Abram keeps his solemn vow, taking young Sarai to wife. She follows him into the drought-filled wilderness, placing all of her trust in her husband and all of her faith in God. Card follows the biblical account, using extensive research as well as his rich imagination to fill in the details. Through his pensive account, we can peer into the head of a woman who faced immense difficulties and listen to what she must have thought and felt. We come away from the novel knowing that not only was Sarah a woman of great faith and virtue, but she was also a human being struggling with problems that we all face.
Card tells the story with beautiful simplicity, wasting little effort on unnecessary details.
The result is a stunning panoramic view of a simple woman who lived a life of courage, putting her trust in God and His prophets. In presenting Sarah as a real person, as imperfect as any human being, Orson Scott Card not only makes her real to his readers but he also fulfills his own purpose in writing the novel. The woman was remarkable .