The book of Ruth, and the story of Ruth and Naomi had always been one of my favorites in the Bible. Redeeming Grace by Jill Eileen Smith brings this story to life as we encounter the customs and the realities of life during this time in Bethlehem and Moab. There is a stark contrast between the pagan customs of Moabites to the truth in trust of Adonai (God) for the Israelites. I thought setting the story before the famine, and before Naomi and her family's move to Moab was interesting.  It definitely provided the backstory that allows a better understanding of Naomi's character and mindset, and appreciation of the bond her and Ruth builds in time. 

The story is narrated through Naomi's, Ruth's and Boaz' perspectives, and it gives insight to the times and relates to readers on a personal level.  I enjoyed the overall retelling of this story, and love the fact that actual Biblical verses were shared at the beginning of each section. In retrospect, Redeeming Grace can be a love story, between Boaz and Ruth, or between Naomi and Ruth, but one can also take it as a love story between Adonai and His people. The amount of faith that resounds throughout, even when characters were skeptical, they trust in His plan. 

One can also see the amount of research the author had done to create this story, from customs to timeline to meaning of the message. As this is the first book by Jill Eileen Smith that I've read, I am in awe with how thoroughly fascinating it is to refer to the Book of Ruth as I read Redeeming Grace. I need to add the rest of her novels to my TBR for sure, especially this collection! If you love Biblical fiction with great research and brings the biblical times to life, you'll enjoy Redeeming Grace.