A few weeks ago, the Crabtree family had a reunion at my Aunt Elizabeth’s (AKA Shorty) house. My grandfather’s family on my dad’s side is a collective bunch of individuals who like to have a good time. There should always be a never ending supply of food and booze when the Crabtrees are concerned, because when in the south it’s a law in spite of living on the boarder of the Bible Belt of America. Staying true to our roots, fried chicken, collards, and mac and cheese where only of the few options that we could choose from for dinner. From the bar I won’t even go into the selections, but I’ll just say that we had so much fun getting to catch up, tell old stories, and enjoy each other’s company.
Surprisingly, this post isn’t going to be about the food we ate, but about a book that I read that was suggested to my mom by my Aunt Susan at the family reunion. Any passionate reader will tell you that getting a book suggestion by someone that you know and care for is golden. The bestseller list is a joke in my option, because despite my 3 failed attempts, I still believe the Girl that Kicked the Hornets’ Nest is a joke of the masses where people say they liked it because while they actually hate it, they don’t want to be the one person in the world that doesn’t like it. Therefore, when someone suggests to you a book that isn’t on the bestsellers list, it means that the book is quality and is liked for its content. I’m sorry for sounding bitter, but the hours I’ve wasted on awful books can be summed up to years of my life.
Okay, back to the reason for this post…. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. My mom went to Chamblin’s Bookmine which is a heaven from another world for book lovers and bought Redeeming Love. At first I smirked at the title, expecting it to be another Nora Roberts type book, but I decided to give it a shot. I have to say that I was presently surprised. Here is the Amazon.com review:
“In this splendid retelling of the biblical story of Hosea, bestselling author Francine Rivers pens a heartbreaking romance between a prostitute and the upright and kind farmer who marries her; the story also functions as a reminder of God’s unconditional love for his people. Redeeming Love opens with the Gold Rush of 1850 and its rough-and-tumble atmosphere of greed and desire. Angel, who was sold into prostitution as a child, has learned to distrust all men, who see her only as a way to satisfy their lust. When the virtuous and spiritual-minded Michael Hosea is told by God to marry this “soiled dove,” he obeys, despite his misgivings. As Angel learns to love him, she begins to hope again but is soon overwhelmed by fear and returns to her old life. Rivers shines in her ability to weave together spiritual themes and sexual tension in a well-told story, a talent that has propelled her into the spotlight as one of the most popular novelists in the genre of Christian fiction. This is one of her best.”
I began the book expecting to find a love story, but found there to be a deeper message woven into the storyline that was unexpected. Throughout the book there is a strong presence of God as a voice of reason for the characters that I found to be stilling. I don’t want to give away any of the story, but the idea of being “reborn” as a Christen has always baffled me, but now I know that is a decision to change your heart as the character Angel had. The past will always be with us, but it is the choice to overcome it and grow from it that truly matters. The reoccurring themes of love, forgiveness, and self growth taught in Redeeming Love leaves the reader with hope and joy that faith is the solution whether it is in yourself or God and believe that sometimes it is from the ashes that we can build our strength and become better individuals.
My favorite part about the book is the connect you feel to the characters. While they are all flawed, you find yourself rooting for the most flawed of all Angel to over come her demons (literally). When comparing yourself to a prostitute (Angel) and her struggles, you realize that nothing should stop you from being who you want to be. That, and I’m not going to lie, romance was a big part of the novel and I did thoroughly enjoy reading it (what girl doesn’t??). Therefore, I probably wouldn’t recommend it to any of my males, so women that just means more Redeemed Love for us!
The Good: Inspirational book that will leave you hopeful for your future and more understanding of other.
The Bad: There are some slow parts of the book, but it’s worth it to solider through.
Simply Southern Kitchen 