Review: Contemporary Tale of Naomi and Ruth
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 2, 2012
First-time author Shelley Ring has produced a contemporary, multilayered parallel to the biblical account of Naomi and Ruth. "Forsaken" is a Christian narrative of personal relationships, heartache, romance, emotion and challenges. The story is told in the first person, alternating between Lara and her mother-in-law, Naomi. Having suffered tragic losses which impacted every aspect of their lives, Naomi rejected God. As their personal struggles and reactions to the events in their lives are revealed the reader gains insight into the character of these women and the emotional and painful decisions they are compelled to make. Family dynamics and long-kept secrets are revealed, and the layers of the story continue to build. Creative characters are emotional, cantankerous, romantic, and include a slobbering dog and a delightful young child. The plot progressed to a powerful conclusion.Ms. Ring writes with poignancy, and her characterizations evoke a medley of emotions as well as questions of faith and trust in God as the story unfolds. Naomi's plots and contrivances regarding Lara's future are humorous and at times, painful. I laughed, questioned my own faith, and at times was brought to tears. I had a bit of difficulty with the alternating personal accounts of the main characters at the beginning of the book, but once I became acclimated to this style I enjoyed the revelation of each character's personal thoughts. I thoroughly enjoyed "Forsaken" and highly recommend it to readers who enjoy Christian fiction.A PDF copy of this book was provided to me by the author for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.