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    Love Amid the Ashes: A Novel
    Love Amid the Ashes: A Novel
    Love Amid the Ashes: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    Love Amid the Ashes: A Novel

    Written by Mesu Andrews

    Narrated by Lisa Larsen

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Drawing together the account of Job with those of Esau's tribe and Jacob's daughter Dinah, Love Amid the Ashes breathes life, romance, and passion into the classic biblical story of suffering and steadfast faith.

    Readers often think of Job sitting on the ash heap, his life in shambles. But how did he get there? What was Job's life like before tragedy struck? What did he think as his world came crashing down around him? And what was life like after God restored his wealth, health, and family?

    Through painstaking research and a writer's creative mind, Mesu Andrews weaves an emotional and stirring account of this well-known story told through the eyes of the women who loved him. Drawing together the account of Job with those of Esau's tribe and Jacob's daughter Dinah, Love Amid the Ashes breathes life, romance, and passion into the classic biblical story of suffering and steadfast faith.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateNov 19, 2019
    ISBN9781541433373
    Love Amid the Ashes: A Novel

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    Reviews for Love Amid the Ashes

    4.5/5

    75 ratings14 reviews

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    • 5/5
      4.5 Stars (audiobook review)

      Even if you haven’t grown up in church and read or heard the Bible story of Job, you most likely have heard the name in phrases like “The patience of Job.” In Love Amid the Ashes, Mesu Andrews took the book of Job (a story I have heard since my early childhood in Sunday school) and breaths new life into it.

      I’ve never thought about Job’s wife’s part in the story other than what reads as her nagging him to deny God. Yet, she was a grieving woman who had lost everything alongside her husband. And Andrews made me sympathetic to the character. And that’s just one example of how the author took this story and brought it to life.

      Yes, it’s fiction so there are some liberties taken, but Andrews explains how they are plausible in the afterward of the book. And I am once again driven to Scripture to read the book of Job with new insights and considerations of the Old Testament story.

      The audiobook is narrated well with good transitions and enough voice manipulation to distinguish between the characters, so I never felt lost during the story.


      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      4.5

      Venturing into a couple of older releases from Mesu Andrews, I was so pleased to find the biblical stories I have come to know brought to life in such insightful and intriguing ways.

      In Love Amid the Ashes, Andrews blends the story of Job with a Genesis context. I saw his character—as well as that of Jacob’s daughter, Dinah—in a fresh light, and their struggles feel real as the story unfolds.

      On the other hand, Jehosheba of In the Shadow of Jezebel is not a biblical character with whom I was familiar; still, I could not help becoming captivated by her story. The complications of Israel’s political history—and this woman at the heart of it—are poignantly detailed, but not without hope.

      With both novels, the skillful storytelling Andrews employs shines through the audiobook narration. It proves easy to become immersed in these refreshed ancient stories, and the hours pass all too quickly. I highly recommend Love Amid the Ashes and In the Shadow of Jezebel for any reader in search of well-researched, uplifting biblical fiction.

      I received complimentary copies of these books and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This book astounded me!

      I was literally in awe of the careful and wonderful research, the thought provoking words, dialogue and story. The characters were in a class of their own. They brought so much life to the story.
      The book made me read the book of Job and understand it in a totally new way. It felt like I was watching a movie and it was absolutely interesting.
      I listened to the audio book and the narrator made it all better.

      Mesu Andrew is a master at what she does.

      I received a copy of the audio book and this is my honest opinion

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Overall I liked this book, and I am glad that I listened to it. To explain my rating, I am going to talk about several aspects of this book.

      I did listen to this book. To me, I will not listen to an audiobook if I do not like the narrator. I really like Lisa Larsen. This is not the first book that I have listened by her, and I am sure I will listen to more in the future. Besides doing a great job at using interesting voices, the book is easy to understand at various speeds. Audio narration: 5 stars

      I will say that listening to biblical fiction was a little bit challenging. Because a lot of the names are unfamiliar and also similar to each other, at times I had a hard time following who was who. I would say if a person purchased the book with an audio narration that is the best option. The book might be easier to understand if one is reading along.

      Plot. How the author decided to connect Job to other portions of the Bible was interesting. I had heard that Job was maybe set during the time of the Patriarchs or early Israelite rulers/tribes. The author did convince me that this timing was possible.

      I do think hearing all of the calamities that Job faced happening one after another really brought to life the reality of what a horrible day that would have been. I do think that it brought a possible reason as to why Job's wife was difficult - perhaps she was not as loyal as Job to his God. I also think that the connection to Jacob's daughter, Dinah and the truth behind her troubled circumstances, was an interesting thought. There seemed to be a large gap between when Job was stricken and his friends arrived. This was necessary for the other fictional evil to happen, but I must say I did not really get that such a gap makes sense with the Bible.

      I did like the Scripture quotations. Using Scripture is in this type of genre is so important. The emphasis on God's holiness is powerful. I do feel like God would definitely be honored with this portrayal.

      But I felt at times that perhaps some of the verses quoted in the actual chapters were possibly out of context. Putting a man who had so many actually quotations into fictional form is challenging. Keeping everything perfectly in context would be very hard in this story.

      There was a bit that I struggled with in the book. The connections made between Job's friends and family with actual people in Genesis was a bit of a stretch. I am guessing that the author really did try to research what would work and what would fit the biblical narrative. But I felt a bit of uneasy since discerning between fact and fiction was often blurred. The women being frequently at the ash heap also did not make sense culturally to me. Even his wife is only mentioned limited times in the Bible. I will say that I did like the women characters. But without giving too much away, there were definitely some leaps made as far as the women's roles that were hard for me to fully embrace.

      I am glad that I listened to this book. It did cause me to think about Job in a new way. Pondering the possibilities did help me to understand what might have been. Possibly the best part is the fact that after listening I wanted to read Job (and even parts of Genesis) again for myself. Any book that sends me back to the Bible is a good thing.

      My background did influence how I felt about this book as well. Several years ago for our church children's Sunday school class, we spent over a year studying Job. While I did not teach every week, I lead many times and spend time organizing lessons. We primarily used the actual text with a little bit of assistance from Warren Wiersbe's Be Commentary series. So I do feel like I actually knew quite a bit about the biblical book before I read this fictional book.

      Final rating: 4.3 - almost enough to round up to a 5, but not quite. I was granted a complimentary copy of this book to listen to as a part of the JustRead Tours. I wanted to review this book because I do feel like that biblical fiction must be held to a higher standard since at least parts are based on God's perfect book of Scriptures. We humans can make errors. For the most part, the author did handle God's Word accurately. I appreciated her attention to details. All opinions in this review are my own.



    • 5/5
      The best description I can give for this story is that it wrecked me and challenged me, put me to tears and made me love God more because he's merciful even in our unfaithfulness. I look back and think can I be like Job, thankful in the midst of pain, blessing God despite my sufferings.
      I love the research that went into this story and must admit that it helped me see the book of Job in a different and more interesting light.
      The narrator was excellent. I didn't get bored of tired of the story.
      I'd definitely be coming back to this story another time.
      I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the author via JustRead tours. All opinions expressed are solely mine.
    • 5/5
      I listened to the audiobook of Love Amid the Ashes. I think listening to it took me on a little different journey than if I had just read it. For me it was an emotional book and felt like I was invested in the characters. I never would have thought about Dinah being Job’s wife but the author did lots of research and at the end she tells us why and what she found when she decided to write this book the way she did. Remember it is fiction of a real event.
      Of course anyone that knows anything about the Bible has heard of Job, but to listen to the story told to you in detail was awesome. Such a great story of how God is faithful to His children. Job being so downcast after losing everything but yet still holding on to God is a story I can hear over and over again. Dinah’s part in this book really held my attention too and how Job would tell her about God. There were many details and characters that I loved. Loss, love and redemption are all part of this book. I think it’s written in a powerful way. Mrs Andrews knows how to get you involved in the characters.
      If you have never read/listened to Mesu Andrew books do yourself a favor and get one if you like Biblical Fiction at all.
      I received this audiobook from justreadtours but was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
    • 3/5
      In Love Amid the Ashes we get to see Job's life played out, but told from the point of view of Dinah, a woman known in the Bible as Jacob's only daughter, and the woman that was obsessively pursued and raped by Shechem (reference Genesis 34). I enjoyed learning more about Dinah, seeing her life played out in a realistic way, and the love between her and Job.

      Being true to "fiction" in historical fiction, there were liberties taken as far as the story in comparison to what we know from the Bible, and I have to admit that they were numerous, and several I did not agree with, but I believe that is based on personal preference, and doesn't take away from the Biblical account. Having the author's note at the end to explain her reasonings for taking certain liberties did help tremendously.

      What bothered me more than anything was the simplicity. I felt like the whole story was "skin deep," not digging deeper into the characters and their motivations, which was bothersome to me, as I hungered to connect more with them, especially Dinah. The story itself was intriguing, but where is the emotion?

      As far as the audio narration, Lisa Larsen did an incredible job! Her soothing voice had me gripped to the story from the beginning, and helped me make it through some tough work days, allowing my mind to get lost in the time of Job while handling mundane tasks.

      All in all I enjoyed this audio experience, and though there are some issues with the story itself for me personally, I would still recommend a listen. I do believe Mesu Andrews has only gotten better in her writing over the years but, even at the beginning, you can see that she has a gift for storytelling, and truly did bring Job's story to life.

      *I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this audiobook which I received from the author/publisher through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own.
    • 4/5
      The end which took a long, long time to get to. There were so many characters and relationships identified that it was hard to follow. Job suffering for over a year seems unimaginable as I don’t think anyone realistically could last that long without food and proper medical help. One never realized his three friends were going to enter the picture because there were chapters of his suffering before that even happened.
      I think the book could’ve eliminated at least 5 to 7 chapters.
    • 5/5
      I don't read a lot of biblical fiction, but when I do I enjoy them. I have liked everything I have read by Mesu Andrews so far. She connects dots from the bible that I haven't noticed before. I was so excited about a previous book by this author that I followed along with her The Bible Project read through group on YouVersion app last year. Tons of thoughtful insight.

      This is such a tragic story. Dinah, losing her husband. Job, losing his children and possessions, and then his health and wife. Everything that could go wrong drastically does. Even so this small cast of characters soldier on and try to make the best out of an impossible situation. It really is remarkably told.

      The book of Job is a relatively short book. Love Amid the Ashes really breathed a life into the story I hadn't considered before. The saying 'having the patient of Job' was described so well in the beginning of this book. I loved how Mesu portrayed this man of faith while he interacts with everyone, trying to bring everyone up to his level, even in grief. Explaining why sacrifice is important, and allowing atonement to completely wash away the past. I need a mentor in my life like Job, especially after a year like 2020.

      I rooted for the good guys, and hated the bad guy, and hoped for the future I already knew the ending to.

      I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion
    • 5/5
      They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but Love amid the ashes surely is the opposite. The author's writing has transformed a well-known Bible book into a tapestry of vivid imageries and colour that leaves a lasting impression on the mind.Love amid the ashes brings the story of Job and Dinah alive, giving you a glimpse of Job's experience in the most difficult time in his life. That the author has taken the time to study other books, and the timeline is a remarkable tribute to her ability and skill and a worthy testimony of Job's faith.When we read the Bible, we forget sometimes the backstory and how everything fits together. The timeline interlinked to give you a broad picture of life and how everything fits together. Though I have read of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, I never really gave her much thought. Now I am thinking differently about this beautiful woman and her faith. It felt like I was walking along with Job, as she nursed him back to life and a love so wide as the desert that formed against them.Sitis was another wonderful woman worthy to be mentioned. We don't read about her other than that she told Job to curse God and die. Her name doesn't even appear within the book of Job. But through the historical background, we get a glimpse of this woman's path and her own restoration with God Almighty, before she left this earth. I think the author did a wonderful tribute to her as well. When you lose everything that is dear to you in one heartbeat, you lose it. I know a little of that myself. Therefore, my admiration for this woman just grew exponentially.Job's path is written with so much empathy and understanding that I have a new admiration for this man who was loved by God. His strong character shines forth within each page. His relationship with God is a testimony of his true faith. What stood out most was the place where most of the story takes place, the ash heap in his kitchen courtyard. Here he was confronted with unbearable pain, rejection of his most trusted friends and betrayal of those who seek his position and riches for themselves. In the end, their greed and power hunger cost them more than just poverty or death.On this ash heap, he had to learn to trust God unconditionally even though worms were eating his flesh away. The stench that accompanied him was unbearable to read but touching as you witness Nogahla and Dinah's devotion to care for him.The supporting characters each played an integral part in this story, Aban and Nogahla, Nada and Sayyid, the widow, Esau, Jacob, Joseph, the three friends Bildad, Eliphaz, and Zophar. They created more depth and believability to the storyline and in the end, they all either withered or got to know El Shaddai through the lives of Job and Dinah.The land of Uz played a big role in the story's buildup, as the author described the carved palaces and dangerous siq to enter the city. We don't always think about how life really was and the difficulties these people faced.I love the role that the hoopoe played throughout the storyline. Its divine intervention at the most difficult times was always a sign of hope and trust in the divine plan of El Shaddai. A worthy ally who added greater depth to the plot.A marvellous book that touches every part of our walk as we discover who God is and the relationship He wishes to have with us if we only let him.Praise to the writer for this marvel.Thank you for this wonderful gift.
    • 5/5
      I'm not a historical fiction reader. However, the Biblical Historical Fiction books by Mesu Andrews caught my attention and I started with "Love Amid the Ashes". This book was wonderful. Very well-written, captivating, kept me wanting to read it all the way through. It was an engaging story and full of moments expressing the struggles and joys of faith in God.
    • 4/5
      As Job said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. Yahweh gave and Yahweh has taken away; may the name of Yahweh be praised." Or how about "Though He might slay me - He is still my God, my only hope of deliverance.". These are hard sayings to live by when everything you have is taken from you and only your life is spared, and even that life you have is close to death. But as a friend said in this book, "El Shaddai is beyond our reach. Fear Him, yes, but recognize His work as a loving expression to draw a man closer, not crash or repel him." The author did a good job of taking the book of Job from the Bible and giving her thoughts on how everything happened when God allowed Satan to test Job's love for His God. It made me appreciate and understand all that Job endured. This is fiction, but it is based upon the Bible and although the true story can get lost in the fiction, I believe the author did a good job of remaining true to all that Job endured.
    • 4/5
      I was looking for something a little different when I chose Love Amid The Ashes by Mesu Andrews. It is always a risk when a book is about a Biblical character — the Biblical account can be lost or obliterated. And by placing Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, in the middle of Job’s story seemed like a big risk. Well, I am happy to say that despite my first misgivings, I really liked Love Amid The Ashes.The action of the novel begins 20 years after the massacre of Shechem by Jacob’s sons. Dinah has lived a life of shame, but has been sheltered by her grandfather, Isaac. Now Isaac is dead and Job, the grandson of Esau, has vowed to give Dinah a home with his oldest son. On the eve of arriving in Uz, the testing of Job begins. Both characters face loss, betrayal, shame and finally restitution.It is very apparent that Mesu Andrews undertook painstaking research in writing Love Amid The Ashes. The culture and customs of the time come to life. The Biblical characters included in the book are true to their characters and are fleshed out in a very satisfying way. Jacob and Esau are still at odds with each other and are true to their deceptive and blustery personalities. Job is a righteous man in all ways and still very human. His trials are depicted in a way that is both believable and inspirational. The theme of God’s grace in restitution is powerfully portrayed. In the afterword, Andrews explains her process for fictionalizing the Biblical account – a plus for the reader.If you like fiction based on the Bible, Love Amid The Ashes is definitely a book you need to check out.Recommended.
    • 5/5
      I became hooked on Biblical fiction when I read Roseanna White's A Stray Drop of Blood and Jill Eileen Smith's Wives of King David series. Both of those ladies are masterful with their skills and are at the top of my favorites list. Mesu Andrews sure ranks up there with those amazing ladies and their talent! Mesu Andrews took an account from the Old Testament and weaved it with life-like fiction and created a novel that is emotionally complex and, at many times, life changing. Though she has only written this debut, her passion for God and His words shine through as she already possesses the skill of a master writer. I was really excited to see that this was a story about Job. It was such a tragic account, yet you can feel God's love among the words and pages. Dinah's sweet character really pulled me into the midst of the tragedy as she found her love amid the ashes of Job's home. Her faith was strong and stood out, even when it seemed like things wouldn't be okay. I love that in a story like this. It helps to open my eyes and to remember that faith and God will get you through ANYTHING. Dinah and Job's story is one that will be with the reader long after it's put away. The message of heartache over come by faith, forgiveness and love like no other, flows strong and vivid across the pages. The words ring loud as they wrap the reader in an unforgettable emotional love story. I am putting this 5 star debut novel at the top of my recommendation list. It belongs up with Roseanna's tender work and Jill Eileen Smith's moving stories. If you love either of those ladies' work, then you are bond to love Mesu's! I am ecstatic that this is just the first of many emotional works of Biblical fiction from this amazingly talented author.