[.ca] Unveiled (ISBN 1589260449)

From Amazon.com:
Her name meant "date palm," and like her namesake, Tamar hoped to survive the harsh environment she was placed in: to bend but not to break. Rubbed with scented oil and arrayed in wedding finery, 14-year-old Tamar is thrust into a world of abuse, betrayal, and disillusionment when she is given in marriage to an evil, idol-worshiping man. In the face of her suffering, she must make choices: Will she let her new husband, Er, destroy her innocence and corrupt her? Will she leave the religion of the Canaanites and embrace the God of the Hebrews despite the life of misery she is cast into? Or will she fall into despair and become as wicked as her husband and his brothers? Unveiled is the first in award-winning veteran author Francine Rivers' Lineage of Grace series of five novellas, which feature biblical women in the genealogy of Christ: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. This dramatic retelling of the scandalous risks Tamar must take to ensure her place in biblical history showcases Rivers' ability to sketch a short vignette of an ancient character and bring her to life in the minds of contemporary readers. The twin themes of sin's consequences and God's redemption resonate throughout the pages of this engrossing novella. --Cindy Crosby

Unveiled:
An excellent representation of a Biblical woman. Unveiled gives hope and courage to the modern women. This was my first book of this series and I intend to purchase them all!

Simply Beautiful:
This book is one the greatest! The author really took a biblical story and brought it to life! As i was reading, it felt like I was actually there, with Tamar, the scene was so clear and I could really feel what Tamar was feeling and think what she was thinking. THis book is wonderful in that it gets you inside the mind of many characters, and it makes you really feel Tamar's strength! I read the whole book in 3 days and i wouldve finished it faster if I didnt have to go to school..I couldnt put it down! It is so wonderful! I cant wait to read the story of Rahab next :) Go Tamar!!

Hope in the Face of Despair:
Tamar didn't feel ready to be married at 14. And she certainly didn't want to marry Judah's eldest son, Er. But being a woman, her opinion was never even asked. She is disappointed to find that the stories about his cruelty are true. Furthermore, her mother-in-law is horrid as well. Still, Tamar does her best to fit in with her new family and do her one duty, produce a son. But when tragedy strikes the family, she faces more hardship. Will the God of Judah be with her? This book had an almost insurmountable task ahead of it. I've never particularly liked the story of Tamar in Genesis. Still, I tried to read this with an open mind. I found I enjoyed most of it, especially the connections it made that I had never made with the story of Joseph. It made me view the story in a completely different light by viewing the context. It also goes a long way in explaining the customs of the times which help put the story in perspective as well. Still, I did feel the fictitious part of the ending was a tad unrealistic and rushed. This well researched novella sheds a different light on one of the woman God honored by including by name in the genealogy of Jesus. The included study guide helps us take lessons from this story into our everyday lives. While not my favorite story to begin with, this book helped me see past that to the importance of it in the greatest story ever told.

Fast reading..you'll be sorry when the book is over!:
It takes me ages to get through 1 book. Okay, these books are smaller than most but I couldn't put this down! I got through it in 2 or 3 days (I don't have much time to read either). I'm on the second book in the series now. I was disappointed when the book was finished because I was so into it that I didn't want it to ever end! It really made me realize a lot that I never would have even reading the story straight from the Bible. I learned a lot more about their customs too, which makes things make a lot more sense. Very good book!!!

Bringing it to real life...:
I don't know how Francine Rivers does it. She really brought the story of Tamar to real life for me, delving into her character and what she probably had to endure. Francine Rivers manages to spin a tale that captivates yet stays true to the Bible, making it clearer for people like me who sometimes have a hard time understanding the Bible.