Angel, sold into prostitution as a child, survives by keeping her hatred for men alive. Then she meets Michael Hosea who loves her unconditionally. Day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation until, despite her resistance, her heart begins to thaw. But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. So Angel runs…
It was absolutely fantastic!
Oh, to have a love like this in a marriage!
Perhaps the best book I have ever read.
Well developed characters. God’s grace on display in a beautiful story.
One of the best books you’ll ever read. Have read it many times!!
This was the first Christian fiction book I read. I loved it a lot. I’ve read several more by this author.
This is one of my favorite authors. This story is taken from the Bible story of a prophet named Hosea. It follows the story , but done in the California Gold Rush days. Francine takes stories and makes them come alive.
I’ve read it twice
One of the best books I have ever read. My husband, an engineer, loved it, and his buddy, a rocket scientist, loved it! Amazing book, life changing!
Every Francine Rivers book is a great book but Redeeming Love is without a doubt THE BEST!!
A “Must Read” !!
Anything written by Francine Rivers is always beautifully written.
Wow, what a great fictional story of Hosea the prophet. This story truly lets the reader experience the ever patient love of God, and so much more. Well done.
This is a book you don’t get tired of reading, or listening to, over and over again.
Francine Rivers is the very best Christian fiction writer and this is one of her best books. This story is the book of Hosea set in California during the mid-1800’s. Once you start reading it, you cannot put it down!
One of my all-time favorite novels.
Well written, complex plot and well developed characters. Loved it!
Redeeming Love is the PERFECT book to have a book club over. There is so much that can be taken away from an allegorical, personal, theological, and psychological perspective. As I was listening to this book I was constantly thinking analytically about the relevance to real life that this book holds. This book is an absolute MUST-READ for Christian Fiction fans.
While reading this book I couldn’t help but look at the psychology behind the actions of the characters. On the surface Angel seems like a hardened soul that refuses to let anyone in and would rather be a prostitute than a farmers wife. Yet when you dig deeper and discover more about her story, you see that the hardness she portrays is merely a shield for the protective shell she has placed over her heart after a lifetime of abuse and neglect. What she doesn’t realize is that while she’s trying to protect herself from all of the bad, she’s also preventing herself from healing with the good. The lies she’d been fed about who she was and what her value as a person was from the time she was little formed an identity within herself that she was unworthy of love and irreparably broken. She was incapable of picturing happiness because she could only see herself as a burden.
There are so many layers to her development as a character that there’s simply no way as a reader that you can look at her as “just a prostitute.” But isn’t that the way that we can look at others around us? How often do we see people “living in sin” for whatever reason, and instead of reaching out to them in love and compassion, we place judgement on them and only reaffirm the lies Satan has already fed them through their life experiences? How do you know if their current situation isn’t because of abuse in their past? In order to have healing in the present there needs to be healing for the past. We don’t (and shouldn’t) approve of sin, but we need to see past the sins to the broken hearts of the people. This is a perfect story to show the power of this.
What’s another great thing about this story is that no one is painted as perfect. Michael is an incredible hero but he is also a sinner in need of God’s grace. He is compassionate and loving towards Angel, but he also has anger he struggles to control. He tries to be selfless but he also has moments of selfishness. He is able to admit that he needs God’s help to be the man and husband that he’s supposed to be.
This is an incredible story and absolutely a MUST-READ for any Christian fiction fan. I’ve read several other books by Francine Rivers but don’t know how this one has slipped by me over the years. It’s immediately being placed on my favorites pile!
Story of God’s redeeming love
This novel changed my view on Christian fiction. It merged the disparity between Christianity and real world issues, but in the nostalgia of a historical setting. It’s an amazing redemption story you will not want to miss.
Retelling of the book of Hosea. Powerful.
One of my favorite books of all time.