Kimberly T. (HeartsongChica) reviewed on 8/19/2012

This Scarlet Cord is the story of Rahab, who helped hide two Israelite spies before the battle of Jericho, and through her faith, became one of the women named in the genealogy of Jesus. Rahab's story in the Bible is only a few paragraphs long, so the author had lots of room to imagine what Rahab's life was like before and after the fall of Jericho. I understand that authors can take fictional license with characters, but I found the author's supposition that there was a group of Israelites who didn't leave Canaan during the famine while Joseph was in Egypt, but stayed in Canaan, to be very far-fetched. The Bible says that all members of Jacob's family went to Egypt where Joseph and the Pharaoh took care of them. This is how Sala, an Israelite living in Canaan, was able to save Rahab from her kidnappers, early in the book. Thus their meeting in Jericho, a couple years later, wasn't their first meeting. I'm also not sure I agree with the supposition that 14 year old Rahab wasn't married, but still living with her parents, during the fall of Jericho. Nonetheless, it was an interesting take on what Rahab's life may have been like.

With thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers, via NetGalley, for my review copy.

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