Book Review: "Bridge to Haven" by Francine Rivers

"To those who matter in 1950s Hollywood, Lena Scott is the hottest rising star to hit the silver
screen since Marilyn Monroe. Few know her real name is Abra. Even fewer know the price she’s paid to finally feel like she’s somebody.

To Pastor Ezekiel Freeman, Abra will always be the little girl who stole his heart the night he found her, a wailing newborn abandoned under a bridge on the outskirts of Haven. Zeke and his son, Joshua—Abra’s closest friend—watch her grow into an exotic beauty. But Zeke knows the circumstances surrounding her birth etched scars deep in her heart, scars that leave her vulnerable to a fast-talking bad boy who proclaims his love and lures her to Tinseltown. Hollywood feels like a million miles from Haven, and naive Abra quickly learns what’s expected of an ambitious girl with stars in her eyes. But fame comes at an awful price. She has burned every bridge to get exactly what she thought she wanted. Now, all she wants is a way back home.

In this riveting and highly anticipated tale of temptation, grace, and unconditional love, New York Times best-selling author Francine Rivers delivers big-canvas storytelling at its very best."

Book Trailer:

• Wow. I already knew that Francine Rivers was a gifted author, but this book exceeded my expectations. It was a fairly slow read, but only because I did not want it to end. 
•  I loved how the author took me on a journey from beginning to end. The story begins with Abra's birth and follows her story until she is in her early twenties. Because of that, I developed deep sympathy and compassion for her. I continued to root for Abra, even when she made mistakes and turned away from the ones she loved (including God). 
• I very much enjoyed the fact that this novel, just like Rivers' previous novels, did not shy away from the reality of life in order to get a message across. Nothing about this book was preachy. However, it also did not water down the truth at all. It served as a great reminder that God's hand is on each of us and He continues to pursue us, even when we fall away from Him. 
• I've always been intrigued by the 1950s, so I love that this story was set in this time period. 
• Every story of Rivers' feels as though every page was anointed. This one was no different.
• The writing in itself was beautiful. Rivers drew me in from the very first page, and eventually I felt as if I were in the scene rather than reading. So many authors feel as though they need to interrupt the flow of their story in order to write a beautiful description, but that is not the case with this book. Rivers does a great job of making you feel as though you are in the story while adding just the amount of prose needed to spark your imagination. 
• If you have ever felt unloved or too sinful for God's grace--or even if you just need a reminder of God's love for you--I highly recommend this book. 

Recommended to ages 18+

“Letting go isn’t giving up. It’s trusting God to do whatever He has to do. Remember what you know to be true . . . Sometimes God has to destroy in order to save. He has to wound in order to heal.”

“A man who loves you will strive to bring out the best in you.”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that you’ve got no say in what other people do with their lives. Everyone makes their own choices, good or bad.”

"I've always loved you. You know that. What you don't get is my love has never been dependent on you being perfect."

“Some people are very difficult to love. Which meant they needed love even more."

• Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
• Covenant Child by Terri Blackstock

• Christian fiction
• Historical fiction

"I thought [the book] painted a real and accurate picture of humanity - whether showing depravity, the mistakes people make (even when they are Christian), the culture of that era, effects of war, how a person's stubbornness will hold them back from a fulfilling life and beauty of love."

{via Books and Beverages} 

"Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers is an incredibly poignant and soul-searching story - a sweeping tale of love, forgiveness and redemption."

{via Amazon}

"Francine accomplished what she wanted and this book did cause me to want to draw even closer to God, so thank you Francine."

{via Amazon}

"This was absolutely wonderful. It was sweet, moving, interesting, and most of all, spoke to the amazing love and redemption we have through faith in Jesus Christ!"

{via Amazon}

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New York Times best-selling author Francine Rivers began her literary career at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in English and journalism . . . Since "Redeeming Love," Francine has published numerous novels with Christian themes--all best sellers--and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors, including the RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, and the Holt Medallion in Honor of Outstanding Literary Talent. In 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America's Hall of Fame. Francine's novels have been translated into over 20 different languages, and she enjoys best-seller status in many foreign countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Francine and her husband, Rick, live in northern California and enjoy time spent with their three grown children and taking every opportunity to spoil their grandchildren. Francine uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and she desires that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.