About the Book:
One devoted woman is about to discover the power of love
When famine visits Bethlehem, some hold out hope for rain, while Naomi and her family make a long journey to Moab in search of greener pastures. The harvest there is plentiful, and for a time it appears the Lord is blessing them. But when calamities strike, one after another, Naomi is left alone in a foreign land with only her widowed daughters-in-law for comfort.
Downhearted and destitute, Naomi is determined to return to Bethlehem alone. But her daughter-in-law Ruth refuses to leave her side. Despite the fact that she and Naomi will almost certainly live out their days in widowhood and poverty, Ruth holds out hope for a better future . . . and maybe even a second chance at love.
My Thoughts:
“This could not be happening to her, to them.” (p. 134)
Jill Eileen Smith has created
another historically, Biblically fascinating story about Ruth and the journey
she takes to get to Boaz. Well, that is
stating it simply, but accurately. Smith
tells stories rich with culturally accurate details that give readers new and
deeper insight to the Biblical characters they think they know very well. Once you peel back the layers of the cultural
context, you can begin to understand more about the choices they make within
their part of the Bible.
The story of Ruth has always
fascinated me, and now, after reading this book, I have a greater appreciation
for the things that she had to endure before she became part of the lineage of
Jesus. The chapters of this book of the Bible seem brief, but, as Smith’s book
details, it could span years of experience that we don’t imagine exist. Looking at it through this lens, it makes
more sense to me, even though I know some of the details are unknown.
Smith develops the characters of Naomi
and Ruth (well all of the characters – her family into which Ruth marries) in
such detail that when her life experiences the redemption that God had planned
for her, you fairly weep! Rejoice with
me in the sovereign hand of God!! What a
mighty God we serve!!
About the Author:
Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling author of The Crimson Cord, The Wives of King David series, the Wives of the Patriarchs series, and the ebook novellas The Desert Princess and The Shepherdess. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast
Michigan. Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com.
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