The Scarlet Thread by Francine
Rivers came highly recommended by my friend Erika. She and I are pretty much on the same
wavelength concerning literature, which is such a blessing. It’s so great to have a friend who has the
same tastes as you, whose recommendations you can take to heart and not be
disappointed. Besides, she said the
magic words: “It’s a lot like Redeeming Love”. My favourite book!
Sierra and Alex live a quiet life
in a small town, in a cosy home with their two children, surrounded by
family. One morning Alex pulls the rug
out from under an unsuspecting Sierra, sending their carefully crafted world into
disarray. Without first consulting her,
he quits his job, accepts a new one, contacts an estate agent to put their
house on the market, and sets about moving the family to Los Angeles – away
from the town she’s lived in all her life, away from their families. Once in LA Sierra is an embittered wife,
hating life in their small, impersonal apartment. Loneliness and uncertainty become her
constant companions as Sierra is surrounded by rich LA housewives she feels she
can’t measure up to, and qualified women who leave her insecure. Sierra’s mother then sends her the diary of
Mary Catherine Murray, one of her ancestors.
The two women, though separated by centuries, have a lot in common and
share similar trials, and Sierra soon finds solace in its pages. As months pass and Alex spends less time at
home, Sierra’s nurtured feelings of resentment grows into a powerful force that
eats away at their marriage – it doesn’t help that Alex starts seeking
comfort in the arms of another woman. As
Alex moves further away from Sierra, she draws ever closer to God. With no one to lean on in the most difficult
and painful time of her life, Sierra follows Mary Catherine’s example and learns to surrender to God's
sovereignty and unconditional love.
Alex soon notices the change in his
wife, and when she finally agrees to give him a divorce it is Alex who finds
himself unsure if he truly wants their marriage to end. As Sierra and the children grow in their
faith, Alex sees the happy, lively, amazing woman he fell in love with – the
hurt, bitter woman who moved to LA nowhere to be found. When it becomes clear that a friend of
Sierra’s is vying for her heart, and more disturbingly that she might be ready
to hand it over, Alex must finally face the consequences of his actions and win
his wife’s heart once more.
In her contemporary works Francine
Rivers likes to confront her readers with very difficult questions. In The Scarlet Thread we face the reality of
adultery – how is a Christian supposed to react when cheated on by a
spouse? The Bible tells us to forgive
and forget, but how do you find the strength to forgive and forget wounds that
cut deeper than any woman can explain?
When your husband cheats on you, emotionally abuses you and leaves you
feeling worthless, how do you forgive, forget and consider reconciliation? The Scarlet Thread poses some very hard
questions, and some very realistic solutions.
Only God can help you get over that kind of hurt and give you the
strength to forgive.
The Scarlet Thread is not one of my
favourite Francine Rivers books (I tend to prefer her historical novels), but
only because its tone is very dark. It
is an emotionally taxing book. My heart
physically hurt for Sierra. With every
emotional back-handed blow Alex delivered, a pain literally shot through my
heart. It is not easy sharing Sierra’s
journey – perhaps because being cheated on by your husband is a very real fear
for most women, and being confronted with all the aspects surrounding a failing
marriage is difficult to take.
Personally I found myself hoping
Sierra would move on with a man who treated her better, like Ron - he clearly adored her. I just could not get myself to be hopeful for
a reconciliation between Alex and Sierra. It could be because I didn’t find
Alex a likable character and I just wasn’t emotionally invested in him at
all. I just couldn’t get past all of
the things he did to Sierra – maybe that means I have some soul searching to
do; Maybe that is the point of it all.
How, you may ask, is this book similar to Redeeming Love? It’s about
letting someone go and giving them to God.
While The Scarlet Thread did not take Redeeming Love’s place in my heart,
I am not sorry I read it. At the end of
the day The Scarlet Thread is a spiritual book that confronts the reader with
uncomfortable truths – the best kinds of books not only teach you something
about yourself, but also inspire you to look inside yourself and ask some very
hard questions. In this regard The
Scarlet Thread is a masterpiece.
Product information:
Title: The Scarlet Thread
Product information:
Title: The Scarlet Thread
Author: Francine Rivers
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Tyndale House
Year: 1996
ISBN-10: 1414370636
ISBN-13: 978-1414370637
Thank you for your review of this novel. I found it very helpful. I have cognitive issues and found myself losing track of who everyone was. Your explanation helped me to understand things more easily. Once again Thank You.
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