Rachel, Beloved of Israel
A novel of longing, love, transformation and the God who prevails.
When God’s promise costs more than she ever imagined.
Rachel waited seven years for the day she would marry Jacob, the man God chose for her. But on the night their life together was meant to begin, a devastating betrayal by her Abba and sister shatters the life she had imagined. Trapped in a fractured household where loyalties shift, alliances are forged, and children become weapons in a battle for power, Rachel fights to hold onto the hope that a nation will one day come from her womb.
But when Rachel’s deepest longing for a child is finally fulfilled, the joy she has waited so long to embrace is cut short by a loss she never expected. As grief shatters her understanding of God’s promise, she faces the ultimate test of faith.
Your First Taste
Rachel woke confused and disorientated, her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth. A dull throb hammered a steady beat behind her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, her thoughts refused to clear. What was wrong with her? It was morning, she must have slept through the night. Why was she so tired?
A pair of brown eyes watched her intently, followed by a soft whine as a familiar wet nose nudged her hand. She turned towards Shep, his tail thumping with relief. A sharp pain shot through her temple. She winced, pressing her hand to her forehead. Everything felt heavy, her body slow to obey.
Was she married already? She couldn’t remember a single moment of the ceremony. Perhaps she’d drunk too much wine. But that was so unlike her. There had to be another reason. Perhaps she’d come down with something at the last minute and Abba had postponed the wedding?
Abba! The last thing she remembered was Laban handing her a cup of wine. Rachel sat up with great effort, managing to prop herself up on her elbows. Her eyes found Zilpah, staring at her from the corner. A wave of nausea washed over her. Something was terribly wrong.
“Zilpah?” Rachel managed to croak. “What’re you doing here? What’s going on?”
“Oh, thank the gods, you’re alive!” Zilpah’s breath hitched, the tight knot of fear unfurling in a rush of relief. She’d stayed all night, her heart pounding at the possibility of Rachel’s death - a death for which she’d be held responsible. The only interruption during the night had been a frantic scratching at the door. She’d let Shep in, if only to gauge his reactions as a sign of life in Rachel.
As Rachel’s vision slowly sharpened into focus, her belly lurched, bile rising in her throat. There, on the floor, a row of grotesque idols had been arranged in a semicircle before Zilpah.
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