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By Kent Larsen
Card's 'Sarah' Reviewed in Jerusalem Post
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL -- The Jerusalem Post published Sunday an unabashedly
positive review of Orson Scott Card's "Sarah: Women of Genesis," calling the
book, part of a projected trilogy on the women of Genesis, "a lively novel
that enlarges our appreciation for this complicated matriarch." While
admitting that the orthodox may reject the book because it uses the bible as
the basis for a novel, most readers will "simply appreciate the book as a
good yarn," says reviewer Morton Teicher.
In "Sarah," Card 'fleshes out' the story of Abraham's wife from a fictional
visit by Abraham and Lot to Sarah's family when she is 10 to her death at
age 127. While the bible uses no more than 20 pages to tell her story, Card
takes nearly 400 pages in his account, adding dialogue, characters, scenes
and motivations to the biblical narrative.
Card has had practice at this "flat-out manipulation for fictional purposes"
(Card's words) of other narratives. In two previous science fiction and
fantasy series, Card fleshed out stories well known to Mormons. His
'Homecoming' series retells much of the Book of Mormon in a science fiction
setting, while his 'Tales of Alvin Maker' series tells the life of Joseph
Smith in an alternate world. Card even retold, and even changed, the life of
Christopher Columbus in his 1992 book, "Pastwatch."
The Post's reviewer, Teicher, is clearly impressed with the results in
"Sarah." He says "Sarah fully demonstrates [Card's] remarkable versatility
and his rich imagination, attributes that contribute considerably to his
recognized accomplishments . . . " He also credits Card with producing "an
impressive tribute to contemporary feminism."
Source:
A strong woman married to a Patriarch
Jerusalem Post 18Mar01 A2
By Morton I. Teicher
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