The Scarlet Cord book review

I often have trouble reading well-known Bible stories which are presented as fiction. As an avid reader of mystery novels, I have difficulty reading a story when I know how it all turns out in the end. Yet This Scarlet Cord, the story of Rahab and the fall of Jericho, is different.
Joan Wolf draws the reader in through the eyes of Sala, a young descendant of Esau. Meeting a very young Rahab in Gaza, he meets her again when he journeys to Jericho. The story unfolds in beautifully told detail, imaginatively recreating the events leading up to the city's destruction. Without 'spoiling the plot', suffice it to say that Wolf creates credible characters who fill in and colour a familiar tale, leading to a beautifully satisfying conclusion.
Reading this book, I really felt drawn into the lives of those living in ancient Jericho, almost feeling that I was living there alongside them. The author evidently has a good grasp of ancient history and Biblical interpretation, although I found the presentation of two of the characters as Hebrew speaking 'Jews', whose families had not migrated to Egypt with Jacob's family, rather hard to understand as I had always understood that 'Israelites' were descendants of Jacob. It has spurred me on to find out more about Biblical genealogy!
I was glad I received this book through Booksneeze  (I recently acquired a Kindle and so an e- version was a great option). This was not just because it was free, but also because I have also read too many poor quality free books recently so This Scarlet Cord was a lovely treat!