The book's website provides this summary:

Hannah and Pninah, once close childhood friends, become rivals for the attention of Elkanah, the man who has married them both. Pninah, passionate and independent, easily bears Elkanah many children, but bitter that he has taken her friend as a second wife, seeks fulfillment with her own secret lover. Hannah, the epitome of goodness and grace, remains completely devoted to her husband, but remains childless for many years, until a promise to God brings her the son she has yearned for.

Despite their differences, these two women must learn to live together, protecting their own interests as well as each other's, while sharing not only the love of their husband, but that of Hannah's son Samuel, who is destined to become one of the greatest prophets of the Jewish people.

Speaking in the two women's own voices, this work of biblical fiction weaves the whole into one intriguing tale of sorrow, revenge and redemption through feminine strength and love.

The book draws sharply diverging comments on Amazon, indicating that it provokes strong reactions from readers. The book's website has excerpts that struck me as workmanlike, in a pedestrian romance-novel style that brings to mind strange images of "Fabio the Prophet." Here's a heavy-breathing sample of Etzioni-Halevy's approach to passion under the palms:

The hills were used for pastures, and this hill was set aside for our flock alone. So I slipped off my dress and my shoes and hung them on a bush beside me, making my way amongst the sheep's soft woolly bodies and plunging into the shallow water. I delighted in its coolness and drank from it out of my cupped hands.

When I came out, I was startled to see a strange man staring down at me.

He was tall, his head covered by profuse, bushy dark hair that protruded from his cap on all sides. He wore a light-brown garment with a fringe, laced by a blue thread at its corners. It was sleeveless and reached no further down than his knees, revealing his muscular body. He was holding a lamb under his arm and regarding me boldly, impudently.

I was hot with shame. I snatched up my dress and covered myself with it, clamping it to my body as if he were about to wrest it from me.

"I liked what I saw before much better," he said brightly, and I liked the sound of his laughing voice.

"Who are you?" I gasped.

"I am Elkanah, the son of Yeroham, your new neighbor. You must be one of the daughters of Elad, the son of Amihud, and Bathel. My father told me about you."

"Yes, I am the elder daughter, Pninah... Turn around so I can put on my dress."

"May I put it on for you?" he offered, preparing to set his lamb down on the ground.

"No, just turn."

Soft woolly sheep . . . fringed garments . . . bushy hair . . . muscular bodies . . . hot with shame . . . sounds to me like a Kinky Jews party. You know, this is pretty good, if not as entertainment then at least as an alternative lifestyle.

Does it leave you panting for more, yearning to turn your modest but burning gaze toward the turbulent but pious lives of hot-blooded Jewish women and the lamb-shlepping Jewish men who love them? Then this is your lucky day: up next for Etzioni-Halevy is The Garden of Ruth in January.