Description
Several generations after the beautiful Moabite widow Ruth marries Boaz, fifteen-year-old Osnath, a young woman from Ramah, comes to Bethlehem to spend time with relatives and to uncover the true story of Ruth, only to fall prey to the seduction of her cousin Eliab as she learns that Ruth had an unnamed lover before her marriage to Boaz. By the author of The Song of Hannah. Original. 40,000 first printing.
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A historical novel imagines the riveting story behind the Book of Ruth Sitting beneath a tree in ancient Bethlehem, Osnath, niece of the prophet Samuel, examines a dusty scrap of parchment she found hidden in her relative’s scroll room. Scrawled on the decaying page is an intriguing message addressed to Ruth the Moabite?great-grandmother of David, the future king of Israel. Compelled to discover the truth about Ruth’s life, Osnath begins searching for the identity of Ruth’s nameless lover and the secret that is cloaked behind his anonymity. But as she digs deeper into the past, she finds her inquiries blocked by David’s brother Eliab. What is the long-buried truth he fears will come to light? And what is the threat that Ruth’s story poses to his family’s vast inheritance? Eva Etzioni-Halevy’s novel deftly interweaves history and fiction to create a compelling exploration of a prominent biblical figure. Told through the voices of both Osnath and Ruth herself, The Garden of Ruth transports readers into the ancient world?and offers a dramatic and thought-provoking new perspective on a well-known tale.
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