A Tense Retelling of a Famous Story at LRF Book Reading

‘Curse God and Die’ by Iboro Tonye-Edet: A Tense Retelling of a Famous Story at LRF Book Reading

The Literary Renaissance Foundation’s (LRF) book reading for December 2024 featured Iboro Tonye-Edet, female author of Curse God and Die, a reimagined story of the wife of Job, available on Amazon and Iwe.

A Peak at the Author

Iboro Tonye-Edet is not only a published author. She is also a copywriter, an editor, and an experienced actor, committed to creating content that truly resonates. With her background in client service and advertising, she tilts towards a clear and persuasive tone in all of her work.

A graduate of theatre arts from the University of Uyo, Tonye-Edet has appeared in both stage and screen productions, having had the pleasure of working with Fourth Party Playhouse on productions like Tale of a Crab, Roll of Dice, Against the Wind, and One-sided Coin, all directed by Olalekun Adeniyi and staged at the National Theatre and the Muson Center, and appearing in screen work such as Marriage Counsellor, Carolina, Young Stars, and His Last Pray, all produced by Blessing Ege and available on B Concept’s YouTube Channel.

Tonye-Edet’s written works span ghostwriting, poetry and articles featured on platforms like Poetry.com, Efecture Magazine, and Cable News. She also shares reflections and creative insights on her blog, www.ibisbusines.com. Whether she’s writing copy, performing, or creating Christian content, Tonye-Edet’s focus is on storytelling that connects, inspires and uplifts.

Flipping through the Pages

Curse God and Die draws from the Biblical story of Job, but with an interesting twist. The main character is Zara – not Job but Job’s wife instead. While Zara has been depicted in previous texts as the femme fatale who encouraged Job to curse God, she is depicted here as a woman who is mourning and suffering from great loss. The main focus is on her suffering as she experiences the death of ten of her children on a single day, the loss of her fortune, and her husband’s illness.

The very beginning of the book describes the painful scene of the death of Zara’s children. In Job’s case, faith is sight, so he endures the harrowing experience with a peaceful acceptance of God’s will. In Zara’s response, however, faith is blindness, and her response is a tornado of pain, denial and wrath. Her suffering is described as the author takes us through recollections of her children’s birth, their development, and the happiness she felt when they were alive.

Focusing on the contradiction between Zara’s husband’s religious devotion and her own sorrow, the readers learn about the pain and the essential nuances of this infamous story. This insightful retelling opens readers’ eyes to Zara’s predicament and makes them feel for her, to gauge the loss and the love that she had for her children and the general emotional deterioration she undergoes.

It was an interesting thought-provoking moment for the LRF audience as they shared their views on the excellent work of the author. The convener, Babatunde Oladele, expressed his gratitude to those who were present at the reading and asked them to follow the LRF community for more updates.