Redeeming Love

"California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.  

Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.  
 
Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.  
 
But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does…the One who will never let her go.  

A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love."

-book description from Amazon.com


Not only is the story entertaining because it moves so quickly, but it also makes the reader think.  Angel has been through so many hard times in her life that she does not believe herself to be worthy of anyone's love.  The author, Francine Rivers, was able to beautifully tell the story in a way that will make you realize how desperately God wants to take care of you and show you His love, even if we really don't deserve it.


I really can't find enough good things to say about this book.  The first time I read Redeeming Love, I wasn't able to put it down.  By now I have reread it several times and it just seems to get better.  And every time I happen to be discussing books with some girlfriends of mine, someone always asks, "Have you read Redeeming Love?  It is sooo good!"  Try it for yourself and see what you think!


Rating:  I would give this book a 5 out of 5.

Sold

Sold is the story of Lakshmi, a young girl living in a small village in Nepal.  Lakshmi, despite being very poor, lives a simple life and seems to be content.  She has a caring mother and is a good student.  Sadly, Lakshmi's stepfather is worthless and frequently gambles away what little money the family has.

When Lakshmi's family becomes desperate for money, her stepfather sells her to a stranger.  Lakshmi believes she is going to go work as a maid in "the city" and her wages will be sent home to help support the family.  But when she arrives in India, she discovers that she has been sold into prostitution.

Lakshmi is beaten and raped daily.  She is able to befriend some of the other girls living in the brothel, and their only outlet of escape is to watch TV during the day until the customers begin to show up after dinner.  Lakshmi hates what she is being forced to do, but she keeps hope that if she sleeps with enough customers, she will make enough money to buy her freedom.  

I devoured this book.  I finished Sold in one day because I just had to know what was going to happen to Lakshmi.  It is written for young adults, and each of the "chapters" are very short so it took no time to finish.

Sold is horrifying and will make you very uncomfortable - be prepared!  The things that Lakshmi has to endure are beyond comprehension.  It's even more sad to know that while Lakshmi is a fictional character, her story is happening to millions of women and children around the world every day.  While this book does contain mature content, I would highly recommend reading it.  

Rating:  I would give this book 5 out of 5.

Kisses from Katie

Kisses from Katie tells the incredible true story of Katie Davis, a popular and friendly girl from Nashville.  Katie's life was never the same after going on a short-term mission trip to Uganda when she was eighteen.  After coming home, she knew that she was being called by God to make a difference in these people's lives.  Katie gave up her comfortable life in return for one of service.

Over the course of the book, Katie explains how she ended up adopting thirteen girls from Uganda and what her life is like living in Africa.  Katie also established Amazima Ministries, which provides food, education, and medical care to children living in her village.  Throughout the book, Katie chronicles many of the trials she has faced, and her faith in Christ is evident in each page she writes.

Kisses from Katie is a mind-blowing book which will leave you feeling inspired but also convicted of what you can be doing to love "the least of these."  Katie also has a blog, where you can keep reading her continuing story.  Also check out the Amazima Ministries site, which sells handcrafted jewelry made by Ugandan women trying to earn a living.

Rating:  I would give this book a 5 out of 5.