[close] 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