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bronwenf's review
3.0
Though Card's writing of this story deserves at least four stars in my opinion, I only gave the book three, for a few reasons. First, he never finished the story by writing Wives of Israel like he had planned. Second, he stopped right in the middle of what I felt was a massive upheaval that needed significantly more resolution. Third, the story is just kind of dreadful, which really isn't Card's fault at all, but it did affect how much I liked the book. So, three stars it is.
emerygirl's review
2.0
I was disappointed in this book. I thought that this would be like the first two books in the story, a fictionalized account of the Bible story. It was...kind of. I also thought that this would end the series, as this was the last book written in the series. But it didn’t. It ends right after the marriage of Leah and Rachel. I wanted more of the marriage story, and of course the twelve sons. Instead what I got was the first part of the story, a highly fictionalized version of the first part, as it spent most of the time in the 7 years Jacob was working for Rachel’s hand in marriage. There isn’t a lot in the Bible that describes this time, but there was a lot in the book. And I found it kind of boring. I love this bible story. It is one of my favorite and I wish the story continued.
christina_likes_to_read's review
3.0
I've read this book before and did not like it. However, I think that it was better the second go around. I really like Orson Scott Card, but for some reason, his "the Woman of Genesis series" doesn't really appeal to me. I felt like some of the story was missing because he tried to tell the story from too many points of view. Over all, I enjoyed this book more the second go around . . . but it still isn't my favorite.
and_sarahelizabeth's review against another edition
3.0
This book was ok. It covered the time 7 years before the marriages of Leah and Rachel to Jacob, up to the weddings. At times I was annoyed with the adolescence of the characters. I thought "Sarah" was better (I also read it years ago so...)
ratgirlreads's review
Myths, fairy tales, stories told in the oral tradition of ancient people have always a compelling fascination, even for modern readers. However, being a modern reader, I also love in-depth character development, psychological analysis, detailed dialogues, and exploration of complex relationships, so I have an especial fondness for the novels in which an author tells one of those ancient stories and builds in those modern components. This is precisely what Orson Scott Card does in Rachel and Leah, developing strong, unique personalities for all the familiar but flat Biblical characters. He devises events and emotions to provide comprehensible motives and reasons for actions that, in the Biblical telling, sometimes seem baldfacedly cruel—such as Laban’s trickery in substituting his daughter Leah for Rachel in Jacob’s marriage bargain. In Card’s story, everyone’s motives are good, and the trickery becomes a misunderstanding, leaving the reader feeling sympathetic towards all the characters, and villainizing no one.
bechug's review
3.0
Orson Scott Card creates an interesting narrative with the small amount of information on Leah and Rachel given in the Bible, but I didn't love this book as much as the others in the series...too many sexual references and the women characters are all obnoxious. The book also abruptly ends and the second part of the book has yet to be written.
ronniewest's review
4.0
Not my favorite book of the series because I felt like it gave a better perspective on Leah (& the other 2 girls) than it did for Rachel. But, having grown up with 5 sisters, I enjoyed reading about how they went through so many emotional experiences and grew up together.
zeydejd's review
1.0
Holy crap was this the worst book I've ever read in my life. And not just the worst book by Orson Scott Card - no, the worst book I've EVER read. I cannot even handle how sexist Card is. I was expecting a level of sexism throughout this series, given it's based on the Bible, but Card takes it to a whole other level that infuriates me. I'm almost shaking as I type this, I'm so mad. ALSO! Whoever wrote the f---ing book jacket better not ever run into me, because I will tear him or her (guessing it's a guy) apart SO badly, they will never be able to reassemble themselves. Part of the jacket says "These were no modern women, and their lives were recorded as part of a holy book. But you know them all the same. The joys and burdens of a woman's life have not changed that much over the generations." WHAT. I'm sorry, WHAT?? Really???? The joys and burdens of women's lives haven't changed that much from the joys and burdens of women's lives IN THE BIBLE???? Oh right, I forgot that nowadays it is every woman's joy and burden to marry and bring loads of sons to her husband. How could I forget that childbirth is my biggest joy and burden?? I've never raged so much after reading a book in my entire life. After finishing Rachel & Leah, I can comfortably say that I will be removing the rest of the Card books I have on my 'to-read' list and that I will not be reading another work by him unless it's Ender Game and those books related to Ender's Game. Those are truly the only works of his even worth glancing at.