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| SARAI |
He promised her his heart. She promised him a son. But how long must
they wait?
Sarai, the last child of her
aged father, is beautiful, spoiled, and used to getting her own way. Even as a
young girl, she is aware of the way men look at her, including her half brother
Abram. When Abram finally requests Sarai’s hand, she asks one thing – that he
promise never to take another wife as long as she lives. Even her father thinks
the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if Sarai makes a promise
in return – to give Abram a son and heir. Certain she can easily do that, Sarai
agrees.
But as the years stretch on and
Sarai’s womb remains empty, she becomes desperate to fulfill her end of the
bargain – lest Abram decide that he will not fulfill his. To what lengths will
Sarai go in her quest to bear a son? And how long will Abram’s patience last?
Review from PW (Publisher’s
Weekly):
“Smith is at her best in handling the
triangulated relationship between Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar … Smith breathes new
imaginative life into a well-known sacred story.”
SARAI Excerpt:
Sarai glanced
across the courtyard, catching Abram’s gaze. His half smile and the twinkle in
his eye warmed her more than the wine she had tasted at the start of the
ceremony. Music drifted around them as the bridal couple—their nephew Lot and
his new wife, Melah—took their seats on the bench beneath the canopy and
accepted rich foods from the hands of the servants.
“This whole
wedding is a disgrace, you know.” Sarai’s sister-in-law Milcah stood at her
elbow and leaned close to her ear. “Why her father agreed to the marriage after
Lot had already humbled the girl . . . Though I suppose he didn’t have much
choice. Who else would want her after she’d already given in to Lot’s charms?”
Milcah batted at a fly, sending it away. “I can’t imagine why Lot couldn’t wait
with such a one. It’s not as though she’s a beauty or a temptress. It seems
like he could have done better.” The last words came out in a whisper as Milcah
moved in close again.
Sarai turned from
watching the bridal couple to meet Milcah’s pinched gaze. “If it is true that a
babe is already on the way, it is better they marry.” She had wearied of the
heated debate and shame Lot had brought down on her household, particularly on
Abram.
“Abi Terah seems
pleased with the arrangement.” Milcah touched Sarai’s shoulder and pointed
toward their father. “Though his conditions did seem a little harsh toward Lot,
while Melah came away already with child and married to a man who can never put
her aside or take another. I might have given in to Nahor before our betrothal
for such a promise.” She laughed at that, then shifted her ample bulk, bursting
with child herself, to face Sarai once more.
To read the rest of the chapter, visit Jill’s website: http://www.jilleileensmith.com/books/sarai/preview/
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For links to purchase the book online visit: http://www.jilleileensmith.com/books/sarai/
or visit your favorite local bookstore.
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| Jill Eileen Smith |
ABOUT JILL EILEEN SMITH:
Jill Eileen Smith is the
bestselling author of Michal, Abigail,
and Bathsheba, all part of the the
Wives of King David series. Her research into the lives of David's wives has
taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how
women lived in Old Testament times. She lives with her family in southeast
Michigan.
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