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!
Hardcover/Paperback: 464 Pages
Ebook: 468 Pages
Book Review
Love cleanses, beloved. It doesn’t beat down. It doesn’t cast blame. My love isn’t a weapon. It’s a lifeline. Reach out and take hold, and don’t let go.
I read this book a long while ago, and Francine Rivers has been one of my Favourite writer since then. I decided to write a review of this book, given my previous post about God’s Love, because this book is another perfect example of what God’s Love is.
This book with 468 pages, is an historical Christian romance that narrates the story of prophet hosea in the bible. How Francine did it that she made the 14 chapters of that part of the Bible—that most of it were prophecies and not much personal stories about the prophet— into 468 pages of so much excitement, feelings, thoughts and pondering, blew my mind.
Michael Hosea, an average man different from every other man in his workplace and around him, heard God’s voice to do a really odd thing. Marry a prostitute. It would have been easier if all he had to do was ignore the fact that she was a prostitute and obey God’s voice, then take her to be his wife. But rather, this woman, the highest priced prostitute in her town, was a stubborn and adamant woman, who didn’t understand why a man like Michael will want to marry her or even promise her something as impossible as freedom.
Redeeming Love describes how God can Love us even when we think we don’t deserve it, even when the world totally rejects us.
A single mistake of a drunk man who was trying to give his best to the daughter of the woman he loved before she died, cost a little girl her innocence, her freedom, her happiness and Her Name.
She not only thinks she doesn’t have the capability to be loved by a man, but also by every other person in the world, talk less of a God in the sky that can’t behold filthyness. How could she deserve such a man like Michael?
This book will reveal how long it could take a person to finally acknowledge the love of God and others for them and how patient God and His people can be in waiting for them to come to the realization of the fact that they are loved.
And it also shows that when people hate us, they have their own reasons that doesn’t include the fact that we are not worthy of being loved, but they only acted on their preconceived opinions about us.
Every character in this book, both the good and the bad all came together to fulfill God’s purpose in the life of a young prostitute, who thought all hope was lost for her, who thought she will never be free or know what True Love really means.
Not Until, God intervened and showed her His Redeeming Love and not only made her realise she can be loved, but also made her realise His purpose for her.
This book will make you wonder, cry, laugh, smile, sad, confused, angry and even frustrated but at the end of the book I realised just how much patience God puts into Loving man. This book shook me to the depth of tears and realisation that when God is interested in you, nothing can make him give up on you, not even your will. I Loved that.
I so much Love the way it widens one’s understanding of God and the scripture.
This is a book that the Joy it brings, the lessons it teaches, the impact it makes cannot be summarized enough, you have to read this book to fully understand how Francine Rivers described God’s kind of Love, the undeserving love He has given to mankind, the indepth of God’s Redeeming Love.
It has my 4.8 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐?
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