Sarah follows the story of Abraham through the eyes and perspective of Sarah. The Biblical account of the life of Sarah is contained in Genesis 12 - 22 (about 16 pages) most of which is centered around Abraham. Card expands the story into a novel of over 300 pages, so many of the details and characters are fictional. The story-line does not deviate from the story told in Genesis.
Sarah begins life as a princess of Ur in Mesopotamia. She is hard-working and humble especially compared to her older sister Qira. Sarai is promised to become a priestess for the goddess Asherah, while Qira is to marry a desert prince named Lot. Sarai's thoughts on a life as a priestess change when Lot arrives with his uncle Abram who promises Sarai that he'll come back and marry her.