Israel, My Beloved by Kay Arthur

444 pages, Hennepin County Library

I'm not sure why, but it felt as though it took me an eternity to read this book. We'll meet to discuss it tomorrow night (so I really should be cleaning my house and baking treats!) and it will be interesting to hear other people' s opinions. Basically, Sarah is the main character and she represents Israel. Her beloved husband is God Almighty. The story journeys with Sarah throughout all of Israel's history and into the future (endtimes).

I liked some of the Bible stories brought so vividly to life. I enjoy it when reading a book makes me want to dig into Scripture to see what it REALLY says. Samuel and Levi and their friendship were probably my favorites.

I also liked the way this book made me think about God's chosen people. Why have the Israelites suffered so much over the millenia? It would be interesting to hear a Jewish reader's reaction to the book.

Mostly, though, I found myself reading this as though it were a textbook and I simply had to force myself through the chapters. It was just not that engaging of a book. It didn't help that it took my brain a while to adjust to all the characters, eras, and situations that this one woman was going through.