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this is a great book. I could not put it down. Was trying to cook and read.iron and read read and do every thing but drive.
I was literally on my knees at the end of this book praising God that I am his daughter. Francine Rivers is a new favorite of mine. It renewed and uplifted me and left me emotionally drained.in a good way. Loved the characters of Atretes and Rizpah and all they endured together. This book was wonderfully written and truly shows how God can save anyone from the pits of hell if you just accept Him. An awesome book. I wish there was another to read after this one.
I love how she weaves scripture into their speaking where it seems like normal conversation. I also really did not like the ending. Technically she could have been sentenced as a harlot had they known of her life before her marriage, BUT that is not what the "trial" was based on. I mean does this tribe not allow people to remarry after the death of their spouse. Book 2 could have ended with after Marcus's salvation he returns and brings Julia home and the turmoil of Hadassah having to live under the same roof as Marcus again and ended with Atretes being arrested by Theophilus and "going" to the arena. If you were to keep this book exactly as written, something that I think would have really improved both this book and the 2nd book is for them to have been combined.
All during the reading of the 2nd book, I kept wondering about Atretes and expecting him to show up at some point, and I was sort of hoping that Hadassah to be in the third. It could have been edited to put some of book 3 into book 2. Francine Rivers is a wonderful writer and so it is very well written and I enjoyed the story. If she wanted to have a miracle at the end then it should have been a blinding angle and them all run away, etc. Atretes could still have loved her when she "died" but they would not have been immediately married which is something that bothered me. To me she was being called a harlot because she had been previously married and was WIDOWED. instead of her "escaping" death again.
** Please do not read unless you have read the book*** SPOILERSI felt like Atretes and Rizpah's love story was too similar to Hadassah's and Marcus's and would have preferred Rizpah with Theophilus just for a change. Just like all the books there were moments where I could not put it down and moments where it dragged a little. Remember Jesus did not defend himself when he was on trial, it would have been realistic for God to give Rizpah a peace of saying nothing to her charges. This would have been a very exciting ended to both stories and carried you into book 3 which could have then told the end of both stories and we would have appreciated the closure given. I know it would have completely changed the story but it would have been more original and a challenge. Then I think Atretes should have been able to remember that he had told Anomia ONLY that Rizpah was a widow not a harlot. It has turn Rizpah into a cat with 9 lives, lol.
At first it was a little frustrating that it is so different with its focus on different characters. The first and second books in this series combined are my new favorite novel of all time. This one is different. But this is the one I will re-read over and over. A powerful story, beautifully written.
This series was a great read and helped rebuild my spiritual strength and faith. It is possible to stand up for what you believe amid all others saying you're wrong.
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