Unshaken: Ruth (The Lineage of Grace Series #3) [Large Print] [Paperback]

Francine Rivers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2006

A beautiful retelling of the story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz by award-winning author Francine Rivers. Readers will be encouraged by the truth that God will faithfully provide for His children even when all hope seems lost.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Writing in the trademark style that has won her countless fans, award-winning author Francine Rivers explores the courageous life of Ruth, a biblical ancestor of Jesus, in Unshaken, the third novel in her Lineage of Grace series. Empathy for the characters kicks in immediately. Naomi's life is in ruins. Her husband and sons are dead, and she is left with only her beloved daughter-in-laws, Ruth and Orpah. Ruth turns her back on her own family and risks everything to care for Naomi, insisting "I will go wherever you go! I will live wherever you live! Your God will be my God."

Things get worse before they get better. Desperately poor, Ruth and Naomi arrive in Bethlehem and eke out an impoverished existence until Ruth's beauty and character turn the head of Boaz, a few decades older and the wealthiest man in town. Soon Ruth's desire to obey God is put to the test as she takes the biggest risk of all. In the endearing manner that has made her one of the top writers of Christian fiction, Rivers portrays how Ruth's unshaken commitment to God had a profound impact on biblical history. Her poignant account of Ruth's life will give modern readers a benchmark by which to measure their own levels of faith and obedience. --Cindy Crosby --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Third in Rivers's Lineage of Grace series, this novella based on the biblical story of Ruth adds characters, dialogue and motivation to the biblical account. An accomplished romance novelist, Rivers capably balances faithfulness to Scripture and historical accuracy. In particular, she deserves kudos for imagining the emotional and erotic dimensions of Ruth and Boaz's courtship and marriage -- evangelical explorations of Ruth, such as Men Are from Israel, Women Are from Moab, too often gloss over these realities. The pivotal scene of the biblical account and the novel plays out on the threshing floor when Ruth lies at Boaz's feet as part of a Hebrew courtship ritual; Rivers skillfully captures the heart-stopping nervousness and sexual tension any man and woman would feel in such circumstances. Ruth's relationship with Naomi, however, is less artfully rendered. In virtually every exchange, the two seem overwrought about one thing or another; tears spill continually throughout the novella, losing their meaning all too early. Written at a reading level accessible even to preadolescents, this novella, with its six-part Bible study, will probably serve primarily as a devotional tool as opposed to a stand-alone work of fiction. Rivers and her biblical source celebrate Ruth's self-abnegation in a manner deeply at odds with contemporary feminism, but considering the target audience, that may be of little consequence. As part of a larger project to spur evangelical Christian women on to lives of obedience, Rivers's novella achieves its goals admirably.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 237 pages
• Publisher: Walker Publishers (November 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594151423
• ISBN-13: 978-1594151422
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,035,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More 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 highly acclaimed by readers and reviewers. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, a 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 rereleased 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 by many to be a classic work of Christian fiction. Redeeming Love continues to be one of the Christian Booksellers Association's top-selling titles, and it has held a spot on the Christian best-seller list for nearly a decade. Since "Redeeming Love," Francine has published numerous novels with Christian themes--all best sellers--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 honors, 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's Hall of Fame. Francine's novels have been translated into over 20 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 time spent with their three grown children and taking every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren. Francine uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and she desires that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazed!!, February 27, 2001

By 

L. Senko (OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unshaken: Ruth (The Lineage of Grace Series #3) (Hardcover)

Francine Rivers has become my favorite author. The story of Ruth has made me long to be an example of a Godly woman ,of this century. I can only struggle to put my feelings into words..when Francine Rivers paints beautiful word pictures in our minds as we read her work. Ruth and her devotion,I want to be like her!! As i look into my young daughters eyes..i am in wonder on how to raise a child to have such passion for God like Ruth. May the story of Ruth make everyone who reads of her, be inspired to continue on in their lifes journey with a new perspective.. Thank you Francine Rivers, for giving us deep soul searching books that challenge us women to go on...

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When faith brings grace..., April 14, 2003

By 

Valerie S. Fowler "valgal00" (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unshaken: Ruth (The Lineage of Grace Series #3) (Hardcover)

When I first picked up this book, I began to read it with my safety net of doubt firmly in place. Most of the biblical fiction I've encountered over the years have been full of stiff dialog or narrowly researched story lines that lose the readers interest in it's quest to drive home a moral or spiritual point. This one is different.

Rivers tossed that bad habit of stiff dialog out the window when she wove together this partly fictional account of Ruth, Naomi and Boaz. As one of my favorite stories since I was a little girl, it was so warming to read more about Ruth, and I was delighted that Rivers kept her character true to her original, biblical presentation. She didn't try to remind us that Ruth was a girl like any of the rest of us, by pointing out her flaws or catching her in her weak moments. Instead she portrays her as a strong, faithful, trusting woman whose faith in God matures as she makes her new life with her mother-in-law after her husband dies. Rivers understanding and research of biblical culture and customs more fully explains the impact of Ruth leaving her family to move back to Naomi's home town, this enlightenment brings even more meaning to a story I assumed I already completely grasped.

Rivers also adds a great deal of humor in her character's dialog and actions. She gives the reader a great visua,l which is especially important when we already know the basic outline and outcome of the story.

I fully recommend this book to anyone who has read the story of Ruth and Boaz a hundred times and still finds themselves thinking about the details we might never know the full truth of.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The faithfulness of Ruth, September 26, 2001

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unshaken: Ruth (The Lineage of Grace Series #3) (Hardcover)

Francine Rivers continues her excellent Lineage of Grace series with the story of Ruth. She follows the familiar narrative in the Bible as Ruth's husband and father-in-law die and she accompanies her mother-in-law Naomi back to her native Bethlehem. Throughout the book we see Ruth's courage and the faith she had adopted during her marriage to Naomi's son. She never stops believing that God will guide her to a better life and does not give in to the temptation of the false gods which surround her. Rivers has a way of remaining true to the Bible and yet fleshing out the stories so that they remain vivid in the reader's mind.