Some Dreams Do Come True: Review of Her Daughter's Dream

Today I am sharing my review of Francine Rivers' latest book, Her Daughter's Dream, along with some information on the author. I hope that you will find it helpful and consider reading both books in the series. I've done my best to keep my thoughts very general so as not to spoil things for other Christian fiction lovers. It was an outstanding read.

The review:
Her Daughter's Dream, which is part two in the Marta's Legacy series, is the first book by Francine Rivers that I've had the pleasure of reading. A mere 20 pages into this 592 page fictional book I understood, without a doubt, why the author's work is award winning. It felt attached to me and vice versa. own.

Without being cumbersomely descriptive Her Daughter's Dream painted a vivid picture of a family saga which spanned four generations. To me, it felt much more like watching a movie than reading printed text. A great movie, I might add, with a heart-wrenching but powerful ending.

One of the strengths of this book is that it's main characters experience struggles which are common to many. It's not a far-fetched tale but a realistic story, taken in part, from the author's own family history. I found it emotionally engaging and was brought to tears on more than one occasion.

The message conveyed is one of hope and restoration. No matter where we have been or what we have gone through God has a plan to bring restoration to our lives spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. All He needs is someone who is willing to dream and able to believe.

I highly recommend Her Daughter's Dream and would love to read, part one of the series, Her Mother's Hope.

The author:
Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English and journalism. From 1976 to 1985, she had a successful writing career in the general market, and her books were highly acclaimed by readers and reviewers. Although raised in a religious home, Francine did not truly encounter Christ until later in life, when she was already a wife, a mother of three, and an established romance novelist.

Shortly after becoming a born-again Christian in 1986, Francine wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith. First published by Bantam Books and then re-released by Multnomah Publishers in the mid-1990s, this retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea, set during the time of the California Gold Rush, is now considered by many to be a classic work of Christian fiction. Redeeming Love continues to be one of the Christian Booksellers Association's top-selling titles, and it has held a spot on the Christian best-seller list for nearly a decade.

Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published numerous novels with Christian themes—all best sellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors, including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America's Hall of Fame. Francine's novels have been translated into over 20 different languages, and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and South Africa.

Francine and her husband, Rick, live in northern California and enjoy time spent with their three grown children and taking every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren. Francine uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and she desires that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.

To read the first two chapters of Her Daughter's Dream click here.

To purchase a copy of Her Daughter's Dream click here.

For an interview with the author click here.

To visit Francine Rivers website click here.

Her Daughter's Dream

Today, I am featuring Francine Rivers' latest book, Her Daughter's Dream as part of the CSS Virtual Blog Tour.

I'll be posting my review in the next few days but can tell you that it is an outstanding book which I found nearly impossible to put down. When you get your hands on a copy, you'll be saying the very same thing.

Here is a description:

In the dramatic conclusion to the New York Times best seller Her Mother’s Hope, Francine Rivers delivers a rich and deeply moving story about the silent sorrows that can tear a family apart and the grace and forgiveness that can heal even the deepest wounds.

Good grief

Losses--we all experience them along with the accompanying pain. They penetrate our lives in various forms and magnitudes with little or no warning. Some are short-lived while others lead to long seasons of suffering and grief.

Suffering and grief are something we are all familiar with. Yet, these two words are NOT typically "hot topics" in most Christian circles. As a matter-of-fact they are infrequently dealt with. I find that somewhat astonishing given the fact that 1,185 of the 1,189 chapters of the Bible, in some way, touch on the subject of suffering or death.

It is also confounding to see, with so much of Scripture dedicated to the subject, how frantically we search for ways to quickly dismiss grief. Whether we downplay our pain with positive platitudes or frantically numb it with a frenzy of activities the issue remains the same. We need a framework or "theology of suffering" to deal with our pain if we are to experience God's healing. Many believers do not have one.