This Scarlet Cord by Joan Wolf

Within one of the Old Testament’s most famous battles lies one of its most tender love stories.

Hidden within the battle of Jericho is the story of Rahab, a beautiful and brave young Canaanite woman who aided the Israelites by hanging a piece of scarlet cord from a window. This act of faith changed her life by placing her in the genealogy of Christ.

The story of Rahab takes up only five paragraphs in the Bible. However, Joan Wolf weaves together a truly magnificent novel of 85,000 words in This Scarlet Cord. In the Bible, Rahab has a fair knowledge about the Lord God. Joan takes this fact and decides to make a story that relates how Rahab has such a knowledge and belief in God despite her people's beliefs in false gods. In This Scarlet Cord, Rahab is the beautiful youngest daughter of a Canaanite farmer, taken to Jericho for the pagan New Year celebration so that her father can find her a wealthy spouse. Sala is the only son of an Israelite merchant, in Jericho as a spy for Joshua’s army. These two young people had met a few years before in trying circumstances, and Sala had told Rahab stories of the Lord. Therefore, when Rahab returns home, she has seeds of truth planted in her bright mind.

The plotline of this novel was woven beautifully and flowed well. I was captivated by the story and the unexpected twists even as I already knew the outcome from the Bible. I enjoyed Joan's twist in making Rahab a virtuous, unspoiled young woman even though the Isrealities assumed her to be an unclean prostitute because of her religion, as the Bible indicates that she was a prostitute. The liberties that Joan took with the story were reasonable and really added background information on on the beliefs and rites of the Canaanites and the setup of the city of Jericho. I also learned about certain sects of Isrealites that still lived in the land of Canaan and had never moved to Egypt with Jacob and Joseph.

The characters were created in a realistic and truly interesting manner. I enjoyed Rahab's spunky character and her growth into a wise and God-fearing woman who trusted God even when her future seemed bleak. Her bravery and boldness were both used by God to aid in the saving of both her family and the Isrealite spies. Sala was adorable in his love for Rahab and his boldness to speak God's truth to her. I also admired his respect and obedience to his father even as he disagreed with some of his father's decisions.

Overall, I really enjoyed This Scarlet Cord by Joan Wolf, and I would highly recommend it. I cannot wait to read other books by this author, specifically This Reluctant Queen which is about Esther.

I received this eBook for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers through Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.