Unveiled (Lineage of Grace, 1)

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Summary: The story of Tamar
Review: Francine Rivers takes a brief story from Genesis 38 and gives it more meaning and substance in her book,Unveiled, the first in her series entitled Lineage of Grace. She shows the faith and perserverance of Tamar, who is chosen by Judah to be the wife of his son Er. Er treats her cruelly but she remains faithful to him. God puts Er to death and Tamar then becomes the wife of Judah's second son Onan. Onan refuses to father a son with Tamar because he knows the son would be considered to be his brother Er's. After God puts Onan to death, Judah fears that the deaths are connected to Tamar and he banishes her from his household with the promise that she will one day be the wife of his third son, Shelah. When Tamar realizes that this is an empty promise she uses deceit to persuade Judah himself to father a child. When Judah discovers the truth, he is ashamed of his own deceit and realizes the consequences of his sin, beginning with the banishment of his brother Joseph whom he refused to protect against his angry brothers. This is a story revolving around the theme of sin and redemption and gives deeper meaning to the life of Tamar.

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Summary: Excellent book based on Genesis 38!
Review: I absolutely loved this book! What a treasure we have in Francine Rivers' books! I had never really appreciated Tamar's story before. The Bible gives her story only one chapter - Genesis 38. The book has the background about Judah and how he still felt guilty all those years for selling Joseph into slavery. It is very interesting how the well-known story of Joseph and his brothers (taken the Broadway in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat") is so closely related to this much-less known story of Tamar and allegiance to the family of Judah.

The book opens with Judah choosing Tamar as a wife for his oldest son Er. After the first two sons (and Tamar's first two husbands!) meet with bad ends, Judah is understandably reluctant to honor his last son by giving him to Tamar, lest the deaths of his other sons had something to do with her. Judah sends Tamar back to her family, in disgrace.

Through determination and cleverness, Tamar makes sure that Judah's line continues through her. She conceives and gives birth to twin sons Perez and Zerah.

Unveiled is the first in a new Francine Rivers series called "The Lineage of Grace" - each is about a woman who is an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

This book was easy to read, yet very thought-provoking - lots to chew on here! And I found the Study Guide at the back of the book to be ENORMOUSLY helpful! The scriptures quoted were outstanding and the questions and comments really make you think. I got much more out of the book since I also took some time with the Study Guide.

I highly recommend this book - it's wonderful to find such an enjoyable, yet thought-provoking book in a small package that won't take you too long to finish!

May God bless you all! Please check out my other reviews of Christian books and music.

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Summary: The Woman of Hope
Review: I have always been fascinated and intrigued by the women in the Bible. Their stories are like "snapshots;" word pictures which tell just enough of their stories to give them a place in the biblical narrative.

Ms. Francine Rivers is creating a series of novellas focusing on 5 diverse and remarkable women in the bible who have the biblical distinction to be the only women included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1-16).

To paraphase Ms Rivers in her introduction, these are not perfect women, but these are women who submitted themselves to be used by God.

In her first book "Unveiled," we meet Tamar, the woman of hope (Genesis 38:1-30). And hope is what substains her in the face of a forced marriage at 14 to a man who has an evil reputation. Hope also allows her to live in a house with a contentious mother-in-law, an abusive husband, bickering brothers with terrible tempers and a father-in-law who is indifferent to her pain because of his own demons.

The evilness of her husband, who has been raised as an idol-worshipping Canaanite, becomes so great that while making a hideous vow to his father about the future of children born to him and Tamar, he is struck down dead.

Custom decrees that the second son Onan marries Tamar. However he refuses to have a child who according to law will inherit the portion of the elder brother, so he spills his seed on the ground instead of impregnating her. Because of his willful disobedience he also dies.

Judah, who knows in his heart that the deaths of his sons are a judgement from God and in the midst of his grief and fear for his last son sends Tamar back to her father's house -- a stigma of shame (for she has no children).

But her father-in-law who does not want to lose his last son makes a promise to her that when his son is deemed old enought, he will have her come back.

He has no intentions however of doing this and Tamar who has become curious about the God of her father-in-law Judah, who is Hebrew, eventually makes plans of her own to bear children for the house of Judah.

While we may not comprehend why Tamar took so much abuse and why she was so determine to bear children for this family, we also have to remember the time and place this occurred.

Married women who had children - sons in particular, had status. They would bring joy in her youth and be her comfort in her old age. And she lived in the culture of the Middle East, where even today in some areas, women lives are not valued and a father or husband can kill a wife or daughter and not be punished.

This is a wonderful book to read. Ms. Rivers also includes a bible study.

The best way to read this book --read the bible story first, then once you read the story (the snapshot), your understanding and appreciation of what Ms. Rivers has accomplished in bringing the characters to life will be greater. I guarantee.

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Summary: This series of books is UNequaled!!
Review: I have now completed the entire lineage of Grace series by Francine Rivers after originally being intrigued by an Amazon.com customer review and online book preview. Each book was excellent. The bible studies at the conclusion of each book challenge the reader to study related scripture in conjunction with the fictional account based upon God's word.

Tamar's story (Unveiled) was my favorite. The author researched the mores of our ancient Jewish ancestors to formulate an opinion as to why Tamar prostitued herself and why in spite of this sinful act, God still chose her offspring to bear the lineage of Christ. An historic example of of God's grace and forgiveness.

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Summary: Fascinating Interpretation
Review: I have read every single one of Francine Rivers books, and UNVEILED is right up there in the ranks with her spectacular repertoire. Slightly shorter than most of her novels, this story is a new interpretation of a Biblical epic I have been familiar with for years, but now look at in a new light. After her fascinating accounts of the heroine, Tamar (book of Genesis, she includes a six part bible study that has brought me to tears on several occasions with her profound insight and soul searching questions that make you rethink your philosophies. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did, and I also encourage you to read Rivers' other selections, for they are ALL fantastic works of genious.

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Summary: Hope in the Face of Despair
Review: Tamar didn't feel ready to be married at 14. And she certainly didn't want to marry Judah's eldest son, Er. But being a woman, her opinion was never even asked. She is disappointed to find that the stories about his cruelty are true. Furthermore, her mother-in-law is horrid as well. Still, Tamar does her best to fit in with her new family and do her one duty, produce a son. But when tragedy strikes the family, she faces more hardship. Will the God of Judah be with her?

This book had an almost insurmountable task ahead of it. I've never particularly liked the story of Tamar in Genesis. Still, I tried to read this with an open mind. I found I enjoyed most of it, especially the connections it made that I had never made with the story of Joseph. It made me view the story in a completely different light by viewing the context. It also goes a long way in explaining the customs of the times which help put the story in perspective as well. Still, I did feel the fictitious part of the ending was a tad unrealistic and rushed.

This well researched novella sheds a different light on one of the woman God honored by including by name in the genealogy of Jesus. The included study guide helps us take lessons from this story into our everyday lives. While not my favorite story to begin with, this book helped me see past that to the importance of it in the greatest story ever told.

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Summary: Enlightening
Review: This is the first book that I have ever read by Francine Rivers, and I am very impressed. Generally I purchase books by authors such as Frank Peretti, Bill Myers, etc., but this book was just as exciting, so much in fact that I am reading the rest of the Lineage of Grace series now! Rivers makes the story of Tamar very interesting and not too extremely detailed. She doesn't bore the reader with unecessary historical facts; she only sets the stage for the story to take place. At the conclusion of the book she makes sure the reader knows that "most" of the story was factual and all added details were obviously only from one persons point of view. She includes a bible study at the end that walks you through the story as well. Rivers uncovers, to most of us, an unknown courageous character of the Bible. It is a very, very good book. A quick, but impacting read.