Our study group, working our way through John MacArthur’s book Twelve Extraordinary Women, had just finishing discussing his chapter on Rahab when The Crimson Cord came to my attention. Aching to know more about this fascinating woman in the lineage of Jesus, I snapped it up, eager to see how the story would play out as historical fiction.
I was not disappointed. In The Crimson Cord (first in the new Daughters of the Promised Land series), Jill Eileen Smith did a fine job of adhering to the biblical text, while taking creative license with much of the information that Scripture does not provide, such as Rahab’s life before she sheltered the Israelite spies.
Smith casts Rahab as the wife of Gamal, a gambler who made one bad move too many. As a result of his irresponsibility, Rahab is sold into slavery and forced into prostitution. When the spies ask to lodge at her house in Jericho, she takes a huge gamble of her own, trusting in their promises to save her and her family, and even more, trusting in this God of theirs. We know how the story turns out, but the play-by-play from Rahab’s point of view is insightful and gripping. Author Liz Curtis Higgs calls it, “A beautiful tale, beautifully told,” and I have to agree.
This was the first book I’ve read by Jill Eileen Smith, but it won’t be the last. I’ve just obtained a copy of Rachel, one of her earlier books, and I can’t wait to dive in.
Disclosure: I’ve been given a review copy of this book by the publisher. This generosity, while appreciated, has not biased my review. I also post some of my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.