Review of “When Life Doesn’t Match Your Dreams” by Jill Eileen Smith

Book description from Book Bub:

“Life is full of twists and turns. Relationships falter, careers fizzle, health fades. We may be faced with choices we never wanted to make or have situations pushed upon us we’d never expected. Yet, in all of it, God is at our side–even when he feels far away.

Drawing on her extensive research into women of the Old Testament, novelist Jill Eileen Smith turns her pen to the lessons in trusting God that we can learn today from women like

– Eve

– Noah’s wife

– Sarai

– Hagar

– Lot’s wife

– Rebekah

– Rachel

– and more

Readers will learn from what these ancient women did right–and even what they did wrong–when faced with dashed expectations and deferred dreams. And they’ll come away with the confidence that ours is a faithful God who loves us and is forming us through our trials into the women he longs for us to be.”

My Review:

For some time now, I’ve enjoyed Jill Eileen Smith’s series of novels based on the lives of women in the Bible. Because of her excellent Biblical research, I always learn an aspect of their story that I had never known or considered before.

This is a Christian non-fiction devotional book by this author.  Through short “first person” accounts, she imagines what twelve different Old Testament women would say to us about their difficult situations.  In each case, life did not match their hopes and expectations.  Some turned to God in love and trust, some did not.  By reading about their situations and considering how they might have felt, we’re able to look at our own life situations through the eyes of faith.  I especially liked the chapter on Noah’s wife; and I also liked viewing Rachel’s  and Leah’s situation from both of their viewpoints.  

I enjoyed reading the author’s thoughts on all twelve ladies’ lives and also her willingness to be open about situations in her own.  As I finished reading this book, I found myself comforted, encouraged, and challenged to view every situation in my life through the lens of the Bible.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.