Sarah and the Garden
And the Time God Heard Her Laughing
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Published: 2025
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Publisher's Description
Why did Sarah laugh? God asks, but no one answers. Is there even an answer to such a question? Sarah's story is not simple. There is no bitter old woman who laughs at God because she does not believe on that day God came to her tent to tell her she would have a child. Her story begins in the beginning, all the way back in the garden where God created unity and where humanity destroyed it in the matter of the tree. Sarah's story is about that destruction, but it is also about how God hears her and about how God insists she is essential to the Eden work God is doing in the world. This thoughtful study looks at Sarah with fresh eyes. Beautiful writing and artistic images bring Sarah out of the shadows traditional interpretation has hidden her within to reveal green garden newness born of dust and desolation.
Endorsements (3)
“Hayes brings the biblical characters of Gen 1–18 to life in a way that is accessible and enlightening. With delightful prose, she presents Hebrew concepts and words for any audience that enhance the narratives and debunk long-held textual myths. It is an enjoyable and educational read.”
“We inevitably read with imagination, and the best commentaries are those that nourish the imagination. Hayes accomplishes this with her creative efforts, above all in her attempts to fill gaps and silences in the Genesis narrative. Especially helpful is her interweaving of the themes and motifs of Gen 1–3 into its later stories.”
“No doubt about it: first-time author Tricia Hayes delivers the theological goods with a passion and perspective sure to spark a renewed love for God’s word. Providing readers ‘fresh eyes to see and tuned ears to hear’ the too often overlooked biblical refrains of God’s redemptive work after the fall, Hayes creatively, compellingly weaves the ‘why’ of Sarah’s laughter to Eve, to the garden curse, and to God’s ultimate answer to humanity’s rebellion: Jesus. In short, Sarah and the Garden delivers a refreshing, imaginative, and at times surprising read. And one that will no doubt have readers looking ahead to more of Hayes’ work in the days ahead.”
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