Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Blurb from Goodreads:
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 come 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.

My thoughts and review:
What an incredible journey Francine Rivers takes you on throughout this book. What an amazing story of strength, hurt, hate, fate, love and faith! What an undeniable testament to God’s unconditional love. You will be captivated and pulled in emotionally when you read this story.
Warning: This book is sure to capture you and pull at your heart-strings.

This story is set in New England, 1835. Young Sarah’s life was tarnished from the beginning. Sarah overhears a conversation between her absent father, Alex Stafford and her mother Mae. This conversation sets off the story and an understanding of unacceptable ways of life back in the 1800’s. Mae and Sarah face hard times when Alex kicks Mae out of his cottage he bought for her to stay in. Let’s just say he wanted Mae and only Mae. Your heart will drop to the floor during this conversation and bring tears to your eyes as little Sarah overhears what is said. Sarah ends up basically a glorified prostitute. With her beautiful blonde hair and her pretty face, Angel (aka Sarah) is doomed to this life at a very early age. This seems to be the only way of life for her until she escapes the terrible Duke and ends up in California in another sticky situation. Angel is left battered and bruised. She is taken in by the “Duchess”, which isn’t any better really than Duke was. Life in the brothel was wearing down Angel and she knew she needed an escape. She dreamed of buying land and having a cabin away from the life she grew up in.
Three days a week Angel would be escorted on a walk through town to get some fresh air and she catches the eye of Michael Hosea, a farmer. Michael has always waited for God to lead him to the right woman to marry and as soon as he sets eyes on Angel, he knew she was the one.

There is a love so deep and unconditional between these two, yet Angel is like a stone wall that is uneasy to break. Piece by piece and bit by bit, Michael teaches Angel of true and unconditional love. Angel resists to feel worthy of such a warm, handsome and loving man. Michael is devoted and his will and patience is tested as he helps Angel discover a different way of life and a life with love in it. Not the kind that is faked and forced, but true, real love.

I honestly can say this book has delivered so much more than the title given. The author captures and wraps you up into this amazing story with such detail that you feel as if you were a written character and living Angel’s life as you read. My heart just broke for Sarah. She was a young innocent little girl that was thrown into a life of unspeakable torture. I have been stung by the soul of this story and I don’t think I will be able to release it from my thoughts for quite some time.

A beautifully, touching story that will be a timeless masterpiece.

My Rating: