February 19, 2018
Smith (Daughters of the Promised Land) reimagines the biblical story of Hannah, the prayerful mother of prophet and judge Samuel, with expert attention to historical and cultural detail, as well as emotional sensitivity to the plight of a childless wife of that time. Hannah has found a gem of a husband, Elkanah, who dotes on her despite her barrenness. When he is convinced to marry a second wife, Peninnah, she soon bears children and provokes Hannah mercilessly, and the entire household suffers. Years of social rejection, spiritual despair, and emotional suffering culminate in Hannah’s vow to dedicate her firstborn son, if she should somehow conceive, to God’s service; Samuel is subsequently born after Eli blesses her at the temple of Shiloh. Returning home with the boy, Hannah is declared a prophetess, but Peninnah grows increasingly bitter as she views Elkanah’s elation. While the bones of this story appear in the Bible, Smith’s great feat lies in exploring the plausible emotional and spiritual journeys of Hannah, Elkanah, and Peninnah—the grief and hopelessness of a barren wife, the bitter jealousy of the second wife who only wants to be loved, and the man caught in the middle. Readers will appreciate that Smith infuses this well-known story with emotional depth and a modern sensibility not typically seen in historical novels.