This Scarlet Cord

A few verses in the book of Joshua tell the story of Rahab, the prostitute who lived in Jericho when it was besieged by the Israelites. Two spies sent to the city were protected by Rahab, who helped them to escape by using a scarlet cord to climb out of her window. In return, they promised that Rahab and her family would be saved when Joshua captured Jericho, if she hung a scarlet cord out of her window, which she did. With this brief account as a point of departure, Wolf imagines Rahab’s life, beginning when she was a beautiful young girl taken to Jericho, where her Canaanite farmer father hoped to find a rich husband for her. She met and fell in love with Sala, an Israelite whose father was a spy for Joshua. A series of subsequent complications eventually lead to the biblical account. Wolf (A Reluctant Queen) holds our interest by skillfully conjuring up a fascinating version of Rahab’s story, successfully persuading us that the story is far more complex than merely a “scarlet cord.” Agent: Natasha Kern Literary Agency. (July 10)