Fixin Things: A Novel of Women at Gettysburg by Peggy Ullman Bell. I'm not real fond of fiction and and I'm not real fond of this book. I thought it might bring insight into the Civil War battle at Gettysburg and the role women played in the aftermath, and it did to a certain extent, but the story line was not what I expected. Don't waste your time and money on this book. There are so many good books out there waiting to be read.................like Unspoken by Francine Rivers. This is a fictionalized account of the life of Bathsheba and it brings out some interesting ideas about Bathsheba. Before I read this book, I saw Bathsheba as a villian in her affair with David, but perhaps she was not. Perhaps it was David, the king, and all the power he had that should be held accountable for their affair. The story closely follows the Biblical story and brings forth the historical role of women and customs in ancient Israel. Like I said, I'm not real fond of fiction so my favorite book I have read this year is on the relationship of Ruth, Naomi and Boaz. The Gospel of Ruth by Carolyn Custis James is an extensive commentary on the Book of Ruth. Carolyn Custis James talks about the concept of hesed. Hesed implies that a person goes beyond what is expected of him/her in their love for other people. Ruth could have returned to Moab, found a husband and have forgotten about her mother in law and no one would have questioned her decision, not even Naomi. But she pledged to stay with Naomi and return with her to Bethlehem to worship the God of Naomi, and to provide for Naomi. Boaz displayed hesed when he allowed Ruth to glean in his fields with his servant girls, when he promised to become a kinsman redeemer for Naomi, and when he married Ruth. It is a wonderful commentary of how we should show hesed in our relationships.....................just as Christ displayed the ultimate in hesed when he paid our debt at the cross.
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