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20th out of 164 books
—
174 voters
Unafraid: Mary (Lineage of Grace, #5)
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
October 1st 2001
by Tyndale House Publishers
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A good friend of mine lent me the whole series in one book. I really loved the series, it brought up so many ideas and filled in the history, culture and attitudes for the time. I really want to go back and re-read the old testament and study the lives of these women. I absolutely hated this last book. It could have been so much more. I just can't believe that the mother of Christ would not understand the purpose of her son's life until after he is crucified. Really? I couldn't stand the the ver...more
"Unafraid" was an enjoyable, thought-provoking historical novella about Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. It sticks to the facts given in Scripture and then fills in the information not given in the Bible accounts with the author's ideas about what Mary and Joseph were like and so on. Readers might not agree with how she chose to 'fill in' the story or the personalities she gave Mary, Joseph, etc., but it's one possibility.
The pacing was good, and the characters were complex and interesting. It'...more
The pacing was good, and the characters were complex and interesting. It'...more
I loved this book. We don't always think of bible characters as having the same feelings we have. This book was written about Mary the mother of Jesus it is very close to scripture but shows the human side of Mary's life. In it you can rejoice when Mary rejoiced, weep when Mary weeped and hurt when Mary hurt.
There were many things talked about in this book that opened my eyes to things I have often read about but never completely understood.
Read this short book about the life of Mary and you too...more
There were many things talked about in this book that opened my eyes to things I have often read about but never completely understood.
Read this short book about the life of Mary and you too...more
I didn't like this book as much as the previous 4. She lost me at the beginning when she had 2 mary's in the same family... I mean really, 2 sisters both named Mary. The whole book was far too protestant for me.
I would have only given it one star except it did do something good for me... i'm now more convinced that Mary did not have any other children after Jesus. My faith teaches that Mary was ever Virgin which I accepted in faith, but now my head is in full agreement with my heart. I thought t...more
I would have only given it one star except it did do something good for me... i'm now more convinced that Mary did not have any other children after Jesus. My faith teaches that Mary was ever Virgin which I accepted in faith, but now my head is in full agreement with my heart. I thought t...more
Francine Rivers does not disappoint in UNAFRAID.
This book is written from Mary's perspective and tells the story of her life. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be Jesus' mother! To know that your son was the long awaited Messiah, to be mocked, not believed, to be called delusional.....to wait and wait and wonder WHEN will it be Jesus' time? When? When will He redeem us? To know from the time that He was born what His fate would be. To raise other children who were humanly sinful rig...more
This book is written from Mary's perspective and tells the story of her life. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be Jesus' mother! To know that your son was the long awaited Messiah, to be mocked, not believed, to be called delusional.....to wait and wait and wonder WHEN will it be Jesus' time? When? When will He redeem us? To know from the time that He was born what His fate would be. To raise other children who were humanly sinful rig...more
Another good book by Francine Rivers! While it's short and does leave gaps (but really, do you really want someone filling in where the Bible is silent?), it is insightful. It's so easy to read what happened in the Bible and just glaze over it. But these were real people who dealt with real issues. Rivers puts a very relevant spin on the story of Mary, a woman who was chosen out of obscurity for just that, she was a nobody. (How wonderful that God chooses the nobodies of this world to do great t...more
I really liked this book. I love reading fictional books that fill in what real people of the Bible's lives may have been like. I had never read one on Mary or Jesus as a child, and their family life. I thought the Author did an excellent job. She made Mary the mother of Jesus in this book very real, not perfect. I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for Mary in the good times and the bad watching Jesus grow up and all the things that happened to Him. The difference she coul...more
This book tells the story of Mary from the time of Jesus' conception to her death (after His ascension). It was interesting at parts (a very few) but for the most part it was redundant. Almost every other page Mary would think the exact same thoughts about how she couldn't believe that her son was God and how He was come to over-throw the Romans, etc. I did like that Rivers did not have the wise men come to Christ's manger, nor were there three of them! There were four. (Not that this number is...more
Read this one at Christmas time which was especially meaningful.
Out of all the books in this series, Mary's is the one I liked the least. The Bible doesn't put much emphasis on Joseph and the tole he plays in Jesus' life so it was hard to accept how the author incorporates his thoughts and feelings into the story. Granted what was wrote of him is valid through the perspective of a human - and I don't want to discredit Joseph in any way because I wasn't around at that time to even know what he felt/thought.
Another aspect that I found hard to accept was the i...more
Another aspect that I found hard to accept was the i...more
I was hoping to be uplifted because Francine's other books seemed to do that. This one was darker and was more flawed in my opinion. I understand it is a hard subject to write about though (Christ's death, though the life leading before it must have been very celestial to witness). I think Satan does try to tempt the most Spiritual of us the hardest. I just think his presence was there a little to often for my taste in this book. I did like that Jesus had siblings in this book, and related to he...more
The Lineage of Grace series consists of 5 books, all fictional accounts of biblical women in the genealogy of Christ. Rivers does a good job portraying each of the famous characters and giving their point of view in the unique situations. Most people are familiar with at least some of these stories, but reading a personal account shines a different light on the well-trod ground. The five books are listed below with the title and the woman they feature.
Unveiled – Tamar
Unashamed - Rahab
Unshaken...more
Unveiled – Tamar
Unashamed - Rahab
Unshaken...more
When I started this book, and as I read, I appreciated this for what it was, an author's perspective and interpretation of a Biblical story.
Overall, I did enjoy the book, but there were some aspects that nearly ruined it for me. For one, I believe that Mary was ever-virgin, and therefore, did not birth other children. When I came upon the part of the story where she becomes pregnant again, I almost put the book down. However, after reading her reaction to those children and her frustrations, I f...more
Overall, I did enjoy the book, but there were some aspects that nearly ruined it for me. For one, I believe that Mary was ever-virgin, and therefore, did not birth other children. When I came upon the part of the story where she becomes pregnant again, I almost put the book down. However, after reading her reaction to those children and her frustrations, I f...more
Unafraid by Francine Rivers
This is book five of the novellas Linage of Grace Series. Unafraid is about Mary or how one
author sees Mary.
Mary is only 14 when the Angel Gabriel appears to her and tells her she is to be the
mother of God. Afraid yet brave is the young woman who accepts God message. Mary has
no idea of how this will change her life. Joseph a littler older perhaps a little wiser than
Mary has a better idea of how will be for them in the village when people realize Mary is so
soon wi...more
This is book five of the novellas Linage of Grace Series. Unafraid is about Mary or how one
author sees Mary.
Mary is only 14 when the Angel Gabriel appears to her and tells her she is to be the
mother of God. Afraid yet brave is the young woman who accepts God message. Mary has
no idea of how this will change her life. Joseph a littler older perhaps a little wiser than
Mary has a better idea of how will be for them in the village when people realize Mary is so
soon wi...more
I was disappointed by this book and thought it could have been so much more. I have not read the other books in this series, although I did read Redeeming Love by the same author, and thought it was much better.
I thought this telling of the story of Jesus' mother, Mary, lacked imagination. The story contained in scripture raises so many questions that a novelist could explore about Mary and her feelings. This book seemed to hit only one note over and over: Mary's impatience about when Jesus' tru...more
I thought this telling of the story of Jesus' mother, Mary, lacked imagination. The story contained in scripture raises so many questions that a novelist could explore about Mary and her feelings. This book seemed to hit only one note over and over: Mary's impatience about when Jesus' tru...more
Although I loved all the books in this series, this one was my favorite. About 2/3rds of the book is set prior to Jesus' public ministry, which was fascinating to read about.
Mary is portrayed as a woman who loves God and is devoted to him. Her faith and trust are evident as she is "unafraid" of the scandal it could cause by being pregnant prior to marriage with Joseph. Hardships of traveling to Bethlehem nine months pregnant and giving birth in a cave are well covered. The book also demonstrate...more
Feb 21, 2010
Nina
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
biblical-stories,
5-stars
Das Buch liest sich sehr gut (und leider auch schnell).
An dieser biblischen Geschichte wird deutlich, dass Gottes Pläne unsere Vorstellungen weit übersteigen. Wer hätte gedacht, dass ein einfaches Bauernmädchen den Messias in einem Stall zur Welt bringen würde? Auch Maria hat sich die Herrschaft, die ihr Sohn eines Tages über Israel ausüben würde ganz anders vorgestellt. Als sie ihren Sohn heranwachsen sieht, fragt sie ständig ungeduldig, wann es so weit sein wird, wann er sie endlich von allem...more
An dieser biblischen Geschichte wird deutlich, dass Gottes Pläne unsere Vorstellungen weit übersteigen. Wer hätte gedacht, dass ein einfaches Bauernmädchen den Messias in einem Stall zur Welt bringen würde? Auch Maria hat sich die Herrschaft, die ihr Sohn eines Tages über Israel ausüben würde ganz anders vorgestellt. Als sie ihren Sohn heranwachsen sieht, fragt sie ständig ungeduldig, wann es so weit sein wird, wann er sie endlich von allem...more
If I could I would give this book 3.5 stars. I liked it but I've never been one to feel completely comfortable with Christ being portrayed in a book like this. On one hand it seems to be a little blasphemous to speculate on what He may have said that is not recorded in the scriptures but on the other hand it can help me feel a little closer to knowing Him as a person who lived and walked on the earth. I struggle with this issue. At least I can sense that Francine Rivers wrote this with the inten...more
The capstone to the Lineage of Grace series is the cornerstone to all of Scripture: Jesus. Rivers does a fine job of walking through the days of Jesus' life on earth through his mother's eyes, not as a revered saint, but as human as you or I. Mary's extraordinary story brings with it extraordinary challenges, from enduring wagging tongues and doubts from her own family to her own misunderstandings of when and how Jesus would carry out His mission of saving the world. I really enjoyed the moments...more
It is always interesting to see Jesus' life from a fresh perspective, in this case His mother.
I like how the author emphasized Mary's humanness. Mary was not sinless, as some believe. Near the end it speaks of Mary as sorrowful at people coming to bow down to her. (Whether or not this happened in her lifetime, I do not know.) She realized that she was only the vessel God chose to bring His Son to earth. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."(John 1:1)
Ano...more
I like how the author emphasized Mary's humanness. Mary was not sinless, as some believe. Near the end it speaks of Mary as sorrowful at people coming to bow down to her. (Whether or not this happened in her lifetime, I do not know.) She realized that she was only the vessel God chose to bring His Son to earth. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."(John 1:1)
Ano...more
As with Francine Rivers other novels that delve into the lives of biblical characters, I appreciate that she takes a character that I'm familiar with and turns her into a person with feelings and problems and flaws, while still being true to the essence of the person and the story. Mary was exceptional in her obedience to God, but of course, she was not perfect. She was human, with questions and confusion and desires for her life. She deserves honor, not worship, and Rivers does a fine job of fl...more
This is a fictional retelling of mary, the mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is thought provoking and powerful. This book made me think about what it might have been like to be the mother of God. What it may have been like to have a perfect son among my human and imperfect other children. How could I not play favorites? How would I wait and pass the years knowing my child was destined for greatness, only to realize that His greatness would come through death and sacrifice? And to be reminded...more
I think I expected too much from this book in particular. I thought that the books before this one were great but I think that the reason that this one didn't impress me very much was because the author tried to jam pack to much into this book. The story of Mary and Jesus was a lot longer than any of the others in the Bible so when the author tried to write this story she made it too rushed. To me most of the story didn't feel right and I just didn't like the style of writing at all. I think tha...more
I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to hear how Mary felt – especially having to wait for 30 years for her son, Jesus, to begin his ministry. She also struggled with the prophesy about him ruling over all and felt it would be more as an earthly King. I had always thought that Jesus must have been the perfect child (especially toddler since I have two right now and how great it would be to parent him) so I really liked that Rivers elaborated on this theme and how Mary commented on it s...more
Out of the five novellas in the series, this wasn't my favorite. That being said, it was still really good. In the other four books, Rivers does a great job of putting the reader inside of the mind of the female protagonist. Perhaps because of Mary's relationship with Jesus, Rivers spent a lot more time detailing the events surrounding Mary and less time with her feelings about those events. However, it was interesting to see some of the events of Jesus' life through Mary's eyes. As part of the...more
Unafraid by Francine Rivers was a captivating book about the life of Mary. I liked the way she described the events we have all heard, but with sensory details. The information is biblically accurate and has the bible verses to go along with it. The way River's writes makes the story even more amazing and it definitely pulls at your heart strings. This story doesn't just tell about the birth of Christ, but it goes on all the way to the crucifixion and resurrection, which I think is a breath of f...more
This is going to sound increadibly stupid, but I'll write it anyway.
I had not realised just how hard the mission that G-d asked of Mary... until I read this book.
Although sometimes a clunky read Unafraid has really deepened my understanding and appreciation of the biblical account of Mary's life. Statements such as 'where is my mother, where are my brothers' from jesus's lips have a new power and I marvel at the courage required of her to hear such a statement without reacting with anger.
This...more
I had not realised just how hard the mission that G-d asked of Mary... until I read this book.
Although sometimes a clunky read Unafraid has really deepened my understanding and appreciation of the biblical account of Mary's life. Statements such as 'where is my mother, where are my brothers' from jesus's lips have a new power and I marvel at the courage required of her to hear such a statement without reacting with anger.
This...more
A cousin sent this book to me. It's the story of Mary, Jesus' mother. Although I read it less than a year ago, I can't seem to remember anything outstanding about the book or the writing. I believe I was supposed to feel more firm in my faith after reading about the long row that Mary had to hoe...or something like that. But never having been directly addressed by angels or bearing the Christ child, I found it a bit hard to feel any authentic empathy for Mary's fairly specialized predicament. Th...more
Jan 14, 2013
Yesica
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-own,
books-to-grow
Los lectores encontrarán en esta antigua historia mucho más que un romance escandaloso. Puede resultar fácil juzgar a los personajes por sus errores pero pocas veces nos sinceramos y pensamos realmente qué habríamos hecho nosotros en su lugar... ¿Habríamos tenido un arrepentimiento sincero?
La historia de David y Betsabé tiene mucho significado para el día de hoy ya que nos encontramos con un Dios que no abandona a quienes se equivocan sino que siempre está dispuesto a perdonar y restaurar a aque...more
La historia de David y Betsabé tiene mucho significado para el día de hoy ya que nos encontramos con un Dios que no abandona a quienes se equivocan sino que siempre está dispuesto a perdonar y restaurar a aque...more
I enjoyed this book. I think it stayed true to the scriptures and told the stoy very well. It was supposed to be about Mary herself but there was also a lot of Joseph in the story as well. I've always thought that being the earthly parents of Jesus must have been the most joyous and saddest thing of all. Knowing how great your son is and watching him being rejected would test the faith of a mother and I liked that the story didn't just show Mary as a pious woman but as a real woman who felt what...more
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New York Times best-selling author Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English and journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market, and her books were highly acclaimed by readers and reviewers. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter...more
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Nov 19, 2012 08:52am