Angel is a beaten down, jaded prostitute of eighteen in the midst of the California Gold Rush of the 1850’s. She was the illegitimate child of a wealthy man who never acknowledged her and a mother who loved her, but never quite enough. Sold into the life of prostitution at the age of eight after her mother’s death, Angel is preyed upon by brothel owner Duke. After escaping Duke and heading to California, Angel ends up in another brothel run by The Dutchess and her brutal bodyguard Magowan. Angel has given up all hope, has no belief in a higher power, and has resigned herself to just surviving.
When Michael Hosea enters Angel’s life, he brings with him hope for the future. Michael claims that God has told him to take Angel as his wife, but Angel has no interest in believing this stranger. He is, as Angel has come to believe with her life experiences, just like any other man. Micheal decides to prove himself worthy and takes her, after a near death beating by Magowan, as his wife to his cabin in the woods. But Angel is not a simple girl and can’t comprehend Micheal’s devotion to God and his love for her. When she starts develop feelings for Micheal, she runs away, scared of her own feelings.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is the book picked by my book club to discuss in April. Labeled as Christian fiction, the book is loosely based upon the biblical story of Hosea and Gomer.
To be honest, I was not all that enthusiastic to read this book, as I have never read any Christian fiction books previously (of course, I suppose that this is the whole point of a book club, to read out of your normal comfort zone). After reading the last few pages of Redeeming Love, I was sure glad that this book was the one chosen. In fact, I would venture to say that this is one of the best books I’ve read this year.
It turns out that the book was an extremely satisfying read. I found that the author explored the human condition quite thoroughly and I loved the fact that all of the characters were flawed, which made it so much more realistic. They were also well developed, especially Angel. There were many times while reading that I became frustrated with Angel and the choices she made, although I was able to understand her reactions since her feelings played out so well on the page.
Even though this book is Christian fiction, I didn’t find it to be at all preachy like another novel I read recently. In fact, I think it is kind of unfortunate that Redeeming Love is labeled Christian fiction, since many people might shy away from this well written book based upon its label. Probably my only beef with the book was that it sometimes was a bit melodramatic for my tastes.
In the end, the books message is not only about God’s unconditional love, but it also is a story of survival and one woman’s struggle to live the life that she, as a human being, deserves. All of this makes compelling fiction.
For other interesting reviews of Redeeming Love, check out the blogs Book Escape and Grasping for the Wind.
Also, if you haven’t already done so, make sure to enter my giveaway - you have until Wednesday night to win!
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