Love in a Broken Vessel Book Review

SUMMARY:  An Epic Journey of Intimacy, Rejection, Betrayal ... and Hope
     God gives Hosea a difficult command - marry a prostitute in order to show God's people the nature and depth of His love for Israel.  When Hosea goes to Israel to proclaim the Lord's message, the woman God directs him to marry turns out to be his childhood friend Gomer.  He finds her broken and abused, unwilling to trust Hosea or his God.  But when marrying Hosea becomes her only means of escape, Gomer does what she's good at - she survives.  Can Hosea's love for God and God's love for Israel restore Gomer's broken spirit?
      With her powerful combination of in-depth research and masterful storytelling, Mesu Andrews brings to life one of the most complex and fascinating stories of love and forgiveness in the face of utter betrayal.

REVIEW:  Mesu Andrews had a difficult task of portraying the depravity and hardness of hearts of the Israelites and the lengths God goes to showing them how much He loves them and wants them to turn back to Him but she did an outstanding job.  I loved Hosea's devotion to God, doing what seemed impossible and facing persecution and misunderstandings by others.  There were a few hard parts in the book.  It was difficult to see Hosea leave Gomer to preach to Israel, gone for months at a time, but especially the day after she gave birth to their first child.  It was painful to see Gomer reject Hosea and God's love more than once, turn her back on her children to go back into her old lifestyle, even though she hated it.
     The story the author weaved grabbed my heart, at times making me mad at Gomer and the other Israelites for being so close-minded but also making me sad because I could see the hurt and betrayal underneath their attitudes and actions.  So many times, I could see today's culture and could hear God speaking to us, calling us back to Him. I could see God's heart for His people and feel the hurt He feels when we turn our backs on Him.  So much so, my heart would hurt.  This is a fantastic book that everyone needs to read. 

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Mesu Andrews is the author of Love Amid the Ashes and Love's Sacred Song.  Winner of the 2012 ECPA award for Best New Author, she is an active speaker who has devoted herself to passionate and intense study of Scripture.  Harnessing her deep understanding and love for God's Word, Andrews brings the biblical world vividly alive for her readers.  She lives in Washington with her husband.  For more information, check out her website www.MesuAndrews.com.