of Jericho was stark and memorable. Excellent! ( )

Many people have heard of Rahab. She is a woman listed in the genealogy of Jesus who was not born an Israelite but adopted their ways. Not much is known about her, but Joan Wolf tries to give a unique picture of this mysterious woman in The Scarlet Cord.

What do we know from the Bible about Rahab? She lived in Jericho. She was called a harlot. She took in Israelite spies and protected them. She helped the spies escape. She hung a scarlet cord outside her window. Her family lived through the destruction of Jericho. She married Salmon. She was an ancestor of Jesus. Anything beyond that is material for a fiction writer.

This is a wonderful story, but if you are walking into it knowing the biblical story, you will be slightly disappointed. Wolf has Rahab and Salmon, or Sala as she has him called, knowing each other and in love before the attack on Jericho by the Israelite army. She also has Rahab pure and innocent but mistakenly called a harlot by Joshua. There is also no time of purification for Rahab and her family. Compared to the biblical account, this story is even more fiction than you imagine.

The writing is excellent. The story telling is wonderful. Coming into the story knowing the biblical story of Rahab, I was very disappointed. Wolf did an excellent job with historical context, but seemed to be more true to outside sources than the Bible where Rahab is mentioned and even honored.

I do recommend this for you to read as it has a section for questions in the back that would be great for book clubs. This might actually help conversation within any group.

Note: This book was provided by the publisher without expectation of a positive review. ( )

Review originally published on my blog: AWordsWorth.blogspot.com
Book provided by publisher for review.

Oh. Wow. This is one of those books that sucks you in and doesn't let go until you've finished. And what a story it tells ... Anyone familiar with the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho will recognize the name "Rahab" - and knows that she helped save the lives of Joshua's spies, so in return her family alone was saved when the walls of Jericho fell. And that's where the Biblical account begins and ends - picking up briefly in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus to mention Rahab's son as a direct ancestor. But have have you ever wondered about Rahab, the woman? Who she was, why she'd risk everything to aid the enemy? That's the story Wolf tells in This Scarlet Cord - a beautiful, intricate imagining about the life of Rahab.

Rahab's story begins when as a spunky twelve-year old, she is rescued from bandits by Sala - a young Hebrew, living in one of the only Hebrew settlements in Canaan. Their connection is instant, as neither is like anyone else the other has ever met. Sala tells Rahab stories of Elohim, the One God, a God so very different from Baal and the other gods of her people. Once Rahab is returned to her family, well-to-do vineyard owners, years pass without any contact. But Rahab remembers, and in her heart of hearts, she wants a husband like Sala. As Rahab grows older, she becomes increasingly more beautiful, and her father decides to take her into Jericho to find a rich husband. And things begin to get interesting.

By chance, Rahab is reunited with Sala - in Jericho - and realizes that she doesn't just want a husband like Sala, she wants Sala. He loves her too, but their love is doomed - a Hebrew cannot marry a Canaanite. Besides, Sala and his father are working with Joshua, helping glean information to supply the Israelite army before their attack on the city. But true love conquers all, and who are mortals to question the plan of Elohim? Rahab (along with her sister-in-law Atene) turns to Elohim in her hour of greatest need, vowing to leave the gods of her people if He will hear her cry. Elohim answers, and Rahab's true story begins. Risking everything, she agrees to help Sala protect Joshua's spies - with the understanding her family will be saved. We know this part of the story, and after the fall of Jericho, Rahab and her family escape to the Israelite encampment until further arrangements can be made. Marriage arrangements, and the impossible coming true.

I loved This Scarlet Cord, truly. Knowing the story, I knew there was a happy ending (always a plus), but the build-up, the development, getting to know the characters ... Masterfully done. The story is told from both Rahab and Sala's points of view, giving a more fleshed-out tale, and letting us see what goes on in both hearts. It's a story of Love, of sacrifice and risk, but also of finding one's self. Rahab and Sala struggle with the religious chasm dividing them, but work through - and against - the prejudice to find truth and love. Their families are brought together in harmony. Rahab's journey from Canaanite daughter to ancestor of Jesus is remarkable - and human. Is this how it really happened? Nobody knows, nor will we know until One Day, but my heart likes the story Wolf tells. ( )

This Scarlet Cord is a story telling the tale of Rahab, known as a prostitute of Jericho. Joan Wolf has built her story based on the brief mention in the Old Testament giving her a more honorable life. As Rahab grows from girlhood to womanhood, she meets Sala, the boy then the man who will be her husband. Their religious differences are immense, yet their love is graced by God.

Rahab is favored by the king and is summoned for use in a paganistic ritual. She is appalled by the thought, and turns to the Christian God for deliverance from this fate. That simple act, one so small yet so mighty, brings her to a place in Christian history that in very important. She is able to fulfill her love and destiny by then helping two of Joshua’s spies by letting down a scarlet cord. This cord tells the army which house is to be untouched. It saves her family from certain death.

An old tale for certain, but one told with such feeling and giving a dimension to the thoughts, hopes, and desires of the little-known woman that plays an important role to Christianity.

I give this book a 4.5 out of five stars.

DISCLAIMER: I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. ( )