Redeeming Love

Every once in a while you read a book that has a heartfelt meaning and is well intentioned but you know what… just not your cup of tea, as they say.  Well, that happened when reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  The story is inspired by the book of Hosea from the Bible. The central theme of the book is to characterize the redeeming love of God towards sinners, in this case Sarah who is born through a tryst between the married Alex Stafford and her mother Mae.  Sarah meets her father during one of his “visits” to Mae and learns that she is born out of an illegitimate arrangement that has been going on for years.  Sarah is taken away by her mother’s maid, (all monies for Sarah’s upbringing has been given by Alex) but at some point that pipeline runs dry and Mae is forced to leave and take Sarah with her.  Eventually Mae dies after being on the street as a prostitute and leaves Sarah to her uncle, who for money sells young Sarah into the world of prostitution.  Fast forward to Sarah, now given the name Angel (you know this name has some double meaning – hit the reader over the head with this!) by her new “parents,” I mean owners of the house of ill repute.  Angel is beautiful and becomes the number one “money producer” for the ladies’ house.  Eventually a Christian man, Michael Hosea, sees Angel on the street and immediately falls in love and plans to take her out of the whorehouse.  He pays the fee to meet with her, but spends the time offering to marry her.  That doesn’t go very far at all… for the next six months Hosea returns and offers his undying love.  Finally, Michael takes her to his farm after he finds her beaten up after refusing to turn tricks and marries her!  The rest of the story shares the struggles of Michael and Angel (Mara, Irzah, or whatever her name becomes every time Michael falls more deeply in love with her).  Angel runs away as she doesn’t understand the feelings for Michael and the draw that the “devil” has in speaking to her that she does not deserve such a man.  Michael is so stricken by her and the will of God to help change her ways that he gives up all to try and win Angel over.  Even after his brother-in-law Paul (whose wife died years earlier) has sex with Angel, Michael still wants Angel as his wife.  The pull to the darker side by Angel and the pull to love her from the voice of God into Michael’s ear continues throughout the story.  You can only guess the ending… yes, ends happy!  There are a few more characters and struggles of Angel, but I think you get the idea.  Evil is thwarted by good through the hand of God!  You probably have seen this story on the Hallmark Channel if you are “lucky” enough to get it.  Very predictable story.  Not all bad, just not for me.  Take a pass.