Review Of The Legacy Of Job’s Wife By Cynthia Koelker
In her novel, The Legacy of Job’s Wife, Cynthia Koelker gives her take on the biblical figure and story of Job. The novel centres on the unwavering love of Job and his wife, Ix’ises. The author writes her version of the story from the perspective of Ix’ises.
After Ix’ises was born only five years after Job, the two have since remained inseparable. As they grew together, so did their love for each other until a romance blossomed. Despite their love, Job and Ix’ises are two different people, Job is a man of faith and Ix’ises is very much a skeptic and often found it hard to understand how Job could be so faithful to God. The story takes place throughout the couples life and shows them go from the very top to rock bottom. Job goes from living an incredibly wealthy and prosperous life to living one of loss and sickness. Despite their hardship, Ix’ises stands by her husband and finds faith in the process. Will Job’s faith triumph over his hardships?
In any romance novel, the most important part of the novel should be the romance itself and Koelker does not disappoint in that area. Job and Ix’ises share strong chemistry that makes their romance a ery believable one. I will also say that Koelker does not write a romance based on passion rather she chose intimacy. You see the affection and care these characters have for each other above all else. So if you are one who enjoys infatuation-based romances that leave you with butterflies in your stomach, you may not enjoy this one. I’m not religious myself and I have had no exposure to the original biblical tale so I have nothing to compare the author’s work to. However, I do know that the author manages to write a captivating narrative that is sure to hook you. She does this through her characters, making you admire Job and empathize with Ix’ises thus endearing you to their plights.
Onto writing style, if I had to describe Koelker’s writing style in one word, it would be elegant. Her descriptions are flowery yet simple, which made the overall read very easy. This style lent well to describing scenery, I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of natural environments. The book is exceptionally well edited and comes across as very polished. Overall, I would have to give this book a 4 out of 4 stars. I found the story to be very charming, with plenty of heart that is sure to engage many-a-reader. I would happily recommend this book to those of you who enjoy Christian-fiction that weaves romance into its themes of faith and trust in God.
