"Redeeming Love" Book Review

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I recommended this book to two of my friends they both rolled into church sleepy eyed and cursing me. Don't let the length intimidate you, you will finish it in a few days. You may lose sleep and your house may suffer a tad, but this book, OH this book, is worth every forgotten chore or lost pillow time.

The first time I read this book I read it after studying Hosea. Francine made the book of Hosea take life! How undeserving we are as a human race to receive God's unconditional and all-consuming love, and how thankful we ought to be for giving us the gift of salvation. Even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The most beautiful part of this story is when Sarah finally realizes there is a God who loves you in spite of yourself, who seeks you time and time again, even when you betray Him on the deepest level. Beautiful.

The second time I read this book I realized it was worthy of my top ten list. It is a life-changing book, one that I'm tempted to buy in bulk for all my girlfriends to read!

From a literary stand point Francine nails the omniscient point of view. When this point of view is used I often find it jolting, but Francine gave us insight into Michael, Paul, Miriam and a few other character's heart. The clever writing gave the story an unprecedented amount of depth. It made you want to scream at Paul, help Sarah understand, cry with Michael, and embrace Miriam as your own friend. Thank you Francine for making each of these characters come to life!

And when you're done, be sure to read a snippet of Francine's testimony at the end. I skipped it the first time around and was reprimanded by one of my friends for doing so. ;) I'm beyond thankful I did not skip it this time. Francine's own description of this book made the entire story worth every minute of my time, "Writing 'Redeeming Love' was a form of worship for me. Through it, I was able to thank God for loving me when I was defiant, rebellious, contemptuous of what I thought being a Christian meant, and afraid to give my heart away. I had wanted to be my own god and have control of my life the way Eve did in the Garden of Eden. Now I know to be loved by Christ is the ultimate joy and fulfillment. Everything in 'Redeeming Love' was a gift from the Lord: plot, characters, theme. None of it is mine to claim."

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