Francine Rivers has the wonderful gift of putting the reader into Bible stories. She brings these stories to life and makes the characters into personal friends.

"Unafraid" by Francine Rivers is the story of Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus. Ms Rivers gives the reader the feeling of being with the simple peasant
girl who became the mother of the Messiah, living through the scorn of her family and neighbors,all the while, holding to the angel's words.

I watched Mary cope with being the mother of the Son of God while being
the mother of the sons and daughters of Joseph. It was heartbreaking being with Mary at the crucifixtion but exhilarating to experience the wonder of seeing Jesus return.
We are not told all of Mary's story in the Bible but by combining
Biblical facts with knowledge of the customs of the times, Ms. Rivers brings her story to life.

"Unafraid" is a valuable addition to bible study, in order to get a real feeling of what life must have been like for the mother of Jesus.

I recommend adding it to your Christmas season reading to help keep focused on the reason for the season.
However, its value is much more than that. While "Unafraid" is the story of Mary, at its heart is the story of every person and his or her choice to either accept or refuse God's mission.



More women of the Bible. Books by Francine Rivers.