Ruthie Adrian loves ranch life with her handsome husband, Mac and his family. But her fading hope for a child dissolves when Mac is killed in a crash along with his brother and father.Added to their heartbreak, Ruthie and her mother-in-law, Naomi now face rejection by her sister-in-law, and impossible barriers as they try to protect their land.Jake, a self-styled prophet steps up with a bizarre … a bizarre offer. A Godsend or a trap?
With raw grief, unexpected humour, and life-giving grace, Unbound is a modern twist on a timeless tale of the unique bond between two widows who harbour a few secrets of their own.
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This is my first read from Ms. Eleanor. A story of God’s love for us keeping us close in family and showing forgiveness and grace. Taking a biblical story and turning it into a contemporary story such as this is very inspiring and I learned more about Naomi and Ruth from the bible. Ms. Eleanor has a way of taking difficult situations one faces and bringing peace and understanding to them. I really enjoyed this read and found it very inspiring.
This book is filled with gritty, raw emotion, real-life questions, tough answers, and a pathway through it all. Bertin does a fabulous job creating characters you want to know (and some you don’t), with a voice that invites you into the lives of these women and the people God puts in their path. The message of freedom in Christ is clear, as is the struggle we all endure in the face of life’s tragedies and our poor choices. Through the process of grief and the decision to stop hiding past sins, these women (and the reader, as well) learn about a God who is bigger than all of it.
I cried and cheered and laughed through Naomi and Ruthie’s experiences. Forgiveness, of ourselves and those around us, is the first step toward freedom and living in the light of God’s grace. Bertin shows clearly how difficult this process is but also the joy to be found when we finally find the courage to open ourselves to others and to God.
Hoping there will be a sequel as I became deeply invested in these characters and need to know what happens next!
I love the story of Naomi and Ruth in the bible so I was excited to read this story. This story is beautifully done, at times disturbing but the author has balanced it so incredibly well. This story is one that will stay in my mind for quite some time. It’s a beautiful story of family, forgiveness and finding grace. I highly recommend it!
Eleanor Bertin took the Biblical story of Naomi and Ruth and put a contemporary spin on it. Several of the characters in the book carry a heavy burden of guilt due to mistakes made in their younger years. Moments of passion which resulted in life changing health consequences for a family member, child abandonment, and abortion are just some of the issues faced. Surviving the accidental death of a spouse also an underlying theme. Through it all Christians share the love of Christ in a non-judgmental way. One of the hard-to-read elements for me was an overbearing brother-in-law who is the self-proclaimed prophet of God who misinterprets Scripture and demeans the women in his life. He plays an important role in the story and serves as a warning against cult-type religious groups.
Bertin has done a good job with character and plot development in Unbound. The story drew me in. I’d loved to read more about the characters in this story.
I’m not sure about adding this title to my k-12 Christian school library due to the cult atmosphere in parts of the book.
I received a complimentary e-copy of Unbound because I am a member of the launch team and am participating in the JustRead Publicity Tour. The opinions expressed are my own.
This was a book that relayed the power of God’s freely offered Grace to people. It also dealt with the need for us to forgive ourselves of things that God’s grace has already forgiven. It was a book that drew me into the characters of Naomi and Ruthie and cheering for them. I at the same time had a deep sadness for the ones who in the end of the story still chose to reject God’s grace and forgiveness. I received a complimentary copy of this book, but the opinions expressed are my own and freely shared.
This is a very well written book that holds your attention from beginning to end. The author did an excellent job of bringing the story to life. You can feel God’s grace, forgiveness and love all through this book.
This was the first book I had ever had the opportunity to read from Eleanor Bertin, and based on the description alone I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Still, I had enjoyed the previous novel in The Mosaic Collection (a collection of stand alone novels from various Christian authors), so I looked forward to reading the rest of them too. Unbound was not a disappointment in the least.
How many times have we heard it said that the stories in the Bible- despite their unfamiliar settings and times- are relevant to our lives still today? Oftentimes that can be really difficult to see- what with how different things are then versus now. Unbound gives us a prime example of that with it’s fictionalized modern day take on the story of Ruth and Naomi. Now, I’ll admit despite the names and the similar circumstances it took me a bit to catch on that this was what it was. The author did such a great job of creating these intricate characters with their histories and flaws that it felt completely new and fresh…and truly, it was.
While it was certainly a story of grace and faith, it wasn’t a particularly lighthearted read. It deals with the heavy topic of grief— showing how we all react differently to the circumstances. There is also much talk about miscarriage, infertility and abortion. In addition to these primary characters, we are introduced to Naomi’s brother in law- a self proclaimed prophet who held to what seemed to me to be some rather cult-like/extremists beliefs. It was interesting to see the contrast between his legalistic views and the damage they had on those around him, compared to the true grace of God.
Overall, this was a really intriguing story full of twists and turns that kept me hanging on through the very end. I will say I did feel like the end felt a little bit rushed and I would have liked to see that done a little differently, or to have seen more on how it all played out, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It is a beautiful story of faith and family unlike any I’ve read before. I look forward to seeing more from this author.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.