Jacob, Rachel, and their sheepdog along with Rachel holding baby Joseph as a draft cover for Tracey Thorp's novel Rachel Beloved of Israel

Draft book cover only

Discover the untold story behind the woman Jacob loved

Rachel, Beloved of Israel takes an in-depth look inside the minds and hearts of one of Scripture’s most complex families.

Set in the Biblical lands of Paddan Aram and Canaan, this character-driven biblical novel goes deeper than the familiar version. Rachel is more than just the beautiful sister. She’s a woman navigating a fractured family, a rivalrous marriage, and the long wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled.

Drawing on careful study of Scripture and historical context, Rachel, Beloved of Israel reintroduces readers to the varied characters and personalities of Jacob’s fractured family whose choices ripple across generations. This is the beginning of the Beloved Series breathing life into the familiar ancient narratives — not by altering Scripture, but by digging deeper to explore the thoughts, feelings and opinions of those behind it, and the surprising meaning only seen by a study of the original Hebrew.

Rachel, Beloved of Israel is complete, with Book 2 in the Beloved Series, Fruitful in the Land of Affliction, in progress.

Fruitful in the Land of Affliction continues the story of Rachel’s son, Joseph, in the land of Egypt, exploring his struggles while tracing how the choices his brothers made long ago in Canaan continue to shape their lives and draw them, step by step, toward reconciliation.

Manuscript Details

  • Title: Rachel, Beloved of Israel

  • Genre: Biblical Fiction

  • Word Count: 108,000 words

  • Status: Complete — Full Manuscript Available

Themes Explored

  • Betrayal

  • Jealousy

  • Suffering

  • Forgiveness

  • Love

  • Testing of faith - pruning and refining

  • Surrender

  • Redemption

  • Growing good fruit

Why This Story?

For centuries, traditional commentary and modern re-tellings have portrayed Rachel as the vain, jealous, manipulative, and spiritually lacking antagonist of the Jacob story. Rachel, Beloved of Israel tells her story from a different angle, by honouring what scripture actually says without bias or assumption, while exploring the internal motivations, bitter rivalries, and relational dynamics within Jacob’s household. The result is a credible story full of real people impacted by suffering and directed by the grace of God.

Leah and Rachel serve as a spiritual picture, with Leah representing the striving burden of the Law, and Rachel, the transformation of the Bride of Christ under love and grace. The story follows Rachel’s journey from fleshly reactions to suffering, to a willingness to die to self, and eventually to a physical death that leads to a lasting legacy.

Joseph from Tracey Thorp's biblical fiction novel Fruitful in the Land of My Affliction

Book Two in Progress

Fruitful in the Land of Affliction picks up the story through the eyes of Joseph and his brothers — a tale of a fractured family whose lives shaped the future of Israel. It's a story of testing, failure, surrender, and the grace that can still come after God’s apparent silence.

About the Author

Tracey is a wife, mum, step-mum, grandma and former litigation lawyer as well as Bible teacher, and lifelong student of Scripture. Her love for God and His Word is the foundation of her writing, shaped by years of study, teaching, and spiritual wrestling.

Her biblical fiction weaves historical insight with emotional authenticity, inviting readers to experience familiar stories with fresh eyes and emotions. Rachel, Beloved of Israel is her debut novel.

Next Steps

Thank you for your time and prayerful consideration. I’d be delighted to share the full manuscript and Book Proposal upon request.