Unshaken is the biblical story of Ruth. Ruth is a young Moabitess, who when her husband died, chose to follow and care for her mother in law Ruth as they made their way from the country of Moab to Bethlehem. Though Naomi tries to get Ruth to turn back like her sister in law Orpah did, Ruth is adamant in her loyalty to Naomi. She leaves behind her family that was fairly well-to-do for the unknown, as Naomi does not even know if any of her relatives would be alive. It is not an easy task taking care of an older woman who, as the journey progresses, starts to turn from hopeful to more complaining and bitter. But Ruth perseveres as she wants to follow the one true God of her Mother in law and learn of His ways. When they arrive in Bethlehem, things do not go as easily as imagined and they find themselves, especially Ruth as a foreigner, shunned by the villagers and gossiped about. Living in a cave with nothing, Naomi instructs Ruth to glean in the corners of fields as the poor and foreigners are allowed to according to God's law. But even in those corners Ruth is made to not feel welcome and she ends up in a field quite aways from town. As she tries to work hard and do her best for Naomi, she is noticed by the owner of this particular field, who when he finds it is Naomi's daughter in law instructs his workers to leave extra for her and to make sure she is safe. When Naomi finds out it is Boaz's field and see the generosity of Boaz she realizes that as a relative Boaz can be a husband redeemer. Naomi concocts a plan to bring Ruth and Boaz together. But it would require both of their cooperation and the removal of another family member that stands in the way.
I absolutely loved the story of Ruth and Boaz. Francine Rivers stayed true to the biblical account while fleshing out the characters in the story and the history of the times. Through the story I really got the sense of everything Ruth was leaving behind for the uncertainty of going with Naomi and how loving, faithful, loyal and hard working she really was. Her strong character & moral fiber throughout the story was remarkable to me even as she did what her mother in law instructed. I felt Naomi's frustrations as things didn't quite go as originally planned though at times I felt like shaking her for whining attitude (which is recorded in the bible). Through the author's story telling I was able to get a better understanding of the Jewish laws of harvest and husband redeemers, and how foreigners were perceived in Jewish minds of the time. I loved how in this story of Ruth the author chose to use the townspeople's gossip as a way to show attitudes and thoughts, so relatable. In all I loved this retelling. The study and questions at the end was excellent and thought provoking making the story of Ruth and Boaz relatable to today's personal life. The author dedicated this book to her own mother in law whom she admires and adores.
Rating: 10/10
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