Reviewing: The Crimson Cord

The Crimson Cord: Rahab's Story
by Jill Eileen Smith

The concept for this book is an interesting one.  It is a deeper look at the story of Rahab.  She merits only a few verses in the Bible but also earns a spot in Jesus' lineage . . . so what is her story?  Obviously we can't know for sure.  So Jill Eileen Smith imagines a tale for her--how did she become a prostitute, what was that life like for her, how did she come to know the Israelite spies and save them, and how did she end up married to an Israelite and the great-great (several times) grandmother of Jesus?

It's always fun to speculate and add meat to stories with few details and eternal impact.  So the concept is interesting.  Unfortunately, I found the delivery to be lacking.  Smith does a decent enough job creating sympathy for Rahab.  She also creates multidimensional characters in Salmon, Rahab's younger sister, and Joshua and his wife, Eliana.  Beyond that, Smith asks the reader to suspend disbelief a little more than is fair.  She uses various stories from different parts of the Bible and builds them into Rahab's story.  Because the Bible doesn't put them there it is distracting to have them and other random lines from Scripture tucked into places where they don't belong.  Rahab's transition from a prostitute into a follower of Adonai borders on realistic but falls flat in the end, as does her official entrance into such a holy family tree.

One final note.  Because these stories take us into a time we can only otherwise read about in our Bibles, they invite us to witness events that have built the foundation of our faith.  To that end, there was one line that jumped out at me and made this otherwise flat story worth my time.  Seeing these events come to life--even in an unbelievable, disappointing, and at times distracting way--serves as a reminder that through all the events of our lives God is worth trusting.  As Rahab herself reasons: ". . . If Israel truly gained victory over the warriors of Jericho . . . there was no reason to doubt a God who could part the Red Sea."


Disclosure: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads program. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.