Naomi and Her Daughters
A Novel
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1.0 • 1 Rating
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
From master storyteller Walter Wangerin, Jr. comes this familiar biblical saga told in a fresh, transfixing way. You’ll feel you’ve never heard it before! Melding historical accuracy with imaginative detail, Wangerin uses the biblical books of Judges and Ruth to explore themes of love, faith, grief and community set against a backdrop of war and political instability. The widow Naomi grieves the deaths of her two adult sons after the shocking murder of a beloved adopted daughter, while pondering her responsibilities toward her Moabite daughters-in-law. Ancient Israel is in chaos. When her daughter-in-law, Ruth, begs to return to Israel with Naomi, events are set in motion that will change the course of history. But wait…this isn’t the tame, flannel graph story you heard in Sunday School. In the tradition of Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent and Elissa Elliott’s Eve: A Novel of the First Woman, Wangerin imbues his tale with strong female characters and an earthy realism that gives the timeless Old Testament narrative so much power. You’ll find echoes of contemporary issues throughout: deceit, heartbreak, loss, war, and, of course, the power of love. Naomi’s combined strength and tenderness becomes the pivot upon which a nation turns; her decisions ultimately lead to the founding of the family lineage of Jesus Christ. Breathtaking descriptions, shocking violence, and inspirational courage make this spellbinding novel by a beloved award-winning author a story you won’t soon forget. It’s the perfect novel for your book group, and a satisfying read for those who love thoughtful biblical fiction.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The indomitable and prolific pastor/teacher/author Wangerin, who most recently wrote about wrestling with inoperable cancer (Letters from the Land of Cancer), adds to his imaginative retelling of religious history with this midrashic amplification of the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi. The matriarch Naomi is given a detailed backstory: long before Ruth agrees to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi, go where she goes, and accept her god, Naomi has an adopted daughter Milcah, whose brief life is tragic and compelling. Ruth's husband, Boaz, is also given a history and family, as is the Moabite Ruth herself. The author is in his element; he knows the Bible, its cadence in English, and its terse and suggestive mythopoeic style. Women readers for whom the Bible is important will especially appreciate the valorizing focus of Wangerin's sensitive work. A short but profound tale from the Bible comes alive in the author's capable hands; while general readers can enjoy this, it is an obvious choice for church-based book groups.
