Book Review: Love Amid the Ashes

Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews is the story of Job from a fresh angle. This is Andrew's first novel. As with her later books, we see the Biblical content elaborated upon with how things might have been and the result is a gripping story that will continually surprise you.

Here we find Dinah, the shamed daughter of Patriarch Jacob, in a place many of us never suspected to find her-- thrust into the midst of Job's struggles. Nobody knows exactly when Job's story took place and at the end of her book Andrews does offer backup for the decision to intertwine these two biblical figures. Whether Dinah and Job lived at the same time, here we find a heartbreaking and ultimately satisfying story of redemption and faithfulness in the midst of the most unimaginable struggles.

Job and Dinah start their journey together after the death of her grandfather Isaac who arranged for Dinah to wed Job's son. From there we begin to encounter an interesting and endearing cast of characters and many twists and turns along the way. Mesu's telling of Job's suffering is not for the faint of heart, yet it lends a realness to the struggles of this man who once lived and breathed and suffered, then rose from the ashes victorious. I do not claim to agree every piece of doctrine presented in this story nor the portrayal of certain characters (especially Jacob), but as fiction I found it to be a satisfying read.

I first discovered Mesu Andrews through Blogging for Books, but have sense continued to acquire her novels for the sheer pleasure of reading. She is a gifted storyteller who seldom disappoints.