About the Book:
California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside. Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything, Michael Hosea obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation until, despite her resistance her frozen heart begins to thaw. But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she can no longer deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael Hosea does…the One who will never let her go. A life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love. Over 1 million copies sold!
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book completely surpassed all my expectations. I had heard good things about it, and i thought the premise of it being a retelling of the story of Hosea in the old West sounded intriguing. As I began this book, I was so drawn into the story line that I often found I did not want to put it down.
Angel and Michael Hosea’s characters were so skillfully written, and nothing about the story seemed contrived. I found myself near tears so many times. After all, I could relate to Michael’s dilemma since I am currently in love with a non-Christian who is so embittered about the things of the Lord. I am always pleased when a Christian author is able to master the technique of weaving Christian principles into a story. And this author does.
As much as I loved the story, I think the author’s note at the end of the story truly impressed me as well. It was something to see a Christian author tell her testimony and explain how her salvation experience was somewhat akin to the experience of Angel. I also appreciated the frank way the author dealt with the physical relationship between Angel and Michael. So many Christian authors do not deal with this topic openly, but Francine Rivers is not one of them!
Finally, I think the story of Angel’s childhood prostitution and ensuing young life truly broke my heart. I am sure that there were girls just like her who did exist in the history of our race. Sometimes it was hard to read the details, but it only added to the connection I felt with the characters.
About the Author
Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market and her books were awarded or nominated for numerous awards and prizes. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, mother of three, and an established romance novelist. Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith. First published by Bantam Books, and then re-released by Multnomah Publishers in the mid- 1990s, this retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea set during the time of the California Gold Rush is now considered a classic work of Christian fiction and continues to be one of the Christian Booksellers Association’s top-selling titles; it has held a spot on the Christian bestseller list for nearly a decade.
Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published more than 20 novels with Christian themes – all bestsellers- and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous awards including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, after winning her third RITA award for Inspirational Fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers’ of America Hall of Fame. In 2007, the feature-length film version of her novel The Last Sin Eater was released in theaters by Fox Faith. In March 2010, Francine officially became a New York Times bestselling author, when Her Mother’s Hope debuted at #12 on the hardcover fiction bestsellers lists. The sequel, Her Daughter’s Dream, debuted at #12 on the same list just 6 months later, in September, 2010. Francine’s novels have been translated into nearly thirty different languages and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries including Germany, The Netherlands, and South Africa.
Francine and her husband Rick live in Northern California and enjoy the time spent with their three grown children and every opportunity to spoil their five grandchildren. She uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.
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2 Comments
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This is a wonderful book! I love the redemption story parallel. So amazing how God loves us!
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This is one of my all time favorite books. Hmmm, think it’s time for a reread!
Thanks for the blog visit!
