Review of The Legacy of Job's Wife

[Samyukta_S]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Legacy of Job's Wife by Cynthia Koelker is a fictional narrative drawing from The Book of Job but with a twist. The entire story is from Job’s wife, Ix’ises’ point of view. A character who appears very little in the original story, Ix’ises is a central character in this one as she weaves a complete tale starting from her own birth, to her intimate friendship with Job and his family living in Uz, eventually leading to their marriage and the events that follow after. Primarily a story about faith and hope, it also brilliantly brings to light the heartbreak and desolation that caused Ix’ises to utter those fateful words.

I possessed no previous knowledge of the original prose from the Bible, but the story was told in such detail and clarity that I didn’t feel a gap or any need to look up the original. The pacing of the book is almost idyllic for the first part and is primarily character-driven. The simple writing and the careful arrangement of the book into parts helped give a richly comprehensive view of Ix’ises and the people surrounding her, especially helping to explain their actions and the reasoning behind them.

The sole negative aspect I felt after more than halfway through the book was how the pacing seemed to drag a little, but then grew abrupt after the turn of events. Lesser time was devoted to the tragic events as well as the final resolution and turn of events than on the initial childhood and teenage years of Job and Ix’ises. I would have liked a bit more time to be spent on those lean years as well, even though the initial setting-up of the story was crucial for the crux of the story.

I rate The Legacy of Job's Wife by Cynthia Koelker 4 out of 4 stars, as it was an unputdownable book from start to finish with beautifully detailed descriptions. Most importantly, it provided someone like me who had no idea about this story an accessible and appealing way to read it. It is exceptionally edited with rare editing errors.

This book would appeal to people interested in delving more into stories from the Bible, especially as it is told from a unique perspective. It is suitable for readers from all religions and people who aren't aware of the original story. There is no swearing involved and sensitive topics such as religion or death are not discussed in explicit detail.

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The Legacy of Job's Wife
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[Soraya Bayah]

I believe I can look into this book as it does not revolve around religion. I look forward to read about Ix’ises story and her life. Thank you for the detailed review, I enjoyed your writing style a ton.

[Samyukta_S]

I believe I can look into this book as it does not revolve around religion. I look forward to read about Ix’ises story and her life. Thank you for the detailed review, I enjoyed your writing style a ton.

I'm glad you liked my review! Happy reading!