Unafraid

Of the rest of the series, this story was by far the one worth waiting for! Unafraid: Mary is the telling of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection, all from the perspective of Mary and Joseph. At first, I wasn't sure that I would like it. But - as an historical account, this one rang the most true, and I would recommend it as a good read for Christmas and Easter. From start to finish, I found myself really absorbing each word, and reflecting on the Lord.

Mary's life was driven by the circumstances in which she found herself; and when she knew without a doubt that Jesus was the Son of God, it was interesting to me how she often seemed to nag Him. It made me reflect on just how much patience Jesus would have had with His family as well as show more His friends, and how much more love He had for everyone He met and those who rejected Him. It brought me to tears more than once, and made me stop to praise God for being such a worthy and willing sacrifice for us all. While each of the books in this series would be fine to read as standalones, it does help to read the entire series because they truly do prepare you for reading this one. show less

Unafraid by Francine River is a fictional account of the life and character of Mary of Nazareth. In Unafraid, Rivers explores and creates characters with great psychological depth. As I read this novel, I felt drawn to the characters situations as I related them to them with recollection of knowledge of historical biblical facts. Also, it allowed me to imagine and "step outside the box" in my own perception about thoughts and ideas that I would assume were truths concerning the character of Mary of Nazareth. The actual story unravels slowly with Jesus growing up and proving who he is; someone of great sacrificial notability. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys exploring historical figures within a fictional story. Unafraid show more is the fifth book in the Grace Lineage series by Francine Rivers. show less

As Christians, we may find it a struggle to stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas – the wonder, the joy, and the awesome thought that Christ would leave the glory of heaven to be born here on earth. We have heard the story so often that it begins to lose its power, becoming a part of the Bible we skim through instead of meditate upon. In her book "Unafraid", Francine Rivers breathes new life into Christmas by allowing us to experience the birth of Christ through the eyes of His mother, Mary. We are told of the sorrow of the Jews as they await a Savior; we experience Mary's joy as she is chosen by God to bear the Messiah; we see Joseph's struggle to accept what has happened and we feel the pain of their families rejection. Most show more moving of all, we witness the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, our Redeemer. In this fictional account of Mary's life, Rivers reminds us that Christmas is a time to not only celebrate Christ's birth, but our salvation as well. show less

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 - Ruth
Unspoken - Bathsheba
Unafraid - Mary

My favorite two of the series are Unveiled and Unshaken. I’ve always loved Ruth’s story and I knew very little about Tamar’s story. My lease favorite was Unspoken, which tells the story of David show more and Bathsheba. It was hard to connect to the characters' selfish motives.

One aspect I really like about the books is the fact that River prints the complete Biblical passage at the end. That allows the reader to see what she took from scripture and what she fictionalized. There’s also a devotional with relevant questions at the end of each book. I think they would be perfect for a small women’s Bible study or something similar, because the questions could spark good discussion. show less

Lineage of Grace:

This collection of novellas brings insight into the lives of five women who are named in the lineage of Jesus Christ. These were ordinary women, yet God chose them to accomplish His purpose in history and bring about a greater good than they could have imagined!

The individual novellas are titled: Unveiled (Tamar), Unashamed (Rahab), Unshaken (Ruth), Unspoken (Bathsheba), and Unafraid (Mary).

Tamar’s boldness, determination, and unconditional loyalty to her family; Rahab’s and Ruth’s simple, unshakable faith in the God of Israel despite being foreigners; Bathsheba’s growth in both character and faith in the face of incredible struggles and high stakes; and Mary’s journey to understanding her son’s true purpose show more on this earth – they all inspire me to live as they did, trusting in God wholeheartedly and striving to do His will in everything.

Always worth a re-read! show less

About Mary, the mother of Jesus. An ambitious book, but my favorite part was the way she portrayed Joseph. I've always felt he had too little air time.

I finally finished the Lineage of Grace series by Francine Rivers. This was a good book about the life of Mary (and Jesus, of course). Although it was about the life and death of Jesus, mostly, it was told from a mother's perspective. I can't really say much else. I liked the book!

(Review from my blog: http://thenext100books.blogspot.com/)