I was disappointed in this book. I thought that this would be like the first two books in the story, a fictionalized account of the Bible story. It was...kind of. I also thought that this would end the series, as this was the last book written in the series. But it didn’t. It ends right after the marriage of Leah and Rachel. I wanted more of the marriage story, and of course the twelve sons. Instead what I got was the first part of the story, a highly fictionalized version of the first part, as it spent most of the time in the 7 years Jacob was working for Rachel’s hand in marriage. There isn’t a lot in the Bible that describes this time, but there was a lot in the book. And I found it kind of boring. I love this bible story. It is one of my favorite and I wish the story continued.

I loved that in this series Orson Scott Card was able to imagine a relatable world of characters that, until this time, had been completely UNrelatable to me based solely on the limited scriptural accounts of their lives and, to me at least, their often-confounding actions. These books actually helped me to have a greater love and respect for these chosen women (and men) of the Old Testament, simply because I was given a glimpse of how they might have felt, might have lived, might have loved -- all within a framework of understandable AND believable people and relationships.

I love the plot in Rachel and Leah. What if Leah's marriage to Jacob wasn't such a surprise? What if it was done because Rachel did not want to marry Jacob at the time? What if Leah and Rachel's father did not mean to fool Jacob but was left with little choice. I love the way Orson Scott Card can go back into the time before Christ and create a believable world and story that we can relate to so well in our time. I can't wait to read the sequel, The Women of Genesis.

Yikes! I have heard that Orson Scott Card is a fine author but this book was a stinker! The text is primarily dialouge between young 11-17 year old girls....and Card gets it all wrong. It reads like a snarky screen play rather than an interesting insightful look into how it may have been for these women of the Bible. It was painful getting through and I was relieved when it ended abruptly and not satisfying either. Then it had the NERVE to offer questions for a book club! AS IF! I don't even want to remember I ever read this book, let alone sit and discuss it with other women!

The book ends with a "cliff hanger" but rather than go out and buy the next installment from Card, I am seriously just going to read it in the Bible. It will be WAY more enjoyable. TOSS IT!

Orson Scott Card creates an interesting narrative with the small amount of information on Leah and Rachel given in the Bible, but I didn't love this book as much as the others in the series...too many sexual references and the women characters are all obnoxious. The book also abruptly ends and the second part of the book has yet to be written.

I really loved this book. I stumbled across it because of the author, Orson Scott Card. I had read Ender's Game and thought it to be so cleverly written so I was interested in the three books in this series, Women of Genesis. This is the first that I read in the series even though it is the third and I certainly will be reading the other two.



Card gives Rachel, Leah as well as their handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, such distinctive personalities. And he invents such a clear and logical reason for the switch at the altar. I came to love all four of the women as well as Jacob and Laban. Yes, it is fiction, but it is about a story that many of us have grown up with and have never understood what might have happened to bring those events about in that way. Card gives us a good explanation.

I would highly recommend it.

I liked Sarah, didn't like Rebekah, and am on the fence with this one. I really used to love Orson Scott Card, because his dialogues bring his characters to life in ways that are easy to relate to. But this one had too much bickering, like Rebekah, and it needed to be edited. I wished the story had continued past where it ended. But the premise of Rachel and Leah and how Jacob married them both was believable to me, though I did't like their personalities much. I liked Jacob,though he was more of a hero than a prophet in this book.

Finished it in a day

I really like these books and hope he finishes the next one in the series. Biblical times are weird and the traditions are so unfamiliar, it gives a bit more possible understanding to those customs or the things the scripture leave out for purposes of story telling.

I thought I loved the first two books in this series but this one went above and beyond.

Another good book by Orson Scott Card. I liked this one slightly less than Rebekah, but I really liked how each character had a distinct voice and I loved Leah's character arc. She's always been an interesting Biblical character to me. As with the last book, I feel like there are probably some cultural and historical things that are issues, but Card's writing is compelling enough that I am pulled into it and can let the other stuff go. This was a quick, pleasant read.

Rachel: I finally realized there’s something worse than marrying you
Jacob: what
Rachel: not marrying you

??? You couldn’t have figured that out TWO WEEKS AGO?? whatever, the lord’s hand always prevails