Story of the nation of Israel represented by the character Sarah. Story goes through old and new testament and to modern day including the holocaust. Sarah initially betraying her husband, is visited by various prophets and then longs for her husband. There is a guide at the front of the book (I discovered after reading it) which explains chronologically the connection to the Bible. A story of hope. Would definately recommend.

I learned a lot of interesting things about Israel's history but the parallet was difficult at times. I found it a stretch at some points. Was easier to see it as a piece of historical fiction. I was confused about the purpose of the book. Entertaining but required a large amount of suspension of disbelief.

This is a wonderful book. Loved the way Kay Arthur wove Sarah, as Ireal, through so many historical events. I enjoyed the personal relationships and detail of everyday life over the course of approximately 3,000(?)years. Only mentioned in passing, I was disappointed that Kay Arthur chose not to take a closer look at Jesus's impact on Sarah's life, faith and society. Secondly, she chose to lean nearly exclusively on scripture from Daniel without revealing the rest of the Truth from Issiah.

Oh my goodness! This book personifies Israel as a lady, and takes her through the centuries of the Bible, through the current times and ends with Revelations. (My description sounds crazy, but it's such a great book!) Having a general idea of Jewish History (like what happened after the New Testament was written) will help you really appreciate this book.

Brava, Kay Arthur! I just finished reading Israel, My Beloved. What a beautifully put together story! I travelled through time and walked with the Jewish people through the many tragic events in the history of God's chosen people. I can't say even express how much I enjoyed this book! I cried with Israel through the hardships and trials. Kay Arthur did a magnificent job writing this book!

Very good book. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did it was heartbreaking to read how we/Israel has walked away from God.

This story is an allegory. I didn't like the comparison initially, but it was a pretty good way to tell the history of the country of Israel, which was interesting and heartbreaking.

Mi-am dorit sa citesc acest roman datorita autoarei. Cu ani in urma mi-a cazut in mana un studiu al ei pe tema numelor lui Dumnezeu prezentate in Sfintele Scripturi. De-a lungul anilor, informatiile citite atunci mi-au ramas adanc intiparite in mine insami.
Cand am auzit de aceasta carte am fost sigura ca ma va prinde. Un roman frumos, captivant. Mi-a imbogatit cultura generala cu privire la istoria Israelului, mi-a placut cum a impletit firul istoric cu adevarul biblic, m-a intrigat pozitiv (daca se poate spune asa), m-a uimit, m-a surprins modul in care Isus Cristos, personaj de importanta maxima pentru Israel (din oricare punct de vedere a-i privi lucrurile), este abordat. Notele de subsol si explicatiile traducatoarei au intregit frumusetea scrierii.

A creative retelling of the history of Israel where the characters transcend time. A really neat idea! But the writing is dull and pretty cheesy. Two stars

"ISRAEL My Beloved", by Kay Arthur, is an amazing Historical Novel rich in the history of the Jewish people and the unending persecution and battles they endured trying to hold on to their land. This book brought the Old Testament alive.

This book was amazing in its scope and depth. It made the spanse of Jewish history from the time of the major prophets to the present come alive for me and truly impressed upon me how serious God's word is. When He says something, He means it and He upholds His covenants. When He says that future generations will be affected by the choices of a people, He means it. But He also fulfills His beautiful promises.

I am familiar with the author through many of her Bible studies and have come to respect her for her knowledge of God's word. It was interesting to see her writing in this historical fiction format. But her love for God and the people of Israel is very evident. Her analogy of using a single character throughout centuries to represent the Beloved people of Israel is unique and interesting, but sometimes difficult to put back in the true historical perspective. I think that if I did not have a Bible background and wasn't recently studying the book of Revelation and some of the prophets (Daniel, Ezekiel and Isaiah), I wouldn't have caught as many of the nuances that she includes.

All-in-all, a wonderful read - a great overview of history. But reading the Bible on its own is the best of all!

Having trouble getting into it: very stilted, awkward style. Too gushy. I Read a few reviews, so I may try to stick with a few more chapters.
Did not improve; too trite & over emotional for me. Quit at p.70.