I read my first Mesu Andrews book last year (Isaiah’s Daughter), and that book not only ended up on my Top 5 Reads of 2019 list, but it also rocketed Mesu onto my list of Auto-Buy Authors. From now on, I never want to miss a new release of hers!
In the meantime, however, I am trying to work my way through her backlist. Audible is a great way to do this, and this month, I chose to use my Audible credit to download one of Mesu’s earliest works, Love in a Broken Vessel.
Check out the cover and back cover description below!
An epic journey of intimacy, rejection, betrayal . . . and hope
God gives Hosea a difficult command–marry a prostitute in order to show God’s people the nature and depth of His love for Israel. When Hosea goes to Israel to proclaim the Lord’s message, the woman God directs him to marry turns out to be his childhood friend Gomer. He finds her broken and abused, unwilling to trust Hosea or his God. But when marrying Hosea becomes her only means of escape, Gomer does what she’s good at–she survives. Can Hosea’s love for God and God’s love for Israel restore Gomer’s broken spirit?
With her powerful combination of in-depth research and masterful storytelling, Mesu Andrews brings to life one of the most complex and fascinating stories of love and forgiveness in the face of utter betrayal.
I was happy to discover that Mesu’s impeccable historical and Biblical detail, and gripping, emotional storytelling that I fell in love with have been her signature since the beginning of her career. She beautifully brought to life the dramatic story of Hosea–the prophet God called to marry a prostitute named Gomer. This can be a confusing and heavy Bible story to read, but Mesu brings it to life in a way that makes it so much more understandable and relatable.
I loved the fact that Mesu portrayed Gomer and Hosea as having known each other in childhood, before Gomer’s life took such a tragic turn and led her to a career as a harlot. There is nothing in the Bible that says this was how the circumstances were, but it makes sense that God, who is a God of such intricate and perfect plans, would have made it so that Hosea married a woman that he actually had some preexisting feelings for. This added a deeper emotional level to Hosea and Gomer’s relationship that really enhanced the story.
At times, I grew really frustrated with Gomer’s stubbornness and bad choices and just wanted to shake her! But, I think that was the point Mesu was trying to make. Gomer’s continual rejection of and infidelity to Hosea is supposed to be a representation of Israel’s relationship with God, so my frustration with Gomer mirrors how God felt about his people during this time.
Since I listened to this on Audible instead of reading the book, I want to make note that the narrator did a good job with her performance. While not my very favorite narrator I’ve ever heard, Lisa Larsen is pleasant to listen to and does well portraying the various voices and emotional tones while reading.
Overall, I give Love in a Broken Vessel 5/5 Stars for it’s beautiful and stirring depiction of God’s love and mercy and how it was exemplified in Hosea’s love for Gomer. If you enjoy Biblical fiction, especially books that bring to life actual Bible stories and characters, I encourage you to give this book a read!
