Redeeming Love

I just finished my first Christian book. Not just any Christian book - a Christian romance novel. Contradiction in terms, you say? Well...yes, it kind of is. As you may recall from my previous exhaustive analysis of romance novels, many books in this genre dedicate approximately 40% of their pages to euphamistic terms for genitalia and sexual acts. While extremely delicate in their prose (penis becomes "manhood", orgasm becomes "reaching a crescendo of bliss", etc.) romance novels are really just pornography for housewives and pre-teens with negligent parents.

It's been awhile since I've been able to unironically read a romance novel but I'm still a willing audience for a tale in which there are quivering body parts. I'm also a fan of lists (hence this blog.) So it was inevitable that one day I would search out a list of the best romance novels. When I did, the book "Redeeming Love" came in at the top of the list. In fact, it came in at the top of multiple lists.

My only experience with Christian romance writing came from a lengthy writer's group meeting I eavesdropped on one day at Barnes and Noble. Two men and three women sat around the table reading their latest chapters. I was...fascinated. One woman's book was about a young couple who were fighting the temptation of lust in order to avoid the sin of pre-marital sex. The hero's name?

Ready?

Dancer.

That was his name. Dancer. Dancer the uber Christian, blue-balled saint. That is all I have to say.

I am not personally religious. I have known many wonderful religious people. I majored in religious studies. I respect religion even though it is used by bad people to do bad things - and weak people to do hypocritical things. It is also the foundation for many amazing people doing selfless, beautiful things. Like many people these days I have a highly developed sense of skepticism about religion, and people who are very pubic about their faith. It is easy to be - like Bill Maher - judgmental and degrading to religious people.

Still, there is something about a truly devout religious person. You don't see them often. Maybe they're that rare, or maybe truly spiritual people just keep a low profile. I find people who are true to their religious beliefs to be admirable, even when I find them incomprehensible. Sometimes these people do horrible things (think suicide bombers.) Sometimes they do radically good things (Mother Theresa.) They're interesting.

Redeeming Love is about a deeply religious man who believes God has told him to marry a woman who is a prostitute. Think Dancer, all grown up.

This is a re-telling of the Bible story of Hosea and Gomer. Michael sees Sarah - a "soiled dove" taking a walk and instantly falls in love with her. He hears God's voice tell him to marry her. Sarah has had a horrible life.

MANY, MANY MONTHS LATER

I got interrupted writing this review, so unfortunately it's going to consist mainly of a very wordy introduction followed by a hazily remembered plot summary.

So yes, Sarah had a horrible life. Her mother was the mistress of a rich douchebag. The rich douchebag was Sarah's father. The affair ruined Sarah's mother's reputation and when the D-bag got bored he left them to poverty. Sarah's mother was forced to move to the docks where she becomes a prostitute and dies within a year. Sarah is found by a rich, evil pimp who makes Sarah his star whore at age 9 or 10. Though she escapes her pimp eventually, she is stuck working as a prosititute because she's not qualified for any other work (I can't get a job without experience, but how do I get experience without a job???)

When Michael sees Sarah he hears God tell him to marry her. This must have been somewhat easier to bear considering that Sarah is - naturally - radiantly beautiful. Michael is annoyingly perfect. He doesn't care that she's a soiled dove or that she's a raging bitch, he only cares that Jebus told him to marry her. Thus begins Sarah's annoying resistance to Mr. Perfect that lasts all of the novel. I'm going to cut to the chase. He Mr. Perfects all over her and she Ms. I Don't Deserve Love's all over him and there's much running away and being brought back and running away and coming back on her own and then running away again.

Sarah can't have kids so runs away so that Michael can marry their mutual, fertile friend. He, of course, is not going to do this but decides that if it is meant to be Jebus will return her to him. She ends up setting up a home for wayward girls and finding God and then they reunite and it's very happily ever after and I think she gets preganant or something because God - fickle fuck that he is - has decided to shine his light on the happy couple...

Okay - so on Amazon.com this book has 4.5 stars with 1040 customer reviews. People LOVE this book. Here are some review excerpts:

Everytime Angel would run away from Michael's love, I would say, "you stupid, ungrateful woman!" But as I was reading, God reminded me of all the times when I myself would backslide from my faith, thinking that I could make it on my own without Him - and of how unconditional His love is (like Michael's) when I come to my senses and ask for His forgiveness. After I finished the novel, I couldn't help but thank God for His forgiving, faithful, redeeming love.

At least 10 stars and should be required reading in schools

Truly...the BEST novel I have ever read in my life

I can get choked up with reading but never before have I sobbed. Congratulations, Francine for being the first author to bring me to some serious tears. Even though I was emotionally exhausted at times....I didn't want the book to end. This book truly touched DEEP parts of my heart. I haven't been able to shake this lifechanging book. In fact, like many others, I went out to a local Christian Book Store and bought copies and started giving them away.

LoLo's Take

The book was not terrible. I did not sob and I don't see any rational justification for teaching it in schools but I didn't hate it. From a purely literary point of view it was pretty good. The story itself was engaging and I cared about the characters. I am surprised by how much Christian ladies love it though. They are finding it to be much deeper than I did. I can't believe how many said it was the BEST book they had EVER read. That is a very bold statement and I wouldn't put this anywhere near the top of that list.

BLOG UPDATE

I've read about a thousand books since I last posted and I'm going to try to give the 30-second version of some of them in an exciting upcoming post. Stay tuned!