A Deeper Look at Ruth from the Bible

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I enjoyed this book very much. It's a historical fiction account of Ruth from the Bible. The author builds a story around the truth we know from the Bible, and helps us get into the heart and mind of the main characters. It's quite creative and educational, as she paints a picture of two different cultures (Bethlehem and Moab) and religions during Ruth's life.  It's the story of grief and healing, desolation and hope, friendship and isolation, faith in gods vs. the one true God.

I've never read a book by Jil Eileen Smith, but I'll be on the lookout for more novels from her, as I enjoyed her writing style. She does a very nice job building a fictional tale based on stories in the Bible and historical accounts. The story is part of the Daughters of the Promised Land series, but it is also a stand-alone story.

I would recommend this book to readers ages 17+.  There is no sexually graphic material in the book, but there is talk about sacrificing babies to gods.  

I received this book as a gift from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

When God Made You

my 10 year old daughter's review

"cute cover! i like the pictures - and all the colors. the book had good ideas, but it didn't always make sense because the words were hard.

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​it has ​

tough vocabulary that younger kids won't understand.

​I 

didn't know some of the words at age 10, and

​I 

read a lot

​. It's rare for me to not understand a word in even long chapter books."

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i wanted to love the book, but i didn't love it. the concept is great, and the pictures are really cute, but it didn't flow very well. parts of it seemed awkward to read. but it offers great discussion points for parents and their children. how God made each of us uniquely in his special design for each of us. how we shouldn't try to be someone else - we should just enjoy who God made us to be and do what makes us shine. how the color of our skin or our appearance doesn't affect our hearts and minds.