Rachel ~ Review

Rachel 
Wives of the Patriarchs #3
By Jill Eileen Smith

Rachel is the third book in the Wives of the Patriarchs series. Though entitled Rachel this is not Rachel's story alone.  This a look at the life she shares with her sister Leah and the husband that they are forced to share.  The sibling rivalry that these two young women have been living with is just compounded as they both seek to capture the heart of their husband while thwarting the other.

At the heart of the deception that Jacob, Rachel, and Leah find themselves caught up in is Laban.  Laban is the father of both Rachel and Leah and he is the brother of Jacob's mother - Rebekah. The man who wanted to profit from his sister's marriage is determined to make a profit off his nephew in exchange for the privilege of marrying his daughter.

But the very deception that drove Jacob from his home haunts him as he faces deception in the very home that he sought refuge in.  As Jacob works to gain the desire of his heart he has time to contemplate what he did to his father and to his brother to gain the promise that he was told was his.

It is interesting to read this book as I had read the previous book Rebekah.  Laban's trickery is similar to what Jacob and Rebekah did to Isaac, and I find the familial weakness for deception through the various generations interesting.  One has no choice but to feel for both Rachel and Leah as their story progresses.  Leah because she seeks her husband's love and Rachel because she fears losing her husband's love if she cannot produce an heir.  Both sisters desire what the other has, but can they discover true peace?  Or will they destroy any chance for peace as Jacob seeks a way to return to the home of his parents?

I like the way Rachel, Leah, and Jacob are brought to life in such a way that one can sympathize with all three of them.  This is a story most people are familiar with, but this is not your childhood Sunday School lesson.  There are lessons woven seamlessly throughout that will speak to your heart.  This is one story you won't want to miss!  I can honestly say I did not want to put this book down until I finished it and I'm interested to see what comes next from Jill Eileen Smith!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher, Revell, in exchange for my honest review.

Can true love overcome a legacy of betrayal?

Rachel wants nothing more than for her older half sister Leah to wed and move out of their household. Leah wishes her father would find a good man who would love her alone. Unbeknownst to either of them, Jacob is making his way to their home, trying to escape a past laced with deceit and find the future God has promised him.

But the past comes back to haunt Jacob when he finds himself on the receiving end of treachery. The man who wanted only one woman ends up with sisters who have never gotten along and now must spend the rest of their lives sharing a husband. In the power struggles that follow, only one woman will triumph . . . or will she?

Combining meticulous research with her own imaginings, bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith not only tells one of the most famous love stories of all time but will manage to surprise even those who think they know the story inside and out.