The Struggle for Love

About the Book

Book: The Struggle for Love

Author: Marilyn T. Parker

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Release date: November 2, 2021

The Struggle for Love Two sisters married to the same man. A man who loves only one.

Leah didn’t want a marriage without love. A strong and capable woman, she had determined to live a life of service as a midwife, bringing other women’s children into the world, allowing her father to breach tradition and betroth her beautiful younger sister first. But that was not to be.

Forced by her father to pose as her sister, Leah goes to Jacob’s wedding bed. When Jacob awakens to find Leah instead of the beautiful Rachel, he tells Leah that he will provide for her and do what a husband must, but she will never have his love.

Rejected by her husband and her relationship with her beloved sister broken, will Leah be able to keep her faith in the God of Abraham through the tragedies to come? Will Jacob see Leah for the woman she truly is? Will these two wives of the patriarch mend their relationship before it’s too late?

Enjoy this beautiful story of a woman overlooked by history but not by God. In Genesis 29:31 the scripture says, “When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved—” God was watching over Leah. And He’s watching over you.

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About the Author

edited black shirt Marilyn has worn many hats in her life: school teacher, pastor’s wife, mother of four God-loving children, and best of all—Grammy! She is presently the older member of a mother/daughter blogging duo with her wonderful daughter, Rebecca. They co-author Persevering Women, a blog full of inspiration to help women live above their circumstances.

Four years after becoming a widow, Marilyn married Peter Parker. Yes! She’s Mrs. Spiderman! Marilyn says she is truly married to her superhero.

When Marilyn and Peter are not traipsing around the country in their RV, they reside in Buckeye, Arizona with their monster dog, Mimi (don’t let the cute name fool you!). Marilyn’s greatest desire is that her work bring glory to God.

More from Marilyn

When I was seven or eight years old, I entered a writing contest for elementary students sponsored by the local newspaper. I won! Actually, I won two years in a row. I still remember some things about those stories. I remember that one was about a little girl who was so poor, she had to use fall leaves to make Christmas cards. Uh, kind of got my seasons mixed up there—but the storyline must have been good! That was the beginning of my writing career!

So why do I write biblical fiction?

Can’t people just read their Bibles? Yes. Of course. But years ago, when I was reading through the book of Genesis, studying the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, one of Jacob’s wives caught my attention.

Genesis 29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved—

God was watching Leah. Can you imagine it? The God of the Universe leaning over the portal of heaven to get a better view of an unloved woman! I was hooked on the story right then. The scriptures were scant, but the story was hiding there in subtle hints. As I fleshed out Leah’s life from the Word, I fell more in love with the God who originally wrote her story. The Great Storyteller who knew both Leah and me before He laid the foundation of the earth, and who wrote our stories with love, promising us the best of all happy endings with Him.

MY REVIEW

Before I started this book, I went back to Leah’s story written in the Bible. It helped refresh my memory of her and I was anxious to see how the author would portray her. There are times that the author took a few liberties in the story, but I don’t think it took anything away from the actual story from the Bible.

It is easy to like Leah with her compassion for others. How sad that she felt ugly and unwanted even by her father. The moment that stands out in my mind is when Leah is forced to deceive the man who loves her sister. The author does a good job of letting us feel Leah’s shame when her deceit is revealed. It sets the tone for the journey that Leah takes as she continues to feel rejected by everyone. Oh how she loved Jacob, but he only has eyes for her sister. Rejection is something many of us have felt. It hurts deeply and is hard to overcome. But this story will teach us that God never rejects His people. He loves us and will never leave us.

I liked Rachel but thought she was very prideful. She counted on her looks to get what she wanted. In the story we witness the struggle between sisters as they both want the attention of Jacob. Little by little bitterness enters Rachel’s heart and her relationship with Leah is fractured. The author digs deeper into their thoughts and shares the heartbreak of a family being torn apart.

The story kept my attention and I was mesmerized by the actions these characters displayed. Leah has become a very respected mid wife and many call for her to help when a birth is imminent. I can’t imagine how difficult it was to have a baby during this time period. I admired Leah as she became this woman of strength who was not afraid to stand up for what was right. Her faith was evident and it helped her when grieving about the unthinkable act that happened to her daughter.

As the story draws to a close we see chaos break out when revenge is acted upon. During this period of conflict we get a glimpse of two sisters who come together to reconcile, a husband who asks forgiveness and a woman who impacted many lives.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.