The first of Orson Scott Card's excursion into bringing the matriarchs of the Old Testament to life. And Sarai (eventually Sarah) is written as a strong, knowledgeable, canny, and tough woman who loves the desert wanderer that appeared at her father's house, dirty and thirsty, but captivated by the ten-year-old. He promises to return for her and make her his wife in ten years. She became his wife in eight.

The entire story is told from the viewpoint of Sarai, with additional parts from her sister, Qira who married Abram's nephew, Lot of Sodom notoriety. How she dealt with her barrenness, the harsh desert life, jealousy and her acceptance of the faith of her husband. Her weary acceptance of her sister's harsh criticisms. Sarai's handling of Pharaoh's maneuvering while they were in Egypt.

Although there are sections of the story that drags, the insight into these complex characters as well as the desert herding life makes it a wonderful read.

2019-062

the worst thing OC Card ever wrote.

I really enjoyed this book. It is obviously fiction, but it does have a lot of historical details and I just really thought Orson Scott Card is a good author. Makes me think of Sarah and these other amazing scripture heroes as real people doing the best they can and I want to try to do better with my own trials. It makes me want to go read the story again in the bible.

One of the greatest books I have ever read

One of a handful of books that makes me weep like a baby. One of my all time favorites

I have to say, I wouldn't have thought that Orson Scott Card- author of multiple science fiction novels, especially "Ender's Game"- would be able to write such a compelling Bible interpretation, Mormon or no. But of the Bible fiction stories I've read or seen, this is the best so far.

Plot: In "Sarah," Card goes through the entire story of Abraham from the Book of Genesis from the point-of-view of Sarah, initially known as Sarai. The story starts when she is a young girl and presents both Sarai and Abram as understandable and admirable characters.
There are some liberties, as you'd need to in order to flesh out the story. Lot and Abram are presented as being a nephew and uncle who are the same age, and Lot's wife Qira is Sarai's older (somewhat thoughtless) sister. The biggest changes are probably in Abram's trip to Egypt, but still, it works out. The plot does seem to go on, but to be fair, a lot happens in Abram and Sarai's lives. It never seems to drag (except maybe a bit in the Egypt section) and moves smoothly from one event to the next, weaving them all together nicely and in a way that makes a lot of sense. I really had to respect how Card was able to fit so much in, plus character moments and ways to flesh out the story without straying too far from the source material.

Characters: Sarai is a very relatable character. She admires Abram for his faith and his kindness, and in turn becomes more like him. But she still has very realistic doubts, especially about bearing children. Card makes her ongoing struggle to accept her barrenness and other people's lack of consideration very understandable struggle. Her role as leader in the camp helps her develop as her own character, rather than just making this a story that focuses on her husband. And then, when Hagar bears Abram's son Ishmael, the power struggle between the two women brings a whole new dynamic. Sarai/Sarah's relationship to her faith and God is also really well done in this story.

Because we spend so much time with Sarai, you think we'd also be spending a lot of time with Abram/Abraham. And while he is there a lot of the time, most of Sarai's story is spent apart from him. Although we are told (and we see) him being a good leader, a kind person, and a firm believer, I would say there isn't a lot more to him. This might sound like a negative, but it really isn't. It simply means that he stands out best in contrast to other characters, like his troubled brother Lot, his steadfast wife, and his sister-in-law.

Lot and his wife initially are more peripheral characters, but we keep in touch with them throughout the book. The struggle between Lot and his wife Qira also seems real, and it makes the whole scene with the destruction of Sodom make sense. Since we mainly focus on Qira, since she is Sarai's sister, we don't get to see much of Lot, but he is similar to Abram in most respects. Qira, meanwhile, is a thoughtless, selfish woman, and she provides a good amount of contrast to the other characters.



Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book as a solid "Bible fiction" story. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the collection to see how Card continues with a new set of characters.

I just finished reading about 40 of the reviews, and I can't top them! I really enjoyed this book (as well as the entire series) and kept going back to Genesis and the book of Abraham to brush up on the scriptural account. Another reader commented on how rich the Old Testament is in telling about the women although it doesn't flesh their personalities out. It doesn't really do that for the men either! When I read stories like these against their cultural/historical background, it helps me understand the principles I can use in my own life.

We are studying the Old Testament this year in my church. I specifically saved this book to read this year as I knew we would be learning all about Abraham, Sara and Isaac. When I started it I must admit I was a little bored. I knew the basic story, and how it ended. The other stuff, the stuff that was made up, was fun...but....kind of boring. When they were in Egypt pretending to be siblings I almost quit. I felt like I was reading a boring story that I didn’t understand. It was very political...ancient Egyptian politics...which I found confusing. But then Hagar entered the story. I have a special place in my heart for Hagar. When I read her story in the Bible this year I was stricken with how she was mistreated. This book does an EXCELLENT job of giving a possible narrative to that story which was believable.

In the end I really enjoyed this fictionalized version of a story I have heard my whole life, and recently read again. I think I will check out the rest of the books in this series.

Sarah was a powerful and enlightening tale for me. My whole life I've been familiar with these biblical tales, and told them in so many varying ways, some with resentment for Sarah, some with indifference, some even painfully judgmental. But OSC does an amazing job bringing the true anguish of a woman who loves a prophet and can't give him children. Sarah is loyal and devoted to the end, even when she is faced with danger, lies, and scorn. Her sister calls her a slave to her husband, but she doesn't see how Sarah's devotion makes the world brighter, and is far from in bondage, but has freedom because Abram trusts her so completely.
I wondered how the issue of Hagar and Ishmael would be handled, and in my opinion, OSC did a beautiful job. He took into account the culture, Sarah's struggle, and even her overwhelming love for Abram and Hagar. Even after Hagar turned on her, Sarah showed nothing but grace and dignity.
Thanks to this book, I'm going to revisit those passages of scripture, and I'll definitely continue the series. My love and respect for Sarah has grown, and I'm eager to learn now of her daughter-in-law Rebekah.

I didn't really love this book. I guess I didn't like all of the things the author assumed about Sarah and Abraham. It did help me think more about what their feelings would have been like, but just not sure about the interpretation.

I stayed up way to late reading this book. I enjoyed the premise and went back to the Bible to read the 'real' story.

My first Orson Scott Card--It was sci-fi and I actually enjoyed as I thought I could relate--I did buy the Worthing Saga and read those--still trying Ender's Game