This is the first book I read by Francine Rivers and thought it was wonderful! I have recommended it to others & they have loved it as well. It's a western story that portrays God's forgiveness and love for us like the book of Hosea in the Bible upon which this story is loosely based. It gives insight into prostitution and sparks some interesting discussion. The main character, Angel, starts out as a beautiful little girl who gets sold into prostitution with no decent role models and doesn't see real love until she meets Michael Hosea who decides to marry her and take her out of the brothel no matter what. Her life is mostly down, but has ups when she's with him, but she feels so unworthy. Eventually, she learns to trust Michael and more importantly, God, who changes her life. Although it is fiction, the characters are well developed and seem very real. I found myself pulling for Angel all through the book, in spite of her poor decisions. Although some parts are very depressing, it has an amazing ending that left me feeling happy. This book covers a wide spectrum from cruel and depressing to wonderful and joyful, even though it didn't end like I thought it would. I highly recommend this book!
