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Periodical Reviews
To Naomi, Ruth was the quintessential daughter-in-law, and one of the most unlikely women to change eternity. She may have lost a husband, but gained faith that has transformed her life. Shed experienced the silence of Moab’s gods and then found the grace of the God shed come to know through Naomi, the mother of her heart. When Naomi's husband dies, the family now has three widowed women. How will they survive? Ruth’s biological family urges her to return, but she cannot leave her newfound God or Naomi. Ruth chooses to return with Naomi to her husbands childhood home in Bethlehem. Boaz is not as handsome as Ruth’s husband, Mahlon, had been, but there is kindness in his eyes, and he is generous. How could the richest man in Bethlehem possibly be interested in a Moabite, the poverty-stricken widow who gleans from his fields? Besides, Rishon is next in line to redeem the family land, and with it would come Mahlon's wife. It is wonderful to read this beloved Biblical story in novel form! Francine Rivers spins a tale that’s not only true to history, but satisfying to the heart. With Unshaken, the third in her A Lineage of Grace series, readers can savor not only an engrossing, well-written, beautiful novella, but a Bible study as well as one that readers will love, and learn from!
—Romantic Times
Francine Rivers’ third novella in her Lineage of Grace series continues with the same simple charm of the previous novellas. Unshaken is the story of Ruth, a Moabite woman, who willingly exiles herself to take care of her mother-in-law Naomi. Seen only as a foreigner in Naomi’s home, Ruth is subjected to the malice of her prejudiced neighbors. Although shunned and miserable, Ruth stays with Naomi by choice and is rewarded for her love, devotion, and sacrifice. Francine Rivers’ portrayal of the burgeoning love between Ruth and Boaz is only one of the reasons why Rivers is such an excellent author. Her people are vibrantly alive, with all the strengths and weaknesses that make them so human. And always present is the warm certainty that God knows the essence of his children and repays love, devotion and loyalty in kind.
– Historical Novels Review
The Book of Ruth is one of the most profound love stories in the Bible, showing the love of a daughter for her mother and the love of a man for a woman. When Naomi’s husband and sons die in Moab, she is left with her two daughters-in-law, Oprah and Ruth, and a burning desire to return to her hometown of Bethlehem. Only Ruth has shown an interest in the God of her mother-in-law, and she refuses to let Naomi return home alone. However, when the two women reach Bethlehem, Naomi’s childhood friends shun Ruth for being a Moabitess, believing that she will corrupt their men with her ungodly ways. Proud and determined, Ruth goes into the fields to collect bits of barley missed by the workers to feed Naomi and meets Boaz, a landowner who knew Naomi in her youth. As Boaz practices his upbringing in the Lord and Ruth practices her new faith, the two discover a boundless love. A look at the story behind the story with appeal for fans of Rivers and of Walter Wangerin’s lengthy Paul.
– Library Journal
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