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Great Is His Faithfulness
The Book of Ruth has long been one of the most beloved love stories in the Bible, despite so much of the story left untold. Great Is His Faithfulness is a fiction novel that takes a bold, speculative dive into the world of Naomi and Ruth, and builds a picture of why the brokenness of Naomi, the faithfulness of Ruth, and the integrity of Boaz make the Book of Ruth so deeply meaningful to Christians everywhere.
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First published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 24, 2023
I absolutely loved this book.
What C Borden has managed to create is nothing short of brilliant.
I really enjoyed this elaboration on the Naomi and Ruth stories from the Bible.
I haven't managed to read the entire Bible (yet) but what I have found is there is a distinct lack of context. I imagine when it was written it was taken for granted that those who were meant to benefit from the text would know more about the times/culture/customs than we do today. Which is why I appreciate the work C Borden has put in to make these people more vivid and relatable.
Many Bible stories are quite vague in their style e.g. sentences like 'they walked along the road to x city and met with their relatives and they were well provided for.' This doesn't give much in the way of information. What C Borden does, however, is fill in the blanks - the emotion, the motivations, the inner struggles with remaining faithful through hardship.
Overall this is a well crafted story which at its heart teaches about faith in God as a provider. Even if your life is marked by tragedy/grief - by trusting in the Lord you will receive blessings.
It is a love story - not simply of a woman finding love in the face of adversity but love of God. A woman from a different culture and belief system finding love and blessing by giving in to His will and trusting in Him seems rather antithetical to western societal views of a modern woman, however there is strength in trust and faith.
This book has renewed my vigour for the Lord's teachings.
What C Borden has managed to create is nothing short of brilliant.
I really enjoyed this elaboration on the Naomi and Ruth stories from the Bible.
I haven't managed to read the entire Bible (yet) but what I have found is there is a distinct lack of context. I imagine when it was written it was taken for granted that those who were meant to benefit from the text would know more about the times/culture/customs than we do today. Which is why I appreciate the work C Borden has put in to make these people more vivid and relatable.
Many Bible stories are quite vague in their style e.g. sentences like 'they walked along the road to x city and met with their relatives and they were well provided for.' This doesn't give much in the way of information. What C Borden does, however, is fill in the blanks - the emotion, the motivations, the inner struggles with remaining faithful through hardship.
Overall this is a well crafted story which at its heart teaches about faith in God as a provider. Even if your life is marked by tragedy/grief - by trusting in the Lord you will receive blessings.
It is a love story - not simply of a woman finding love in the face of adversity but love of God. A woman from a different culture and belief system finding love and blessing by giving in to His will and trusting in Him seems rather antithetical to western societal views of a modern woman, however there is strength in trust and faith.
This book has renewed my vigour for the Lord's teachings.
September 3, 2023
Great is His Faithfulness is an exploration ‘behind the scenes’ as it were of the Biblical book of Ruth, following the perspectives of first Naomi and then Ruth. The author stays within the bounds of the Biblical text but offers us a thoughtful imagining of what these women might have been feeling and experiencing, each in a strange land. In fact, I really liked the fact that the first part of the story focuses on Naomi’s possible emotions and experiences as a foreigner in Moab… and then the second part focuses on the same for Ruth as a foreigner in Judah. I’m not sure why I’ve never considered that aspect from Naomi’s perspective, that she was also a foreigner in a strange land who would have empathized with what Ruth was feeling as well. Possibly because the main focus of the Biblical account is on Ruth’s experiences. I enjoyed delving into Naomi’s heart and feeling like I possibly understood her better – particularly her bitterness – in Borden’s interpretation.
This is a relatively quick read with an engaging writing style, and the author does a good job of ‘humanizing’ Biblical people who I think we tend to unrealistically put on a pedestal. But in actuality, they were just like us – real people who felt the same regrets and joys and uncertainties we feel, who grieved as we grieve over the loss of loved ones, who built friendships and fell in love. When I put down Great is His Faithfulness and pick up the Biblical book of Ruth, the names in the familiar verses now seem more alive, more relatable, more real. Because of course they were real, but sometimes we treat them like superheroes and forget how much we share in common.
Bottom Line: Great is His Faithfulness by C. Borden is a fictionalized deep dive into the story of Naomi and Ruth, a grieving mother and daughter-in-law who are each other’s last hope. The author thoughtfully explores plausible scenarios to fill in the blanks on what the Biblical account does not tell us, all while staying grounded in the Scriptures and within its boundaries. And while I knew how this tale would turn out before I started reading it, the epilogue that Borden includes made my heart swell like it always does at God’s faithfulness toward these two women. A compelling take on a story I’ve loved since childhood, and one that is definitely worth reading!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
This is a relatively quick read with an engaging writing style, and the author does a good job of ‘humanizing’ Biblical people who I think we tend to unrealistically put on a pedestal. But in actuality, they were just like us – real people who felt the same regrets and joys and uncertainties we feel, who grieved as we grieve over the loss of loved ones, who built friendships and fell in love. When I put down Great is His Faithfulness and pick up the Biblical book of Ruth, the names in the familiar verses now seem more alive, more relatable, more real. Because of course they were real, but sometimes we treat them like superheroes and forget how much we share in common.
Bottom Line: Great is His Faithfulness by C. Borden is a fictionalized deep dive into the story of Naomi and Ruth, a grieving mother and daughter-in-law who are each other’s last hope. The author thoughtfully explores plausible scenarios to fill in the blanks on what the Biblical account does not tell us, all while staying grounded in the Scriptures and within its boundaries. And while I knew how this tale would turn out before I started reading it, the epilogue that Borden includes made my heart swell like it always does at God’s faithfulness toward these two women. A compelling take on a story I’ve loved since childhood, and one that is definitely worth reading!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
July 31, 2023
I loved this book! The Bible tells the basic facts. But this book is the first time I've seen the Biblical story of Naomi and Ruth filled out so that I felt like I was there with them in those days. Amazing story. All the emotions, the love, fear, worry, struggles, despair and hope these women went through are brought out as well as the overriding love and faithfulness of the Lord who guided them through their lives. Highly recommend this book...it's a keeper.
June 5, 2023
This is a retelling of the biblical story of Ruth from the perspectives of Naomi and Ruth. I appreciated the author's desire to showcase a lesser-known biblical story, and one of the few that focuses on women and their experiences. Naomi and her husband leave their hometown during a drought and seek out a better future among non-believing foreigners. Their sons marry local Moabite women, but when all the men are killed, Naomi decides to return to her home, and Ruth goes with her even though she will be shunned for her background.
Borden beautifully illustrates the human tendency "other" and to marginalize those we believe are outside our group. Naomi and her family is othered in the land of the Moabites and Ruth is shunned in the land of the Israelites. The fact we are all human and there are good and bad people everywhere, no matter where they come from is beautifully illustrated throughout this book. I personally feel some of the transformational elements of this story with its focus on faithfulness (in all its forms, not merely religious) could have been brought out more.
Although the book is predominantly written from the points of view of Naomi and Ruth, and the structure around that is well set up, the author chose to throw in some brief sections from a third point of view. Considering the book is predominantly written in first person, the switch to third person for these additional bits was incredibly jarring. I think it might have been easier to read if there had been some forewarning for the reader, like formatting the different perspective as an "Interlude" or something similar.
Nonetheless, Great is His Faithfulness is a good book with some powerful moments and a good amount of food for thought.
Borden beautifully illustrates the human tendency "other" and to marginalize those we believe are outside our group. Naomi and her family is othered in the land of the Moabites and Ruth is shunned in the land of the Israelites. The fact we are all human and there are good and bad people everywhere, no matter where they come from is beautifully illustrated throughout this book. I personally feel some of the transformational elements of this story with its focus on faithfulness (in all its forms, not merely religious) could have been brought out more.
Although the book is predominantly written from the points of view of Naomi and Ruth, and the structure around that is well set up, the author chose to throw in some brief sections from a third point of view. Considering the book is predominantly written in first person, the switch to third person for these additional bits was incredibly jarring. I think it might have been easier to read if there had been some forewarning for the reader, like formatting the different perspective as an "Interlude" or something similar.
Nonetheless, Great is His Faithfulness is a good book with some powerful moments and a good amount of food for thought.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews