The first encounter I had with this story was when I read the novel by Francine Rivers. I was already her die-hard fan, scouting both the internet and bookstores for hard and soft copies of her books and devouring them within hours or days as the case may be.
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When I found Redeeming Love, I fell in love with it, shed torrents of tears, and shared it with all my friends who adored Francine Rivers but when I found the movie…the experience shook the core of my self and had me gripping my chest for fear that my poor heart, racking with grief, would leave my body.
Redeeming Love talks about the life of a broken girl, initially named Sarah, born and raised by a broken mother. She grew up in a small town, watching her mother worm her way between the sheets of men to put food on their table and clothes on their backs. As time went by, her mother fell ill, became a shadow of herself, and eventually died leaving Sarah all by herself. But before she breathed her last, Sarah's mother pleaded with one of her 'male associates' to take good care of her child, and he did, the only way he knew.
He took Sarah to a place not suitable enough for children, or for any woman at all, and sold her off to a man who replayed him by taking his life. This man was known as Duke and Duke was the one who changed her name to Angel.
She stayed with Duke at the brothel, serving him, until her father who had rejected her and abandoned her mother who was his mistress came by one night. She intentionally slept with him as punishment for all he did to them and when he discovered it in the morning, he hung himself.
This was the situation that made Angel run away from Duke.
She couldn't survive for long on her own as she had no skills except the one she picked from the Duke, so she scouted for a brothel in a town called Pair-a-dice and applied to work there, for the woman known as Duchess.
It was at Pair-a-dice that Micheal found her.
Michael was a young, handsome Christian farmer who visiting Pair-a-dice, caught a glimpse of Angel, the most beautiful girl in that town. He had prayed to God for a wife and seeing her that day, felt convinced that she was the one. He gathered up some money and paid to see her at the brothel, just to tell her to come home with him as his wife but she disregards his proposal until she is beaten to a pulp by one of the brothel guards, she then accepts to marry him.
Michael takes Angel home and nurses her back to health but refuses to touch her. This makes Angel not trust him so she runs away, back to Pair-a-dice at the first opportunity she gets. Michael chases after her and gets her to return home with him.
She begins to develop some feelings for Michael but refuses to admit it and runs away again because he mentioned that he wanted children and she believed she couldn't possibly have them after her dirty past.
She is forced back into prostitution once in the city, Michael returns to take her from her hard employers, forgives her, and returns home with her.
Her assumed state of being barren however interferes with their slowly blooming love as Angel begins to look for a wife who can bear children for Michael.
This makes her leave him yet again but this time, she doesn't return to prostitution. She uses cooking which she learnt from Micheal to make a living. On one of those days, she stumbles into Duke who threatens to eliminate her boss if she doesn't come to work for him again, she goes with him but is rescued after she reveals to the crowd of men who Duke really is and what he does.
Michael does not come after her this time, so for three years she embarks on self and purpose discovery, starting up a movement to rehabilitate other young, broken girls.
She finds out from Michael's brother-in-law that her husband still loves her and has been waiting for her so she finds courage and returns home.
This time, she keeps her fears aside and receives the love Michael has to give, giving him children in the end.
Even though the novel was written in 1991, Redeeming Love is a true definition of 'Old but gold'. The story totally captured my heart and I think it is one of the best movies that explains the relationship between God and an average believer, and how Christians keep running away from God despite all the love He showers on them. It equally highlights the worth of young ladies, especially the broken ones, and opens them up to the reality of finding purpose which would facilitate self-love.
I would watch Redeeming Love over, and over again. Read it over, and over again, if possible. I won't get tired of it because of how much I relate to the central character 'Angel' and how her experiences indirectly relate to mine.