Author: Lizard Books

If you are a part of a book club and are looking for a new book to read, Rejected would be a perfect one! Here is a quick Book Club discussion guide to go along with the book.

About This Guide

This guide helps book clubs explore the emotional, spiritual, and social themes in Rejected. Each section now includes chapter references so readers always know where they should be before beginning discussion.

Section One: Survival, Power, and Control

Covers Chapters 1 through 4

These early chapters explore Hillary’s life before and during her captivity in Mexico, her years in the cartel, and her arrival at the Serug Ranch.

Discussion Questions

In Chapters 1 through 3, what moments shaped your understanding of Hillary’s resilience?

How do Chapters 2 and 3 reveal the psychological effects of coercion and exploitation?

In Chapters 3 and 4, what changes do you notice as Hillary transitions from overt trafficking into a more subtle form of control?

Section Two: Faith, Fear, and the Tradition of Obedience

Covers Chapters 5 through 9

These chapters parallel Hagar’s biblical story and explore obedience, fear, and divine encounter.

Discussion Questions

How do Chapters 5, 6, and 7 deepen your understanding of the original biblical passages from Genesis 16?

Which scenes in Chapters 8 and 9 best illustrate the intersection of suffering and divine presence?

Why do you think Hillary obeyed the instruction to return in Chapter 9 even when safety was not guaranteed?

Section Three: Trauma Responses and Emotional Memory

Covers Chapters 10 through 14

These chapters include flashbacks, panic triggers, and the ways trauma resurfaces through daily routines.

Discussion Questions

Which trauma-response scene in Chapters 10 through 12 impacted you the most?

How do Chapters 12, 13, and 14 show the physical and emotional weight of memories Hillary tries to suppress?

How do these scenes expand your empathy for real survivors?

Section Four: Morality, Manipulation, and Abuse Within Religious Structures

Covers Chapters 15 through 20

The Serug household becomes a microcosm of spiritual manipulation, pressure, and harmful theology.

Discussion Questions

What forms of manipulation appear in Chapters 15, 16, and 17 when Patrona Isa and Abe justify their decisions?

How did you feel about Patrona Isa’s desperation for a child in Chapters 16 through 18?

What do Chapters 18, 19, and 20 suggest about the misuse of religious authority?

Section Five: Identity, Self-Worth, and the Search for Belonging

Covers Chapters 21 through 25

Hillary’s internal battle intensifies as she wrestles with her past, her dreams, and her desire for real connection.

Discussion Questions

Which scenes in Chapters 21 through 23 reveal Hillary’s longing for belonging?

How does Ignacio’s presence in Chapters 22 and 24 shape Hillary’s identity as a mother and survivor?

What does belonging look like for Hillary across Chapters 24 and 25?

Section Six: Motherhood, Loss, and Protection

Covers Chapters 26 through 30

These chapters include Hillary’s most painful and transformative moments, paralleling Hagar in the wilderness.

Discussion Questions

How do Chapters 26 and 27 use the South Texas landscape to echo the biblical wilderness?

What does Hillary’s choice to place Ignacio under the tree in Chapter 29 reveal about her emotional breaking point?

How did you interpret God’s provision of water and guidance in Chapter 30?

Section Seven: Justice, Hope, and the Return of Dignity

Covers Chapter 31 through the Epilogue

Ignacio becomes an archer. Hillary witnesses restoration and finally experiences belonging.

Discussion Questions

In the wedding scene of Chapter 31, how did your understanding of rejection shift?

What emotions surfaced as you read the final scenes of Chapter 31?

How does the epilogue reinforce the themes of hope and redemption?

Section Eight: Faith, Liberation, and Modern Slavery

Pairs with the Entire Book and the Back Matter

This section connects fiction to lived reality and survivor advocacy.

Discussion Questions

What did the novel teach you about modern trafficking that you did not know before?

Which scenes challenged assumptions or misconceptions?

How can churches, community groups, or individuals respond with awareness and compassion?

General Reflection Questions

(Use after completing the entire book)

Which character’s arc moved you the most?

What did you think about the blending of Scripture with contemporary trauma and survival?

What theme stayed with you long after closing the book?

If you could ask Hillary one question, what would you ask?

What should readers unfamiliar with trafficking understand after reading Rejected?

If you are looking for meaningful Christmas gifts this year, both Barren and Rejected make wonderful presents for the readers on your list. Each story offers depth, heart, and the kind of emotional journey that stays with readers long after the final page.

Wrap them together for a powerful reading duo or gift them separately to introduce someone to the Margins of Genesis series. Add a warm blanket, a cozy candle, and you have the perfect holiday bundle.

Give stories that spark conversation and shine a light on resilience. Give Barren and Rejected this Christmas.

Ways to buy Barren and Rejected:

Barren

Amazon: https://a.co/d/aqSSwQm

Barnes and noble.com: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barren-elizabeth-simon

Rejected

Amazon: https://a.co/d/fLQgRh1

Barnesandnoble.com: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rejected-elizabeth-simon

Give the gift of reading this holiday season!

Mark Your Calendar for December 18!

The BookDragon’s Lair Bookstore has just opened its doors in Port Charlotte, and the team is already bringing creative ideas to their first holiday season. One of their newest promotions is a December discount calendar that highlights authors based on the first letter of their last name. Each day features a new letter and a new set of books, which gives readers an enjoyable way to explore different authors while supporting a brand-new local bookstore.

For readers who follow my work, December 18 is the day to remember because it is the featured day for the letter S. Since my last name is Simon, readers will receive ten percent off my books when shopping at The BookDragon’s Lair on December 18.

The store’s discount calendar reflects their commitment to building a warm and engaging community from the moment they opened. By spotlighting different authors throughout the month, they invite readers to discover new voices and connect with stories they may not have found otherwise.

If you have been planning to pick up a copy of Barren or Rejected or want to give it as a gift, December 18 is the perfect day to visit The BookDragon’s Lair Bookstore and enjoy the discount.

The BookDragon’s Lair is located at 1810 El Jobean Rd, Suite 1, Port Charlotte, FL 33948. You can explore their offerings online at or follow their updates on Facebook.

Support a new local bookstore. Support local authors. Enjoy a December filled with meaningful stories and holiday cheer.

Cyber Monday brings a special kind of excitement each year. Today feels even more meaningful because Rejected officially arrives in paperback and hardcover. The ebook launched on Black Friday, and the messages, early reactions, and shares over the past few days have been overwhelming in the best way. I am grateful for every reader who has opened their heart to Helena’s journey.

Holding a story in your hands creates a different experience. The weight of the book, the texture of the pages, and the quiet ritual of turning each one provide space for reflection. Rejected is a story that invites reflection. It follows Helena’s desperate desire for freedom, her search for identity, and her quiet strength as she navigates exploitation, survival, and faith. It confronts hard realities, yet it offers hope through perseverance and truth.

Readers have shared that Helena’s story opened their eyes to the realities of modern human trafficking. Others have said that her courage inspired them to reexamine their own beliefs about freedom and faith. Many have expressed surprise that such a familiar biblical story can feel so honest in a modern setting. Those conversations mean more than I can say.

If you have been waiting for the paperback or hardcover, today is your day. I wrote Rejected with deep respect for every survivor whose voice has been ignored or misunderstood. My hope is that Helena’s voice feels clear, strong, and unforgettable.

I also hope this book becomes a conversation starter in your home, your book club, your church, or your community. Awareness grows one story at a time. Your support helps bring more visibility to the realities of trafficking and the resilience of those who endure it.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Thank you for reading with empathy. Thank you for sharing Helena’s story with others.

The paperback and hardcover editions of Rejected are now live. I cannot wait for you to hold them.

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Names carry power. They reflect who we are, where we come from, and what we hope to become. In Rejected, the protagonist’s shifting identity is shown through the names she is forced to carry at different stages of her life. Readers often notice that she is called Helena, Honey, and Hillary at various points in the story. These changes can feel confusing at first, but they reveal important parts of her trauma, survival, and ultimate restoration.

This article explains each name, where it comes from, and why it matters.

Helena Downs: Her birth name

Helena Downs is the name she is given at birth, long before her world fractures. It reflects her true self and the life she should have had. It connects her to her family, her childhood memories, and her identity before her exploitation. Helena is the girl her parents knew. She is the girl her community loved. She is the girl who disappeared.

Helena is her truth.

Honey: The name forced on her by the cartel

When she is taken and held by the cartel, her name is stripped away. They replace Helena with Honey. This new name is not a gift. It is a tool of control. It is meant to erase who she used to be and to fit her into the role the cartel forces her to perform.

Honey represents captivity. It shows how the cartel reduces her to something they believe they can own. It signals a world where she cannot speak for herself and cannot protect herself. Honey exists only because the cartel demands it.

Where Helena had roots, Honey has chains.

Hillary Morales: The name on her forged identification

During her escape from the cartel’s territory, she receives a fake Mexican passport that identifies her as Hillary Morales. This becomes the name she must use to survive in South Texas. It is what is used to get her work visa, so the Serug family and anyone who checks her documents will know her as Hillary.

Hillary Morales becomes her shield. It allows her to work. It allows her to avoid immediate detection. It keeps her alive while she hides in plain sight on the Serug ranch.

However, Hillary is also a reminder of how fragile her safety remains. Each time someone calls her Hillary, she remembers that she is still living behind a false identity. She has escaped one cage but still carries a different kind of confinement. She cannot be Helena yet. She can only protect Helena by pretending to be Hillary.

Returning to Helena: Her final step toward freedom

The moment she chooses to reclaim her birth name marks the beginning of true freedom. She no longer needs the cartel’s label. She no longer needs a false identity for survival. She steps out of fear and walks back into her own name.

Returning to Helena is not simply a correction of paperwork. It is a declaration of healing. It is the first time she controls her story. It is the moment she becomes whole.

Helena is not the girl who vanished. She is the woman who survived.

Why This Matters for Readers

Multiple names can make a character feel fragmented, but in this story the fragmentation is intentional. The world tries to rename Helena several times. Each name reflects her circumstances, her danger, and her resilience.

Here is a quick summary for clarity:

• Helena Downs: her true self

• Honey: her enslaved identity under the cartel

• Hillary Morales: her forged identity used for survival in South Texas

• Helena again: her restored identity once she gains freedom

Readers who understand these layers will see her transformation more clearly. Her story is not only about survival. It is about reclaiming the identity she never should have lost.

If you ever feel unsure about which name appears in a scene, you can return to this guide. Each name signals a different season of her life and a different step in her journey toward freedom.

Buy Rejected today

Rejected can be found on Amazon for preorder until Black Friday 2025. 50% of the royalties from all preorders will go to The Mekong Club, an advocacy group that brings awareness around human trafficking in the supply chain.

The ebook will be released November 28, 2025. The paperback and hardcover will be available on Cyber Monday (December 1, 2025).

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Jehovah’s presence in Rejected carries both comfort and complexity. He stands at the center of Abraham’s faith, Sara’s longing, and Hillary’s pain. On Thanksgiving, it becomes a meaningful moment to reflect on His role in the story, to express gratitude for the moments of hope He brings, and to acknowledge the questions His character raises.

This spotlight approaches Jehovah with care, honoring the reverence many readers bring to His name while also creating a thoughtful space to consider the tensions His role introduces.

Jehovah as Source of Hope and Promise

Throughout the novel, Abraham sees Jehovah as the giver of promise, purpose, and identity. Abraham experiences moments of profound joy when he believes Jehovah has spoken to him, especially when sunlight breaks through the clouds and shines upon the altar he built in the woods. These moments become sacred reminders that he is seen, called, and chosen.

On Thanksgiving, this part of Jehovah’s character invites a posture of gratitude. Abraham clings to small signs of hope. Readers can do the same. Gratitude often begins with a small light that breaks through doubt.

Jehovah as Comfort in Moments of Distress

One of the most tender scenes in the novel occurs when Hillary flees after enduring Sara’s harsh treatment. At the river, she encounters a mysterious figure who radiates peace, compassion, and reassurance. He listens to her pain. He tells her she has been seen. His presence mirrors the biblical encounter between Hagar and the angel of the Lord, who comforts her in the wilderness.

This scene offers an image of Jehovah as a God who meets people in their fear and sorrow. On Thanksgiving, many readers find comfort in remembering moments when God appeared through encouragement, kindness, or unexpected peace.

Jehovah and the Tension of Human Interpretation

A central theme in Rejected involves the way characters interpret what they believe Jehovah wants. Abraham’s desire for a child intertwines with his understanding of Jehovah’s promise. Sara’s insecurity and heartbreak shape her assumptions about His silence. Hillary, who carries trauma and fear, hears His words through a lens of past harm and hopeful longing.

The novel invites readers to question how human desires, cultural norms, and personal wounds influence spiritual discernment. Thanksgiving offers a moment to reflect on how gratitude and clarity often grow slowly, especially during seasons when faith feels complicated.

The Challenges Presented by Jehovah’s Character

While Jehovah’s presence offers comfort and promise, His character also invites difficult questions. These questions do not dishonor faith. They reflect the deep engagement that many believers feel when reading stories where God interacts with human choices.

Why would Jehovah permit the agreement that expelled Hillary and Ignacio with only minimal provisions?

In Rejected, the agreement that sends Hillary and her son away reflects the household’s understanding of legacy, inheritance, and authority. For readers, especially Christian readers, this raises important and painful questions. Why would God allow a mother and child to be pushed out after everything they endured?

The novel doesn’t offer a simple answer. It mirrors the biblical narrative of Hagar and Ishmael, a story that also invites discussion. Readers are encouraged to explore how divine promises interact with human decisions, cultural systems, and family dynamics. Thanksgiving can be a time to reflect on how gratitude coexists with grief and how faith continues even when circumstances appear unjust.

Why would Jehovah allow Abraham to heed Sara’s voice and take Hillary as a surrogate, even though this action did not originate with Him?

This question sits near the heart of the story. Sara’s desperation leads her to offer Hillary as a means of fulfilling the promise of descendants. Abraham agrees, even though this decision creates immediate and long-term harm. Readers notice that Jehovah never commanded this path. The consequences Abraham faces, including circumcision as an outward sign of obedience and covenant, emphasize the distinction between divine instruction and human solution.

This part of Jehovah’s character challenges readers to consider how God responds when people try to fulfill His promises on their own terms. It raises questions about free will, cultural pressure, and the complex relationship between divine purpose and human agency.

Thanksgiving invites readers to sit with these questions rather than avoid them. Gratitude and curiosity can share the same space.

Jehovah as Invitation to Reflection and Gratitude

In Rejected, Jehovah becomes the anchor for both questions and hope. Abraham gives thanks for promises that still feel distant. Sara gives thanks for any sign that her dream might come true. Hillary gives thanks for moments of grace that break through her fear. Each character’s story weaves gratitude into hardship and struggle.

On Thanksgiving Day, the character of Jehovah offers readers an opportunity to reflect. He inspires gratitude for comfort, for hope, and for the possibility of being seen. He also invites honest questions about pain, justice, and the consequences of human choices. The story creates a space where both can coexist.

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Ignacio enters Rejected with a gentle presence that grows more meaningful with every chapter. His story carries tenderness, loss, innocence, and the quiet resilience of a child who never learns the truth about his earliest years. He becomes one of the most emotionally powerful characters in the novel because his existence ties together the lives of Hillary, Sara, and Abraham in ways none of them expect.

A Child Caught Between Two Worlds

From the time readers meet him, Ignacio stands at the center of a complicated family arrangement. Although Hillary is his biological mother, he never knows her that way. He calls her “Miss Hillary,” believing she is simply the household servant. Hillary’s heart breaks each time he speaks to her with the respect and distance of a child who has no idea he once relied on her body for life and comfort.

Rejected reveals one of the most painful truths about his early years. Hillary nursed him for two years and stayed with him through every nighttime cry. When he was weaned, Sara took him as her own and pushed Hillary away, claiming motherhood without telling Ignacio the truth. The emotional cost for Hillary never fades, and Ignacio never knows what he lost.

A Bright, Curious Presence

Ignacio demonstrates curiosity, empathy, and a spark of humor. He approaches the world with wide eyes, thoughtful questions, and a willingness to explore. His wonder shines in the scene where he describes the mysterious visitors on the ranch. His language shifts into modern teenage vocabulary, blending astonishment with dramatic flair as he talks about how their presence “hit different” and felt like “inner peace at the same time”.

This blend of innocence and emotional perception sets him apart. He senses truths that adults do not see, and his interpretations carry a kind of wisdom wrapped in youthful exaggeration.

A Son Shaped by the Ranch

As he grows older, Ignacio becomes an integral part of Canaan Ranch. He feeds the herd, builds fences, and helps Abraham maintain the land. By the time he enters his final year of middle school, his work ethic reflects the values of the household and the expectations placed upon him.

He is steady, responsible, and eager to contribute. These qualities form a quiet contrast against the chaos that surrounds the adults in his life.

His Relationship with Abraham and Sara

Ignacio loves his adoptive parents with sincerity. Abraham treats him with affection and pride, talking to him as a son and involving him in ranch life. Sara raises him with the intensity of a woman who longed for motherhood her entire life. Her attachment runs deep, and she never risks anything that might threaten her position as his mother.

Yet the weight of unspoken truth rests between Ignacio and Hillary. Their bond contains warmth, familiarity, and a subtle thread of intuition that he does not understand. Hillary watches him grow from a distance, always carrying the ache of what she cannot tell him.

Why Ignacio Matters

Ignacio represents innocence within a story filled with trauma and complexity. He is a reminder of what is at stake for every character. He embodies the consequences of decisions made out of fear, longing, faith, and desperation. His presence highlights both the harm done and the enduring hope that remains.

Most importantly, Ignacio gives readers a glimpse into what love looks like when it survives in silence. Hillary’s love for him never fades, even when she must hide it. Sara’s love shapes her identity and her choices. Abraham’s love for him grows with every year of his life. Through Ignacio, readers witness the collision of truth and secrecy, and the lasting impact those forces have on a child who never asked to stand between them.

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Patrona Isa stands at the emotional center of Rejected because her life embodies longing, power, fear, and the unraveling that comes from deferred hope. She begins as Isa (sometimes called Princess by Amo Abe), the polished South Texas matriarch whose greatest dream has always been motherhood. Later, when Jehovah renames her Sara, her identity shifts yet again, reflecting both the burden of her past and the promise she desperately wants to claim.

This spotlight explores her motivations, contradictions, and the complex relationship she forms with Hillary, all grounded in the moments woven through the manuscript.

Who She Is

Patrona Isa is introduced as warm, hopeful, and eager to secure a pregnancy after eight years of infertility. Her joy is palpable when she believes the latest treatment might finally work. Her excitement fills the room as she speaks about nurseries, due dates, and her dream of motherhood. Her enthusiasm appears early when she clings to Abraham’s promise that they will have a son. Her hope is sincere and heartfelt.

This desire becomes the axis of her world. It shapes her marriage, her decisions, and eventually her treatment of Hillary.

Her Desire for Motherhood

For Patrona Isa, motherhood represents identity, value, and divine approval. Her daily life revolves around fertility treatments, cycles of hope, and painful disappointment. She talks openly about wanting a child more than anything else and confesses how each failed attempt intensifies her fear that she is the problem.

Her longing is not selfish. It is rooted in genuine yearning and emotional vulnerability. Yet as the years pass, stress hardens her once-soft edges. The weight of infertility strains her marriage and distorts the way she views Hillary.

Her Relationship With Abe

Her marriage to Amo Abe is affectionate at first, marked by shared dreams and mutual encouragement. Their partnership feels intimate and unified when they celebrate the possibility of pregnancy together, hugging and kissing in excitement.

However, when promises fail to materialize, cracks form. Isa becomes frustrated and defensive. She challenges Abe’s faith, snaps under pressure, and doubts whether she can ever be the vessel of the promised family line. Her breakdown becomes especially heartbreaking when she cries, “Where are the descendants Jehovah promised?” while wondering if she is the reason the promise cannot be fulfilled.

This emotional vulnerability sets the stage for her most devastating decision.

Her Decision Regarding Hillary

When Isa reaches her breaking point, she suggests that Abe sleep with Hillary so their tribe can begin through another woman. Her desperation leads her to believe that Hillary’s pregnancy could become a solution to her pain. This is one of the pivotal turning points of the novel. It displays Isa’s emotional collapse and her willingness to sacrifice the well-being of another woman in order to achieve motherhood.

This decision marks the beginning of the rift between them. Hillary becomes both surrogate and threat, and Isa’s behavior shifts from friendship to control.

Her Shift Toward Cruelty

After Hillary becomes pregnant, Isa’s gratitude transforms into resentment. She assigns Hillary excessive workloads, isolates her, and treats her with increasing harshness. Hillary works twelve and a half hour days without breaks, and Isa does not seem to care. Her cruelty deepens as jealousy rises and she becomes determined to maintain control over the surrogate who now carries the future she believes should have been hers.

Isa’s need for power and emotional security overrides compassion. She polices Hillary’s medical appointments, refuses to leave the exam room, and even threatens her during moments of vulnerability.

This escalation shows how trauma, unmet desire, and fear can transform someone once gentle into someone capable of deep harm.

Her Identity Transformation to Sara

A significant turning point comes when Jehovah changes her name from Isa to Sara. The shift reflects both the biblical parallel and her attempt to reshape her identity. Hillary notes that this name change takes place around the same time Abe becomes Abraham, and she observes how strange the transformation feels inside the household.

As Sara, she maintains her authority, but her emotional state continues oscillating between longing, resentment, and flashes of tenderness. Her relationship with Ignacio, whom she unofficially adopts, reveals her desire to be motherly, even as she hides the truth about his origins.

Sara becomes a portrait of internal conflict. She is loving and cruel, hopeful and despairing, devoted and manipulative.

Why Her Character Matters

Patrona Isa / Sara embodies the entanglement of power, patriarchy, trauma, and identity. She is not a villain, though she inflicts real harm. She is not a hero, though she is deeply sympathetic. She is a woman shaped by cultural pressure, spiritual expectation, infertility, and the fear of being forgotten.

Her complexity makes her one of the most layered characters in the novel. Through her, the story explores how longing can distort moral clarity and how systems of control harm both the oppressed and the oppressor.

Conclusion

Patrona Isa’s journey is central to the emotional landscape of Rejected. Her character arc weaves tenderness, trauma, desperation, and transformation into a story that mirrors the ancient narrative she reimagines. Understanding her allows readers to see the full depth of what Hillary is up against and the emotional realities that shape both women’s lives.

Patrona Isa’s Backstory

Barren: A Contemporary Story of Sarai (available on Amazon) provides the backstory of how Patrona Isa and Amo Abe get married and how Helena (Hillary) comes to live with them in south Texas.

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Amo Abraham stands as one of the most complicated and compelling figures in Rejected. He carries faith, power, tenderness, obsession, and control within the same body, and each part of him influences the choices that reshape Hillary’s life. In the modern retelling of the Genesis narrative, he blends the authority of Abram with the contradictions of a South Texas patriarch who desperately wants to fulfill a divine promise.

This spotlight explores the man beneath the leadership, the faith beneath the fury, and the longing beneath his choices.

His Calling and His Convictions

From the moment readers meet him, Abe lives with the unshakable belief that Jehovah chose him for something greater. He builds altars, offers sacrifices, and seeks signs that confirm his future as the father of a great tribe. His faith leads him into moments of deep spiritual emotion, especially those scenes where sunlight breaks through the clouds and shines on his altar. His excitement fills the room as he believes he finally heard Jehovah speak again.

Whether these signs come from heaven or from his desire to see heaven move, they shape every decision he makes. Abe believes he is destined for a legacy, and he sees children as the proof that Jehovah’s promises are real.

His Marriage to Patrona Isa

Abe loves Isa with sincerity, kindness, and physical affection. Many of their early interactions show warmth and unity. He takes her hand, reassures her, and celebrates each small sign of hope with her. Yet infertility places a heavy weight on both of them. His desire for children grows into frustration, and Isa feels this pressure keenly.

During a moment of vulnerability, Abe admits how difficult the silence from Jehovah has become. He wonders how he can grow a tribe when they cannot conceive, and the tension creates emotional distance between him and Isa.

His longing for a legacy does not erase his affection for Isa, but it does complicate their bond and opens the door to choices neither of them would have made under different circumstances.

His Relationship with Hillary

Abe’s relationship with Hillary begins almost gently. He often speaks to her with kindness, checks on her well-being, and expresses concern when she has panic attacks or difficult appointments. He wants her to feel safe, even though she rarely is. That contradiction sits at the heart of his character.

Everything shifts once Isa suggests that Abe take Hillary “as a wife” so their tribe can begin through her. Abe does not initiate the idea, and he hesitates, stating that the situation is far from ideal. Yet he also chooses not to oppose it. He complies because Isa asked and because he believes he must pursue every possible path toward the promise given to him.

What follows reveals his internal conflict. He approaches Hillary gently, stops when she resists, and ultimately refuses to force her. At the same time, he does not stop the system she remains trapped in. He does not challenge the dynamics that brought them both to this moment. His compassion cannot erase the power imbalance that governs their lives.

Later, when Hillary becomes pregnant, Abe’s attention shifts even more. His focus on the baby increases. His presence in the kitchen, his subtle affection, and his hovering closeness start to irritate Isa and deepen the tension in the home.

Abe becomes both protector and participant in the system that harms Hillary. He loves the child, values Hillary because of the child, and slowly drifts toward emotional attachment while still maintaining emotional distance.

A Leader of the Ranch and His Family

Abe sees himself as a provider and patriarch. He manages Canaan Ranch, assigns responsibilities, and drives its expansion from a homestead into a full cattle operation. His leadership style is rooted in structure, tradition, and an unwavering belief in the promises he received from Jehovah.

Throughout the story, Abe reveals glimpses of tenderness and genuine care. He checks on Isa after her appointments. He praises manhood rituals like circumcision as important steps in building a tribe. He works tirelessly to provide for his household and acts with determination when family members like Louis need rescuing.

He is a man driven by responsibility, faith, and a defined vision of family.

His Transformation into Abraham

Later in the story, Jehovah changes his name from Abe to Abraham. This moment marks a symbolic turning point. His identity gains spiritual weight, and with it comes even greater responsibility. Hillary notices how quickly and confidently he adapts to the name, while the rest of the household takes time to adjust.

Abraham embraces the name as confirmation that the covenant still stands. He sees it as validation and a renewed promise that his descendants will indeed form a multitude.

This new identity does not change his personality, but it strengthens his resolve and intensifies his expectations for the future.

Why His Character Matters

Amo Abraham is one of the most nuanced figures in Rejected. He embodies the complexity of human faith and the danger of interpreting divine promises through personal longing. He is gentle until he is not. He is faithful until faith makes him blind. He is compassionate until compassion contradicts his calling.

Through Abraham, the story explores how religious devotion can uplift or destroy, depending on the choices made in its name. He is neither hero nor villain. He is a man shaped by faith, pressured by expectation, and deeply flawed in the ways he expresses both love and authority.

His presence forces readers to confront uncomfortable questions about obedience, power, and the cost of pursuing a promise at any price.

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