Bathsheba Bathed in Grace: How 8 Scandalous Women Changed the World by Carol Cook

"He told me that the will of God prevails in spite of the actions of his people.  His words calmed me, restoring his trust I thought I had forever lost.  'Rebekah, although we make mistakes, God does not.'"

Bathsheba Bathed in Grace is a work of Biblical fiction told from a first person point of view of 8 women in the Old Testament, most of them in Genesis.  These women include Bathsheba, Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Tamar, and Eve.

Author Carol Cook takes you through the life of each of these women, beginning with a pivotal moment in the story, and ending at the end of each of their lives. 

Their stories teach us that all of us deal with loss and pain at some point in our lives, but God is a God of redemption, and can take all of the pain and heartache and make something beautiful, ultimately fulfilling His plan for our lives.

My favorite story was probably the story of Rebekah.  To me, her story seemed more full of joy and romance.  She also experienced pain, but for some reason I was drawn to her story more.

Tamar’s story was very educational.  It helped me understand more of the Biblical account. 

The author was careful with her interpretation of the Biblical accounts.  She seemed to stay true to the original story, just adding in detail based on time and culture.

There were a few statements that I was uncertain of how she could ascertain that information, but it would be worthy of further study.  For example, some of the art and furnishings in the palace of Pharaoh seemed very modern sounding, but I am not an expert on Ancient Egypt, so I wouldn’t know if this is accurate.  It was similar in Tamar’s story.  The description of the architecture of the family home of Tamar seemed too modern as well.

She was also very discrete with intimate details in the stories, which I appreciate so much. 

I have to say that Biblical fiction is my favorite genre, and I am glad that I read this book.  

I recommend this book for those who like Biblical fiction, especially the stories of women.  The book would make a great companion book for a Bible study about these women.

The book was meant to demonstrate women through the eyes of the God.  He is a God of grace and redemption.  May you see yourself and your story through His eyes today.

Disclosure statement:  I received this book free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my review.  I was not required to give a favorable review.  The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.