Unshaken: Ruth (The Lineage of Grace Series #3) (Hardcover)

by Francine Rivers (Author) "RUTH walked down the narrow, crowded streets of Kir-hareseth, her mind and heart in turmoil..." (more)
Key Phrases: family redeemer, God of Israel, Lord God, May God (more...)

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

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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0842335978
• ISBN-13: 978-0842335973
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #49,014 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #31 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( R ) > Rivers, Francine
  #56 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Fiction > Biblical

• This is item 3 in The Lineage of Grace Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazed!!, February 28, 2001

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

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...

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When faith brings grace..., April 15, 2003

By	"valgal00" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

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 (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.