Klinghoffer, author of The Lord Will Gather Me In
and formerly the literary editor of the National Review, gathers abundant material from the oral traditions surrounding Abraham to weave a rich and colorful history of Israel's first patriarch. In order to draw a complete picture of Abraham's life, Klinghoffer relies on the Talmudic stories as well as the tales of the medieval rabbis, like Maimonides, to trace Abraham's life from his birth in Mesopotamia to his burial in Machpelah. Born into a time of spiritual revolution, Abraham gradually recognized his calling as a prophet of God who would challenge the polytheistic religions of Mesopotamia and try to convert followers to the monotheism he had discovered. Using the biblical story (Genesis 12–25) to structure his book, Klinghoffer narrates the major events in Abraham's life—the births of Ishmael and Isaac, the near-sacrifice of Isaac, the betrayal of Lot, the births of Jacob and Esau—to provide insights into the ways that Abraham maintained his monotheistic faith even when God seemed to make unreasonable commands. Klinghoffer maintains that we cannot do without Abraham as a historical figure because Abraham tells us so much about the God he discovers. A master storyteller, Klinghoffer provides a fast-paced and engrossing account of the life of the man who fathered the three major Western religions. (Mar. 18)
Forecast:Books about Abraham are almost as popular these days as books about the historical Jesus were in the late 1990s. Those who enjoyed Bruce Feiler's 2002 bestseller about Abraham will appreciate the depth and textual detail offered by this interpretation.
