Unveiled: Tamar

Lineage of Grace #1

by Francine Rivers

Book 1 in the 5-book biblical historical fiction series by the New York Times bestselling author of Redeeming Love and A Voice in the Wind.

Betrayed by the men who controlled her future, she fought for her right to believe in a loving God.

Meet Tamar , one of the five women in the lineage of Christ. She risked her life and her reputation to be the woman she was called to be. Her story serves as an example of how God uses our circumstances and our steps toward Him, however faltering, to fulfill His plan.

Unveiled is book one in the popular Lineage of Grace series about five unlikely women who changed eternity.

“Francine Rivers utilizes her expertise as master storyteller to unveil Tamar’s saga, a tale of deception, betrayal, and ultimately hope.”
― Romantic Times

This novella includes an in-depth Bible study perfect for personal reflection or group discussion.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Biblical Fiction, Historical, Faith

192 pages, Hardcover

First published April 6, 2000

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers continues to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her numerous bestsellers include Redeeming Love, A Voice in the Wind, and Bridge to Haven, and her work has been translated into more than thirty different languages. She is a member of Romance Writers of America's coveted Hall of Fame as well as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

www.francinerivers.com
www.facebook.com/FrancineRivers
Twitter: @FrancineRivers

Reviews

[Tandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this novella by chance from the free table at my local library, and I am so glad I did. I've never really read a novelization of biblical stories before, but I'm going to have to get the rest in this series.

Unveiled is a beautiful and uplifting story about the Canaanite woman Tamar, who was married to the great-grandsons of Abraham and the daughter-in-law of Judah. Although Christianity is often disparaged for the poor treatment and bland roles of women, this novelization points out the intense courage and faith of a woman who took YHWH as her own god. Risking a slow, painful death by stoning or burning as well as eternal shame and humiliation, she made sure she had a son to carry on the name of Judah and to care for her.

To read these stories and see past the role of the men to what the women are doing in the background, you really see how the God of all uses both sexes. Women, as the ones who bear children and (traditionally) manage the household, are actually in a place of great responsibility and honor. Tamar, Ruth, Esther, Mary, and all the other women of the Bible took risks as great as the ones Joseph, David, and all our other Biblical heroes did.

As a Christian women, it's comforting and uplifting to hear the unsung stories of my foremothers in the faith. The risks they took and the humility they showed in the face of danger, death, and dishonor helps me to remember my faith in trials. Faith is the single hardest commodity to hold on to, but each woman's story shows it. It's a vital and uplifting lesson.

Tamar's story was short, but I loved it and greatly commend Francine Rivers for taking on the task of writing it. Now, I'm off to find the other four in her series!

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Bible there are many accounts of lives that are summarized in only a few short verses. It's easy to read them and keep going without giving them much thought. I am not saying that we need to read more into them then is there, but there are times we don't really meditate on the passage to the fullest. Francine Rivers takes a passage like that and turns it into a novel that explores what MIGHT have been. Remember, this is fiction based on a few facts...so while the skeleton may be truth, the body of the book is made up based what knowledge there is about that time period. I think this is a great read, and I highly recommend it, but what I don't want it for anyone to approach it as truth through and through. For me, reading this helped me see beyond the cold facts to the emotion...to the reality of life in those days. I am amazed at the grace and mercy that God showed towards Tamar. I am horrified at what life was like for women in those days. I am awed by the power of God. This story takes a woman we quickly read past and brings her to life. She was not perfect by any means, but God chose to use her for His glory.

[Cortney Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great...a quick read as well. It is a fictional story based on scripture regarding Joseph's brother Judah. I enjoy Francine Rivers writing because she does studies at the end of her books and states this is her perception based on scripture.
There is a series of these books of women in the Bible. I can't wait to read the next one!

I am reading this series for the second time...and thoroughly enjoyed again. A true book of hope.

[Ieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaut es esmu izlasījusi Bībeli no A līdz Z, un pārlasu tās fragmentus regulāri, laikam esmu ļoti tālu no tās dziļas pārzināšanas. Ja man liktu nosaukt sieviešui vārdus Bībelē, Tamāras vārds laikam man nenāktu prātā - un, godīgi sakot, pirms šīs grāmtas es arī neko nevarētu atbildēt, ja man prasītu, kas viņa ir. Viņas otro vīru, Onanu, gan zinu kā tēlu, bet diemžēl ne to labāko iemeslu pēc. Tāpēc vien ir lanbi, ka kādam citam citi stāsti ir likušies gana nozīmīgi, lai tos ne tikai pastāstītu citiem, bet piešķirtu tiem elpu un dzīvi. Tā kā šajā Riversas sērijā izrādās ir veselas 5 grāmatas, notiekti noklausīšos tās visas.

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was very intriguing.

This book is part of a series: five women who are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.

Audiobook source: Audible
Narrator: Barbara Rosenblat
Length: 4H 19M

[Shelly Sprain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never studied Tamar. I could not put this down.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up and when I had a few hours to wait this afternoon, and was delighted with this little novella. It made for an easy read -- I finished it in one sitting -- and yet it had a lot of heart behind it, too.

I have always been intrigued about Tamar's story in the bible. I often wonder what she must've been thinking as she was given first to Er, then to Onan, and then promised to the youngest son...but the promise was never fulfilled. Francine Rivers view of how this young woman might have been like, how she felt, and why she reacted the way she did was very well done. Tamar was a very extraordinary woman, and I just loved how she kept seeking God, even when Judah kept putting her off.

[Sherri Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a good thing that i wear waterproof eye makeup! I listened to the last section of this book on my to to work. Although this book is mostly fiction in the dialog and some of the storyline, the core of it is 100% scripture.
This is a great story of a strong, courageous, and righteous young Canaanite woman who found a great faith in the Unseen God of Abraham. Isaac, and Jacob. it is also a remarkable and wonderful story of the redemption of a man named Judah .
I love the way Francine uses scripture for dialog as well. it shows how scripture permeates our life, to give us hope, strength and courage.
Now.....time for the next book of the women in the linage of Christ....Rahab.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Tamar. Her name meant “date palm”. It was a name given to one who would become beautiful and graceful.”

A lovely biblical retelling of Tamar. Not an easy story to tell but I love how Francine Rivers leads your imagination beyond what is provided in the Bible.

I listened to the accompanied audiobook performed by Barbara Rosenblat. I give 5 stars for a an excellent dramatic performance.

This is my first book by this author but will not be my last.

Recommended for those who like to read biblical fiction.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the way Francine Rivers tells and expands upon Bible stories. Some of the details were speculation, but she didn't change the part of the narrative we do know from the Bible.

It's hard to give this particular title more than 3 stars because the story is just....icky. Tamar found a way to hold Judah accountable to what he owed her. I just can't even imagine being in that position. 😱🤢

Rivers did a good job telling the story accurately, but she was tasteful in the way she shared some of the more unsavory details.

[Gohnar23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this and I would say.. This is a very much an interesting and more indulging retelling of the story of Tamar in the bible, when I first read the verses it almost seems like the plot changes every sentence so i loved how the author makes there vague simple sentences and transforms it into a story with more action and dialogue but is still reminiscent of the original text verses.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. This was a fantastic retelling of Tamar's story in the book of Genesis. Review to come.

[Ali Irvine · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first foray into Biblical fiction (my mum never let me read any, thinking it was sacrilege) and I didn't hate it. I really love Tamar's story in Genesis and it was interesting to 'fill in the blanks' of the bare bones of the Bible narrative to consider what motivated her outrageous act. It was also helpful to consider how the nations around the Hebrews at that time would've worshipped their gods, and why YAHWEH would have stood out as a unique and strange God to their ears. The book also highlighted that in bearing a son, Tamar would be delivered which was a great allusion to what Jesus (who came from Tamar's line) would eventually do. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Am I now going to make a beeline for Biblical fiction? No. Have I changed my mind about Biblical fiction? I think I never made up my mind in the first place, and am still undecided. Although someone from church gave me a book of 5 of these Biblical fiction stories so there will be more Biblical fiction read before the year's up.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm gonna have to go read this story in the Bible again. This was great!

[Bosibori · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Tamar. Her name meant date palm. It was a name given to one who would become beautiful and graceful. A date palm survives the desert and bears sweet, nourishing fruit, and the girl came from a fertile family. A date palm sways in the desert winds without breaking or being uprooted, and this girl had to face Ers quick, irascible temper. A date palm could survive a hostile environment, and Judah knew Bathshua would see this girl as her rival. Judah knew his wife would pit herself against this young bride because Bathshua was vain and jealous of her sons affections".

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first read of Francine Rivers - I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Esther* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series of novels, of which this is the first of five, form a larger book called ‘Lineage of Grace’, where Rivers creates fictional autobiographical accounts of the five women mentioned in the bible as part of Jesus’ genealogy. Of course material like this needs to be handled with care, and many liberties are taken to fill in the gaps that the original biblical material leaves for us to guess about.

What Rivers is exceptionally good at is immersing the reader into the world of these Middle Eastern women who lived many centuries ago. Particularly in the case of Tamar, her actions as described in Genesis are extremely confusing for us as contemporary readers. Yet this story gives us an understanding of the worldview she probably grew up with, and how her choices were influenced by the synchronous belief system of the Canaanites mixed in with what she knew of the Hebrew God.

This retelling has given me fresh respect for the character of Tamar, and a better understanding of the importance of Judah’s place in the lineage of the evergrowing Israelite nation. Any book which increases our understanding of the bible and wonder of God is an excellent use of the author’s skill and insight, and I would highly recommend this series of books to everyone.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am in a Bible Study that has been going through the book of Genesis for over a year now! We had gotten to the chapter about Judah and Tamar, and our leader recommended this book as a fictional retelling of Tamar's story. Since it was a quick read (only 4 hours on audio) I decided to have a quick listen! Tamar is one of the few women named in Jesus' lineage, and that is something to take note of! It was an enjoyable story and a glimpse into what life may have been like during that time. She has written stories about the other women in Jesus' lineage as well, so I may have to look into them as well!
#2024Read #CurlyBookReview #AudiobookReading

[Reneè Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This makes my Bible come alive. I have never studied Tamar before and wow! She is one Godly, strong woman.

[Emily Damon]

😭😭😭😭

[Marloes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wat bijzonder om een korte novelle te lezen over Tamar uit de Bijbel. Erg mooi en indrukwekkend geschreven. Ik kijk er naar uit om ook de novelles te gaan lezen over 4 andere bijzondere vrouwen uit de Bijbel!

3 sterren ⭐️

[Maygon Brack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading stories about people mentioned in the Bible through the eyes of an author such as Francine Rivers. She does a wonderful job of opening our minds to the lives of those people.

[David Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun easy read, brings the Bible to life.

[Katelin Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this interpretation. 4.5!

[Anna Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just good 🤷🏽‍♀️ I like seeing biblical stories come to life through books like this. A quick little afternoon read!

[Ruth Aguilar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a huge eye opener of a Bible story that is overlooked in the genealogy of Jesus. The story is based on the story in the Bible about Judah and Tamar. I am glad I read the book and glad for the discussion questions at the back of the book. Very thought provoking book and questions that make the story relevant to every person no matter the stage of life.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unveiled is an inspiring fictional story based on a woman who is in Christ's lineage. The title and blurb on the book might discourage readers from picking it up, but I think that it is inspiring and would be encouraging even to people who don't enjoy Christian books. I won't to into the Biblical aspects of the story, but it gave me insight to some things I hadn't considered prior to reading it.

Historical fiction is one of my very favorite genres, and this one is such a genre. I am Christian and yet I either had forgotten who Tamar is or I never heard or read of her before. My hope would be that others would read this book from a historical fiction perspective and glean what they can from it.

[gigithebibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting short read. I really liked how Tamar’s strength and determination came through. She’s portrayed as a bold and resilient woman, which made her easy to admire. The author did a good job imagining what Tamar might have been thinking or feeling, and I liked that the story stayed pretty true to the biblical account while adding some creative depth.

On the flip side, the writing style didn’t totally click with me it felt a bit plain at times. The story is straightforward and easy to follow, but it doesn’t go very deep or leave a lot to reflect on afterward. Still, it’s a solid read if you enjoy biblical fiction and want a fresh perspective on a lesser-known character.

[Auntie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our new little Book Club decided to read this Francine Rivers biography of the Biblical figure, Tamar, the hapless daughter-in-law of Judah (the older brother of Joseph (coat of many colors fame.)I had previously discounted this little series of books as worth my time and money. I was SO WRONG!

Francine Rivers works her magic to help us to see a woman that God chose, as He walked the hallway of human history, to show us how to persevere and to ultimately delight in learning to trust in the God of the nation of Israel. We learn much about the culture of the time and the necessity for a woman to bear offspring to continue the family line. Frankly, has much changed in this day and age? For Tamar, though, this necessity was the difference between life and death.

There is the added feature in this book, of wonderful helps in the form of questions for personal reflection as well as questions for group discussion. They werefactors for me. I am sold! Our next book is the one on Mary, the mother of Jesus. I can't wait!

We are able to accomplish these reads in 2 weeks time. That helps us to continue the momentum without being a weekly obligation.

[Adrienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unveiled: Tamar's story of being unloved but not forgotten. It was believed that she had a curse on her husbands, or the first two line of Hebrew men since it was there custom on both sides (Canaanite and Hebrew Jew) to marry next male child in line if your first husband dies. She had to dress and become a harlot to get what was rightfully hers; to carry the seed of her husband. It showed disobedience can be life-threatening, but she held on to the promise regardless of the lie Judah told her in the fear of losing his youngest son after the first two died. She made it happen under life-threatening circumstances because when a woman is accused of adultery, this leads to her very death by family members (and others). Instead of worrying about carrying a male child, she actually carried two sons. Blessings upon her.

I've always liked this Bible story but she crafted and weaved a well-needed and written story. 4.75 stars.

Adrienna Turner
Author of "God is in the Equation"
www.adriennaturner.webs.com
Dream 4 More Reviews: www.dream4more.webs.com