Lineage of Grace:

This collection of novellas brings insight into the lives of five women who are named in the lineage of Jesus Christ. These were ordinary women, yet God chose them to accomplish His purpose in history and bring about a greater good than they could have imagined!

The individual novellas are titled: Unveiled (Tamar), Unashamed (Rahab), Unshaken (Ruth), Unspoken (Bathsheba), and Unafraid (Mary).

Tamar’s boldness, determination, and unconditional loyalty to her family; Rahab’s and Ruth’s simple, unshakable faith in the God of Israel despite being foreigners; Bathsheba’s growth in both character and faith in the face of incredible struggles and high stakes; and Mary’s journey to understanding her son’s true purpose on this earth – they all inspire me to live as they did, trusting in God wholeheartedly and striving to do His will in everything.

Always worth a re-read!

Of the rest of the series, this story was by far the one worth waiting for! Unafraid: Mary is the telling of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection, all from the perspective of Mary and Joseph. At first, I wasn't sure that I would like it. But - as an historical account, this one rang the most true, and I would recommend it as a good read for Christmas and Easter. From start to finish, I found myself really absorbing each word, and reflecting on the Lord.

Mary's life was driven by the circumstances in which she found herself; and when she knew without a doubt that Jesus was the Son of God, it was interesting to me how she often seemed to nag Him. It made me reflect on just how much patience Jesus would have had with His family as well as His friends, and how much more love He had for everyone He met and those who rejected Him. It brought me to tears more than once, and made me stop to praise God for being such a worthy and willing sacrifice for us all. While each of the books in this series would be fine to read as standalones, it does help to read the entire series because they truly do prepare you for reading this one. ( )

The Lineage of Grace series consists of 5 books, all fictional accounts of biblical women in the genealogy of Christ. Rivers does a good job portraying each of the famous characters and giving their point of view in the unique situations. Most people are familiar with at least some of these stories, but reading a personal account shines a different light on the well-trod ground. The five books are listed below with the title and the woman they feature.

Unveiled – Tamar
Unashamed - Rahab
Unshaken - Ruth
Unspoken - Bathsheba
Unafraid - Mary

My favorite two of the series are Unveiled and Unshaken. I’ve always loved Ruth’s story and I knew very little about Tamar’s story. My lease favorite was Unspoken, which tells the story of David and Bathsheba. It was hard to connect to the characters' selfish motives.

One aspect I really like about the books is the fact that River prints the complete Biblical passage at the end. That allows the reader to see what she took from scripture and what she fictionalized. There’s also a devotional with relevant questions at the end of each book. I think they would be perfect for a small women’s Bible study or something similar, because the questions could spark good discussion. ( )

NO OF PAGES: 212 SUB CAT I: Fiction SUB CAT II: SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: Abused women, prostitutes, teenage mothers . . . unlikely candidates for the ancestry of Christ. Yet God used them mightily! In Rivers's latest, you'll meet Mary, the young girl who was obedient to God and became the most revered woman in history---the mother of Jesus. Gain a deeper appreciation of her dramatic story!NOTES: Purchased online from CBD. SUBTITLE: Mary--One of five unlikely women who changed eternity.

As Christians, we may find it a struggle to stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas – the wonder, the joy, and the awesome thought that Christ would leave the glory of heaven to be born here on earth. We have heard the story so often that it begins to lose its power, becoming a part of the Bible we skim through instead of meditate upon. In her book "Unafraid", Francine Rivers breathes new life into Christmas by allowing us to experience the birth of Christ through the eyes of His mother, Mary. We are told of the sorrow of the Jews as they await a Savior; we experience Mary's joy as she is chosen by God to bear the Messiah; we see Joseph's struggle to accept what has happened and we feel the pain of their families rejection. Most moving of all, we witness the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, our Redeemer. In this fictional account of Mary's life, Rivers reminds us that Christmas is a time to not only celebrate Christ's birth, but our salvation as well. ( )