In every time and culture, women are placed in one of two categories: those who are mothers and those who are not. In the patriarchal culture of the ancient Middle East, a childless woman has little value, and an infertile widow has even less worth. This is a key issue in Less Than a Widow, a contemporary retelling of the biblical Old Testament characters. Kathleen Evenhouse paints a rich picture of the traditions and trials of ancient womanhood, and as the 3000-year-old story unfolds, it becomes clear that today's women are still affected by many of the same issues