The Crimson Cord by Jill Eileen Smith

Back Cover: Wife to a gambler who took one too many risks, Rahab finds herself sold as a slave to cover her husband's debt. Forced into prostitution, she despairs of ever regaining her freedom and her self-respect. But when Israelite spies enter Jericho and come to lodge at her house, Rahab sees a glimmer of hope and the opportunity of a lifetime.

In one risky moment, she takes a leap of faith, puts her trust in a God she does not know, and vows to protect the spies from the authorities. When the armies of Israel arrive weeks later, Rahab hopes they will keep their promise, but she has no idea what kind of challenges await her outside Jericho's walls - or if she will ever know the meaning of love.

Under Jill Eileen Smith's talented hand, the familiar story of Rahab bursts forth in high definition. Immerse yourself in a world of dark and dusty streets, clandestine meetings, and daring escapes as a mysterious biblical figure claims her full humanity - and a permanent place in your heart.

Review: This is the most memorable and impactful account of Rahab I've ever read. While Rahab's story has been retold in many novels and written by many different hands, this telling brings her story into vivid detail like none other I've ever read.

The Crimson Cord was gripping. I have heard Rahab's story since I was a child. The tale of the Jericho prostitute who saved the spies from Israel is not a new one for me. However, reading Crimson Cord was like hearing the story of Rahab for the first time. I could not put this book down. This version of Rahab's story pulls you into Jericho and right into the heart of Rahab. While many parts of this book are fiction as the Bible does not go into detail about Rahab's life, the fictional elements do not take away from the Biblical story. Instead, the detail that Jill Eileen Smith goes into creating Rahab's life evoked in me a much greater appreciation and sense of understanding for this Bible story.

The writing style was fluid and easy to read, the dialogue flowed perfectly, the setting made sense and jived with what I know from scripture, and the character development of Rahab was amazingly well done. I truly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.


This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group and Graf Martin Communications