Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Finished Redeeming Love last night (or rather sometime this early morning). 😉 It was a good read with lovely characters. I myself fell in love with Michael and still harbor resentment toward Paul. 🙂

As our most of the books I read, it’s a happy-ending story … that’s just the nature of what I like. Normally, I like to pull myself OUT of my own life though when I read — more fantastical, less realistic — someone with some sort of super-power or ability that is hidden and controlled. Oh, wait … I write that too. 😉

But I do it because I read to get away.

Unfortunately for me, this particular book isn’t a get-away kind of story. It’s a suck you in, tear out your heart and mend it again kind of story with purpose and philosophical revelation.

How is that possible? First and foremost, it’s a Christian novel and it’s based off a book in the bible … so right there, you got a classic story of the ages with all the thrills and chills that go into it.

Then, it’s set in the 1800s ish in California during the gold rush — you know? Before towering skyscrapers and facebook and twitter? 😉 So it takes you back to a simpler time that as it turns out was no where near as simple.

I do have to say that some time I wondered if what was written was really applicable to that time period, but I can only assume it was because the book has been in print for years. If it weren’t, someone would have caught that early on, right? Or maybe that’s just how we are the same as we were a hundred and fifty+ years ago … the similarities are right there.

So, back to the story — it’s a love story — yes, just like you think — but more than that. The book touches on relationships of all type with a predominant theme of the relationship one has with God. (Uh, duh! It’s a Christian novel!)

If you have no relationship with God … you might find one by reading it. Will you believe that the characters in the story truly believe as they do? You may, you may not. Is it possible there are people like them today that believe as they do? Oh yeah there are.

I do have to admit one thing … I skipped a LOT of the detail once I hit page 350+. The book is long. There are lots of points of repetition (emotional repetition) that I think could have been edited and not lost the flavor, point, purpose. In the end, I skimmed and I promise I still understand … but when I get like that, I know I’m done and I still want to finish. So, if you are a slow reader, this one will take a while and if want fast paced, this is not the book for you.

It’s a good story with a happy ending and for that I am truly thankful I read it. 🙂