Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

This book is stunning and rather ground breaking in Christian fiction for its gritty, truthful, content. While not gratuitous at all, it still manages to paint a clear picture of the depravity and desperation humanity can stoop to when left to our own devices.

When I first read this about ten years ago, it floored me. I wasn't expecting such honesty, having grown used to the gentle "fluff" that seemed to permeate most Christian publications. The subject matter alone was enough to keep most away with a fifty (or a hundred) foot pole. How does one tackle prostitution with sensitivity while maintaining a semblance of realism? Somehow, Francine manages to do both, which is why Redeeming Love is still on bestseller lists fourteen years after its initial re-release into the Christian market.

From the first chapter, this book grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go. My heart ached for Angel the "child of darkness" who, having experienced so much horror from a young age, slowly closes herself down to an emotionless shell of a woman. She sees no future beyond the daily scrape for survival and the constant scraping away of her very soul. In her eyes, every man is the same, wanting only one thing. And she's good at that one thing; the best in fact. Until Michael Hosea.

I won't give away the plot details, but Angel's journey is still as relevant today as ever in its ability to impact and change lives. We need more stories like this which have the power to not only touch hearts but entertain minds. That double edged sword is the mark of an enduring classic.