Love in a Broken Vessel

Love in a Broken Vessel
Mesu Andrews
(Revell)
ISBN: 978=0800721695
March 2013/448 pages/$14.99
An epic journey of intimacy, rejection, betrayal . . . and hope

God gives Hosea a difficult command-marry a prostitute in order to show God’s people the nature and depth of His love for Israel. When Hosea goes to Israel to proclaim the Lord’s message, the woman God directs him to marry turns out to be his childhood friend Gomer. He finds her broken and abused, unwilling to trust Hosea or his God. But when marrying Hosea becomes her only means of escape, Gomer does what she’s good at-she survives. Can Hosea’s love for God and God’s love for Israel restore Gomer’s broken spirit?

With her powerful combination of in-depth research and masterful storytelling, Mesu Andrews brings to life one of the most complex and fascinating stories of love and forgiveness in the face of utter betrayal.

Read an excerpt here/



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Photo Credit: © Nic White Photography

Mesu Andrews is the author of Love Amid the Ashes and Love's Sacred Song. She is an active speaker who has devoted herself to passionate and intense study of Scripture. Harnessing her deep understanding and love for God's Word, Andrews brings the biblical world vividly alive for her readers. She lives in Washington.

MY THOUGHTS

Anyone who reads my reviews regularly knows that I am very picky about Biblical fiction. Mesu Andrews is one who does it right. She combines painstaking period research with thorough Bible study so that the fictional pieces woven into the gaps are credible. I particularly appreciated her explaining some of the historical facts, as well as the hypotheses, at the beginning of the novel; oftentimes an author includes these at the end of a story, but I find it much more helpful up front so that I know, as I read, what are suppositions and what are facts. Love in a Broken Vessel is a beautiful story but for me, its strongest asset is the portrayal of Hosea's-and therefore, God's-heartbreak when his beloved returns to her adulterous ways. But oh! the love that redeems and forgives if the beloved will return to Him! As an aside, for those who love Francine Rivers' Redeeming Love and think no other book can compare, do not hesitate to read this one. As Andrews herself says in the introduction, the books are like apples and oranges; both are wonderful but very different. I highly recommend Love in a Broken Vessel; you'll view God's love in a whole new way.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell Books as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”