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The Last Sin Eater

3.99 of 5 stars 3.99 · rating details · 10,862 ratings · 545 reviews

1999 Gold Medallion Award winner
A repackage of Francine Rivers's beloved novel, now with stunning movie stills from the motion picture releasing in January 2007 and bonus discussion questions. All that matters for Cadi Forbes is finding the one man who can set her free from the sin that plagues her, the sin that has stolen her mother's love from her and made her wish she...more

Paperback, 332 pages

Published January 3rd 2007 by Tyndale House Publishers (first published 1998)

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The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Best Christian Fiction

30th out of 955 books — 1,452 voters

An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers

Best Christian Historical Fiction

59th out of 537 books — 570 voters

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Jan 03, 2012 Gabriel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While "Redeeming Love" remains my favorite of the Francine River's novels that I have had the pleasure of reading, "The Last Sin Eater" comes in a close 2nd.

Told from the perspective of an elderly Cadi, "The Last Sin Eater" is a story based upon the old tradition of a man of a society being chosen by lottery to be the scape goat of his people. Carried over from old Scotland, the tradition dictates that the "sin eater" live apart from society only to appear at the funeral of one who has died in...more

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Dec 12, 2007 Sherri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

This is one of my all time favorites! A great story set in the isolation of the Appalachian Mountains. I loved the generational relationships between the older women in the community and the children. Also, just the unpredictablity of the storyline. A great read!

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Sep 23, 2012 Gina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, religious

Audiobook

Strictly for the audiobook - I really enjoyed the reader's voice. Sometimes the voice in audiobooks can be a real put-off, but this one did a great job. I also enjoyed the accents of the Scottish-Welsh Appalachian immigrants, so that was fun.

I had NO IDEA this was a Christian book/author. I was quite well into the story before the first "red flag" appeared. I tend to be off-put by religious fiction bc of my fundamentalist upbringing...it just makes me want to gag. If you are a Christian...more Audiobook

Strictly for the audiobook - I really enjoyed the reader's voice. Sometimes the voice in audiobooks can be a real put-off, but this one did a great job. I also enjoyed the accents of the Scottish-Welsh Appalachian immigrants, so that was fun.

I had NO IDEA this was a Christian book/author. I was quite well into the story before the first "red flag" appeared. I tend to be off-put by religious fiction bc of my fundamentalist upbringing...it just makes me want to gag. If you are a Christian, those parts will probably be very enjoyable to you. To me, it is the same old song and dance I've heard 8,000x.

Anyway, after "red flag #1",I kept reading and thought I was mistaken. However, quickly after that point, it becomes overwhelmingly obvious and almost completely takes over the plot. That said, regardless of religious affiliation, it was a well-written book. It's interesting all the way through.

While I did not enjoy hearing the "salvation message" for the umpteenth time in my life, my second thought was, "if I can overlook violence and other offensive material in other books bc I like the story, I certainly should be able to overlook religious material with good intention". So I did. Those parts were as hard for me to stomach as the violence and vulgarity of other books, but worth it. In the end, it was really nice to have a story with good intentions and heroes with decency. The characters were not saints by any means; it did not take place in some Barney-esque fantasy land. They were normal people of their time period.

Until the conversion...at which time there are some pretty pat reactions and such, making the story lose believability and originality, but it does get back on track. One especially nauseating aspect is the over-the-top sense of guilt and self-deprecation of a few of the characters. Gag. You know the type, I did something minor, and subsequently blame myself for everything wrong in the world. No one else has any responsibility for their actions; I am the root of all evil. Regardless, it is still a really good story and a fun read!!(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Jessica Lavette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ehhhhh....this book was...ok. It is a good read. Don't get me wrong Francine Rivers writes some pretty awesome books, but this one was kind of bland compared to all of her other books.

If you ever feel like an outcast from time to time, then this book will encourage you to dare to be different.

The Last Sin Eater is an allegory of Jesus Chirst set in the Appalacian Mountains in the 1830's. It follows the story of a 10 year old girl, Cadi Forbes, her family and her clan. Yes, I said clan. Everyone...more Ehhhhh....this book was...ok. It is a good read. Don't get me wrong Francine Rivers writes some pretty awesome books, but this one was kind of bland compared to all of her other books.

If you ever feel like an outcast from time to time, then this book will encourage you to dare to be different.

The Last Sin Eater is an allegory of Jesus Chirst set in the Appalacian Mountains in the 1830's. It follows the story of a 10 year old girl, Cadi Forbes, her family and her clan. Yes, I said clan. Everyone in the story are Scottish immigrants with a thick Scottish accent, which was hard to get used to reading at first. During that time people of Scottish decent believed that in order to get rid of their sins, they have to wait until they die, have a ritual performed on them, and them cast their sins on to what ws called a Sin Eater; which is a person who is an outcast and bears the sins of hundereds of people.

This book does have some sad parts to it. For instance I felt sorry for Cadi. She's only ten, and she is sort of outcasted from her family because she committed a horrible sin on her younger sister. She's only ten!!! Her parents should give her a break. I also felt sorry for the Sin Eater. He is JUST a person. Unfortunately he is forced to carry the weight of everyone's sins, which is sending him on a path straight to Hell.

The number one thing that I did love about this book is that it is told in the eyes of Cadi, the little ten year old girl. How genius is that!!!??? Having Cadi as the narrator definitely makes you feel more emotional because she displays an innocent view on things. Plus her parents disown her because she believes in Jesus Chirst..which just makes you go "Awwwwwwwww :("

The one thing that I did not like about the book was the ending. It was too predictable. And when Cadi and her friend are trying to explain to the whole clan about Jesus, it just seemed like Francine Rivers copied and pasted the Bible. Cadi should explain Jesus the way a ten year old would; not how Paul the Apolsle would. Oh well.....

All in all it was ok. And even though the book won the Gold Medallion Book Award, it does not show Francine Rivers full talent. She writes incredible books. (less)

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Jun 01, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is another historical fiction book that had a super interesting premise; a Sin Eater was a person who was paid to take upon himself the sins of the deceased & their consequences in the afterlife. The author's note says that the practice was common in the early 19th century in England, Scottish lowlands and near the Welsh border. The custom was brought over by some immigrants to the Americas & practiced in remote areas of Appalachia. This story focuses on one such (fictional) sin eat...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Janica rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of Francine Rivers. Francine does an amazing job in my opinion with creating a beautiful, rich and touching stories of what a true relationship with Christ can be like. Some of the main focal points in a lot of her books is to trust God with unwavering faith. To believe that through him all things are possible and not to question how or even try to make sense of things we don’t understand because again ALL things are possible through God and we prove that we trust him and love hi...more I am a huge fan of Francine Rivers. Francine does an amazing job in my opinion with creating a beautiful, rich and touching stories of what a true relationship with Christ can be like. Some of the main focal points in a lot of her books is to trust God with unwavering faith. To believe that through him all things are possible and not to question how or even try to make sense of things we don’t understand because again ALL things are possible through God and we prove that we trust him and love him through our faith.

In this particular story she introduced us to characters struggling with all sorts of sins. We were able to see deep into the sorrows and pain that was eating away at them. From broken relationships, guilt, pride and murder, we were able to see how these people suffered in a very descriptive and heart moving story. I could not help but to cry when I read the way Jesus found his way into these tormented hearts. I feel that this story is not only a "good read" but is one of those “I have to know what happens next!” kind of books. This is Christian ligature so I will say that prior to reading this book I feel that the individual should have some understanding of the miracles Jesus does/did and an understanding of what the Holy Spirit is. If these things are not understood prior to reading this book it may come off questionable. For the people that do know that the Lord is capable of anything and everything there is nothing that will be questioned for we know that if our father created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th than he is more than capable of anything, even things we cannot imagine.

I also feel that I had to touch on some of the earlier reviews written below. Yes both the prophet and the children were new believers and yes they were speaking scriptures word for word right after they accepted Jesus as their Lord and savior but the book made it crystal clear that it was the Holy Spirit speaking through them. They were chosen by God to save their people and God gave them the words to say. It was not the children (who had no time to learn the scripture after being saved) but God himself who used them to speak his message and do his will. A great real life example of this is the Holy Spirit that moved through the men who wrote the bible. As far as the Prophet “the man of God” not having any concern for his death it is because he trusted God and knew that in his death he would receive his reward for all eternity. The people in this book needed a savior. They needed someone to wipe them clean after years of secrets, sorrow and suffering! That is why it was so easy for most of them to accept Christ right away because they knew in their hearts (which was made by the Lord’s hands) that finally their redeemer has come. The burden that had been weighing them down had been lifted from them because after all that is why Christ died for us, to take fromus our sins.

As I said before I love Francine Rivers Novels. She knows her history, she knows how to create heartwarming stories with realistic characters and most importantly she knows how to remind us that God’s wants us to trust him whole heartily even when we don’t understand what is going on! We have to remember that he always knows what he is doing
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Dec 24, 2010 Colleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sprituality-christian-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I picked this book up based on the description before I realized it was by Francine Rivers. This book suffered from the same flaws that have frustrated me with other Francine Rivers books. In my view, she does a good job of creating a believable world for her characters to inhabit, but then she over-simplifies the spiritual aspects of her plot and characters so that I am unable to relate to their spiritual journeys in any way that feels connected to the real world or real people. Here, as in oth...more I picked this book up based on the description before I realized it was by Francine Rivers. This book suffered from the same flaws that have frustrated me with other Francine Rivers books. In my view, she does a good job of creating a believable world for her characters to inhabit, but then she over-simplifies the spiritual aspects of her plot and characters so that I am unable to relate to their spiritual journeys in any way that feels connected to the real world or real people. Here, as in other novels, she develops characters that are "too" good, in my opinion -- who seem completely untroubled by being martyrs -- and characters who are so evil (for no discernable reason) that they are one-dimensional. For instance, a preacher comes to share the gospel with an Appalachian group in this novel. Even though he has only recently embraced Christianity, he already has the entire Bible memorized. The children who hear him speak instantly remember every biblical passage themselves, which struck me as preposterous. The man of God doesn't exhibit any self-doubt or personal concern or angst as he recognizes his own impending death. On the other hand, his killer is a man who personifies evil. Yes, there are human "monsters," but Francine Rivers's novels too often contain a character like this one, who seems to personify the devil "just because." Here, that means he abuses his wife and his children, murders indiscriminately, and wields enormous power derived from thin air.

More importantly from a plot standpoint, the conversion stories in this book left me rolling my eyes. It seems inconceivable that people would develop an unshakeable faith in Christianity after hearing a few sermons from a complete stranger, consisting of mostly quotations from the Bible given in unfamiliar language. In my view, faith grows out of relationships -- the relationship between an individual and God and the relationships among people of faith. There was no time for the Appalachian people to develop a relationship with the preacher in this novel. And they spent no time developing a relationship with Jesus after they heard the Word. They just instantly believed and were prepared to sacrifice their own lives for their faith. It came across more like Christianity imposed by magic wand than a realistic portrayal of a person seeking a lifelong relationship with Christ -- more like people were "beamed up" to the kingdom of heaven instead of beginning a spiriual journey.

As with other Francine Rivers books, I was left feeling that it had potential, but could have been so much more.(less)

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Aug 29, 2009 John rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-on-tape

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Let me begin by saying that this book starts out so captivating that I wanted to weep at times. The story is set in the 1850s West Virginia Appalachians and is about young ten-year old Katy who considers herself the propagator of her younger sister's death and suffers from major league depression therefrom. Because of her pain, she decides to, and is encouraged by an enigmatic, imaginary(?) friend seek out the village's Sin Eater, a man who is chosen by lot to be the one who takes the sin of the...more Let me begin by saying that this book starts out so captivating that I wanted to weep at times. The story is set in the 1850s West Virginia Appalachians and is about young ten-year old Katy who considers herself the propagator of her younger sister's death and suffers from major league depression therefrom. Because of her pain, she decides to, and is encouraged by an enigmatic, imaginary(?) friend seek out the village's Sin Eater, a man who is chosen by lot to be the one who takes the sin of the recently deceased upon himself so that the dead man or woman may be saved, though as a result the Sin Eater is condemned to hell, or so the belief goes.

Meanwhile a Man of God arrives in the valley and begins to proclaim the Word of God and the village Kai (forgive me if the spelling is wrong, I listened to this book; I did not read it), who is the village leader and also the son of the man who revived the Sin Eater practice from old Scottish/Welsh traditions forbids the village from listening to him. Katy, however, is as stubborn as she is depressed and finally, after asking the Sin Eater to take her sin away (and though he agrees, he fails to do so), she goes to the Man of God and has a conversion experience, which finally releases her from her pain. This is about halfway through the book, so though I have just provided you with a small spoiler, the best is yet to come and of that I will not say much.

Here the book runs into trouble, however, and I became less and less able to suspend disbelief as I listened. First of all Katy begins bringing The Word to people who need to hear it. That's okay, and for my Orthodox Christian background, I had no problem with it. However, the young girl (and later her best friend a young boy only four years older than her) begin quoting Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and some of the minor prophets from the Old Testament perfectly only a few hours after their conversion. She also throws around such lingo as "the Spirit moved me" and "I was inspired by the Holy Spirit to say..." and other such colloquialisms. Now I've no doubt that God could grab hold of a child's mouth and make her spout perfect King James Biblical verse mere hours after her conversion, and use her through the Holy Spirit, but this perfect King James quoting, not to mention the lingo, was just way to much for me to accept. Even the most celebrated conversion on the New Testament, the Roadside conversion of the Apostle Paul did not prepare him immediately for his massive and most important work, which started a few years later.

In the end, as the dust jacket says, a hideous truth is revealed and the village Kai is brought low. The Village is more or less redeemed and Katy's family is bound back together. The Sin Eater finds happiness and surcease from his loneliness. None of this should be much of a spoiler; one guesses fairly soon in the timeline that such will be the fate of the major characters. Besides, as with most predictable novels, it's the journey that counts.

This book was satisfying to listen to, I admit. The characters were well defined and the imagery vivid and the prose a delight to listen to in its own right. Francine Rivers did a really good job of researching how an 1850 back-country Appalachian village might look and feel and speak, and all of that research goes into the story. There is a particularly memorable scene of an old woman receiving a back-woods remedy for what I assumed was arthritis, and that, all by itself, made the book memorable. But for the reasons I cited earlier in this review, all I could manage to give it is three stars.

If you are a fundamentalist Christian, this book will seem rich and worthy of great praise. If you are a mere orthodox Christian like myself, this book will start out like gang busters and then turn slightly sour, though in the end the story will be memorable, and the doctrine right on. If you are someone who does not hold to the Christian Faith, this book will be one you put down about half-way through, unless of course The Spirit falls upon you and you are converted by the story, but that is the only way non-believers will be able to get through this story, in my humble opinion.

In closing, this book was written to entertain believers. That's a shame, because there are a lot of people who could use the good and powerful message contained in it.(less)

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May 20, 2009 Kacie rated it 1 of 5 stars

My bookish blogging friends challenged my disdain for Francine Rivers (which I picked up from my fav. college lit professor, who called Rivers Christian crap-o-rama). Maybe I was being too harsh. Maybe there was a depth to Rivers that is often missing in popular Christian fiction.

Well - if Francine Rivers has a greater depth than most, it wasn't evident in "The Last Sin Eater". I didn't like it. I mean, I actually really liked the concept, but about half-way through the novel the concept starte...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

REALLY hard to get into--the first couple of chapters are a blur of strange names, character with no context to connect them, and odd speech patterns. I was probably a third of the way through the book before I realized that the other characters could not see or hear Lilybet, and I don't think that was supposed to be a reveal. On the flipside, the author treats Cadi's past as Big Secret, complete with a "shocking" reveal--which is strange because she gives us enough clues to piece together pract...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Rob rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian

This was my first Francine Rivers novel. I enjoyed this one. She did a good job of creating a very entertaining story that presented the Gospel in a very clear and direct way. Rivers did not try to hide the real purpose of this story. This story points you directly to the Savior Jesus Christ and our need for Him in our lives. We all have sin and we all deal with guilt. There is no person who can take away our sins. No human is capable of erasing our sin for us. Only God can do that, and He has d...more

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Dec 18, 2011 Katherine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-faves, christian-fiction, seen-movie-tv-adaption

I've read this book several times and watched the movie, and it's a firm favourite.

Funny story: I actually dreamt this whole book, as a movie, and was convinced for months that I'd actually seen it (though I had NO IDEA where I'd watchied it). My movie version was totally awesome, better than the actual movie of it... yeah, when I watched the movie I realised that I'd dreamt it. The movie is still pretty good though, one of the better Christian movies I've seen.

I love this book for a reason that...more

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Jul 17, 2010 Mandy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-reviews, audio-books, mandys-reads, read-in-2010

MY REVIEW:

My enjoyment of Francine Rivers writing began just over a year ago and I have since read a number of her books. This one being the most recent. Francine not only knows how to craft a riveting story, but one full of spiritual depth and challenge, too.

The Last Sin Eater sounds like a strange book but it only takes a few moments to get drawn into the old tale set in the heart of the mountains among a handful of families who settled there only 2 generations ago. It's a story of fear, fasci...more

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Apr 04, 2009 Louise rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction

Quite an interesting piece of fiction...weird!

From dust jacket:

"Cadi Forbes knows it's forbidden, that doing so will bring curses down on her - but something deep and instinctive moves her, against all dire warnings, to find the "sin eater."

No matter that no one knows where he lives - nor that Cadi must keep her quest a well-guarded secret. All that matters is finding the one man who can set her free from the sin that plagues her days and nights, the sin that has stolen her mother's love from he...more

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May 26, 2010 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I suppose this may be, to some people, a better book than 3 stars. I must admit that I would call this a "woman's" book. Is that sexiest? I also usually avoid what are generally called "coming of age" stories or tales. This is also one of those.

What drew me to it was the fact that I'm a Christian and also from the Smoky Mountain area. I grew up at the end of the 50s and into the 60s and still remember many of the superstitions held by my great grandparents and grand parents. Sin Eaters however w...more I suppose this may be, to some people, a better book than 3 stars. I must admit that I would call this a "woman's" book. Is that sexiest? I also usually avoid what are generally called "coming of age" stories or tales. This is also one of those.

What drew me to it was the fact that I'm a Christian and also from the Smoky Mountain area. I grew up at the end of the 50s and into the 60s and still remember many of the superstitions held by my great grandparents and grand parents. Sin Eaters however were firmly in the past. While I was aware of the practice I knew little about it other than that it involved a cast out man eating a symbolic meal from the body or casket of the dead, symbolically taking the sins of the deceased. This is so at odds with Christian teaching that i have wondered about it before. I suppose this is like a lot of other superstitions that clash with religious beliefs also held in that the believers just don't think about it. I believe (from what little reading directly on the subject that I have done) that "sin eating" was originally based not on a belief that the "soul of the person" was being saved from Hell, but that if the "sins" remained the dead might walk. it seems to be tied in with older fears of ghosts, the undead, witchcraft and "the like". It was later merged with an understanding of Hell I suppose to explain the practice. (All that is just my musings on the subject.)

The book is a novel and does little to shed light on any of this by the way.

I could identify with the some experiences of the narrator in some ways. Growing up among some adults who saw life as a hard even brutal thing and having the attitude that children should be seen and not heard, shouldn't ask questions and definitely shouldn't have the "iffy" questions of life answered. Adults who maintained an understanding of imagination, curiosity, and sometimes even love seemed to few in places and times that required hard work just to survive. I was told often to "hush" and to "stop asking so may questions" as a child. My early love of my pets was a mystery to my grandparent sand even my parents...they were "just animals". So, there were parts of this book I could identify with.

The book carries a Christian message and for me that would be a positive, but be aware of it. I haven't read any of Rivers' other books, but my daughter is aware of them and likes some.

So some will find this a much better book than I did and I endorse that willingly for you. I just kept losing interest because I'm not really into this type of novel.
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Jul 09, 2012 Chasy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites

The Last Sin Eater is my second favorite book of all time; it literally changed my life in the summer of 2003 (so for a whole year, it got to be my top favorite book ;)).

Francine Rivers has a knack for capturing your heart with her characters while weaving truth and hope throughout (even amidst tragedy, which is saying a lot because I hate tragedy in books—I boycotted Dean Koontz for his ending to Odd Thomas). This particular book is no different and, in some ways, manages to be richer in its de...more

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May 06, 2013 Bethany Shaw rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Last Sin Eater takes a real Welsh tradition and creates a meaningful Chrisitian allegory. The protagonist and heroine is 10 year-old Cady Forbes who is a mite too curious for her own good at times. Suffering in the guilt and shame of past actions Cady is not the typical happy child she once was. Her demeanor is only worsened with the death of her grandmother. At this she realizes that she will die someday and her sin will be gone but, like many, she is unwilling to wait. She wants to be free...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Nancy by: Emily

Shelves: book-group

I was easily and quickly caught up in this story, enjoying the writing - after getting used to the 'accented' speech used. I am drawn to stories with strong emotion, when it isn't melodramatic or trying too hard, which this did not. The idea and symbolism of the sin eater was intriguing. But a little more than half way through, it started to feel strained. Maybe if I had known ahead of time that this is actually Christian fiction, I would have been prepared. Two kids spouting LONG sections of sc...more

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Jul 19, 2009 Sandi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow! Despite the unusual title I picked up this book at the library because I have liked everything else I had read by Francine Rivers. The story takes place in the Smoky Mountains in the 1850's. The residents of this small hamlet believe that opon death one's sins are removed by offering food and drink the the sin eater. The sin eater taker the sins open himself and the person can be clean before God. Young Cadi Forbes questions this and sets out to meet the Sin Eater. Along the way she meets a...more

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Aug 14, 2007 Elizabeth Lawson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: christianfiction

This is an amazing book that tells of a young girls deliverance from the weight and burden of sin. A historical fiction account of the Great Smokey Mountain clans coming from Scotland who reinvent the practice of Sin Eating.

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Feb 07, 2013 Nichole rated it 2 of 5 stars

I did not care for this book due to it's "New Agey" feel. However, it's historical value is far beyond the two stars I gave it. This books really gives a great in-depth look at the practice of one person chosen by lots to "eat the sin" of a deceased person so that the deceased may be "absolved" of any sin they may have. This was a very well-know practice in many countries. The Last Sin Eater is a story of a little girl who was fascinated by the Sin Eater and plagued by her own guilt over her sis...more

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Feb 02, 2010 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Although I found parts of this book a little preachy, the story and the message were beautiful. Written by a Christian of a different faith as mine, she sometimes said things differently than I am accustom to. But her message was clear, and true, and everything I beleive in. And it tied in so wonderfully with a story that drew me in from the begginning. Although the story is fictional, it is based on a tradition that is real. And having looked into the tradition of the "Sin Eater" a little, I wa...more

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Mar 31, 2009 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction

Francine Rivers is absolutely my favorite Christian fiction author because she delves deeper than the usual romantic fare.

Her most well-known book is Redeeming Love, which is also great, but my favorite book written by her is "The Last Sin Eater". The story is told through the eyes of a young girl who is struggling with issues far too heavy for her age: grief, neglect, guilt, eternal destiny, sin and loneliness. Thanks to the help of her invisible friend (an angel?) and an itinerant preacher, s...more

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May 09, 2012 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: christian

I love this author and love this book!
This story takes place in the 1850's in beautiful but poor, Appalachian Mountains. The chacters are very relatable. Based on a Scottish tradition, a man who is chosen, by lottery, to be the "sin eater" must live apart from the rest of the society. When someone dies, he comes and takes on the dead persons sins onto himself. The young Cadi, who is carrying a horrible burden, will come face to face with this man. The moral of the story, so to speak, is that th...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Becky B rated it 2 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the story and the characters. The characters lives entwine in ways that I found entertaining. I didn't love the author's writing style. I felt like she was trying too hard to leave me hanging at the end of every chapter, always with a "if only they'd known...." type of statement. She also unraveled the story in a painfully slow manner. There were several times I felt a little lost in the narration, especially at the end. (Maybe I'm a little slow, but I felt like I had to keep re-readin...more

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Aug 23, 2008 Cori Cook rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. Kinda weird, but I really liked the message about grace. Again, good redemption theme runs throughout. Lilybet cracked me up!

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Jun 28, 2012 Terri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Francine Rivers never disappoints. Good read! This story depicts, to me, something that can happen when we fall into beliefs for the sake of tradition and/or, as in this case, fear. And, as often happens, a child breaks the monotonous stranglehold that one man's fear holds over a small mountain community, this child and the power of Jesus Christ preached to her by one man with a mission to that community. It's sad what we let ourselves believe and how we live because of fear and selfishness. The...more

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Jul 20, 2009 Sheri rated it 2 of 5 stars

Someone recommended that I read this book and I thought the message of salvation came through well as far as the story goes. But I just could not warm up to any of the characters. I'm not a fan of Appalatian mountain lore anyway and that hindered me in liking the book.
As far as the mother goes, she says at the end of the book that the guilt she felt was why she couldn't look at her daughter...you'll see if you read the book. But the daughter felt nothing if totally unloved and ignored by her...more

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May 30, 2012 Kw rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a surprise this story was. I had never heard of this superstition-based belief, and the glimpse into Great Smoky Mountain life in the 1850s was very interesting. A "clan" living in its own valley, apart from the rest of the world with its own "king," and customs far different from those living only a few miles away. Lovely prose and great character and plot development, in my view. A great book, hard to put down, and full of life lessons from the true King.
Nice to find a stand-alone book,...more

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Jul 25, 2009 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, I actually didn't finish this book, but instead watched the movie so my rating is based on the movie. I know that there are a lot of differences between the book and the movie, but I wasn't able to renew the book at the library so I had to go with this option. There are fewer characters in the movie but I think that it did a good job portraying the message of the book. I did read enough to know that they didn't skip important things and they did take lines directly from the book. I am not...more

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read this online/THE LAST SIN EATER	4	50	Jan 29, 2013 03:30pm

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About Francine Rivers

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 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 Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, a mother of three, and an established romance novelist.
Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith. First published by Bantam Books and then rereleased by Multnomah Publishers in the mid-1990s, this retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea, set during the time of the California Gold Rush, is now considered a classic work of Christian fiction. Redeeming Love continues to be one of the CBA's top-selling titles, and it has held a spot on the Christian best-seller list for nearly a decade.
Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published more than 20 novels with Christian themes—all best sellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous awards, including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America's Hall of Fame. In March 2010, Francine officially became a New York Times bestselling author, when Her Mother’s Hope debuted at #12 on the hardcover fiction bestsellers lists. The sequel, Her Daughter’s Dream, debuted at #12 on the same list just six months later, in September, 2010. Francine's novels have been translated into over 20 different languages, and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and South Africa.
Francine and her husband, Rick, live in northern California and enjoy time spent with their three grown children and every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren. She uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.

Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published numerous novels with Christian themes – all bestsellers-- and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous awards including the Rita Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, after winning her third Rita award for Inspirational Fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers’ of America Hall of Fame. Francine’s novels have been translated into over twenty different languages and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries including Germany, The Netherlands, and South Africa.

Francine and her husband Rick live in Northern California and enjoy the time spent with their three grown children and every opportunity to spoil their four grandchildren. She uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.
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Books by Francine Rivers

A Voice in the Wind (Mark of the Lion, #1)

An Echo in the Darkness (Mark of the Lion, #2)

As Sure as the Dawn (Mark of the Lion, #3)

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Quotes from The Last Sin Eater

“It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all and showing us over and over again the birth, life, death, and resurrection of his only begotten Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord. It was like a best-loved story being told day after day with each sunrise and sunset, year after year with the seasons, down through the ages since time began.” — 25 people liked it

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