Divine
Written by Karen Kingsbury
Narrated by Sharon Williams
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Mary Madison was a child of unspeakable horrors, a young woman society wanted to forget. Now a divine power has set Mary free to bring life-changing hope and love to battered and abused women living in the shadow of the nation’s capital.
Mary is educated and redeemed, a powerful voice in Washington, D.C.—both to the politically elite and to other women like her. But she also has a past that shamed polite society. Her experiences created in her paralyzing fear, faithlessness, addiction, and promiscuity. At the crossroads of her life, only one power set Mary free and gave her a lifetime of love and hope. A power that could only be divine.
Peggy Madison is Mary’s grandmother, a quiet woman who has spent her life praying for her granddaughter. Peggy clings to the belief that God has a special plan for Mary. Through years of sorrow and longing, Peggy walks the journey in faith and watches from a distance as one key person after another comes into Mary’s life and demonstrates the timeless, powerful love of the Master, the Savior. The divine Lord.
Emma Randall is a single mother fleeing an abusive relationship, wondering whether there is hope for her and her young daughters. She is desperate, broken, and unloved, tempted to commit the unthinkable. Then Mary Madison introduces Emma to the greatest love of all, greater than any either of them has ever imagined.
Karen Kingsbury
Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books have been developed into a TV series now available everywhere. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty nesters, living in Tennessee near four of their adult children.
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Reviews for Divine
162 ratings17 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a very good story by an excellent author. However, some statements regarding drug addiction may be misleading and potentially dangerous. The book brings a lot of God and redemption into the story, which readers appreciate. Although some readers would have preferred a different ending for a character, they still find the book beautiful overall.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It is such a story of God’s redemption! He brings beauty out of ashes!!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Such a soul stirring and powerful book I love the story of Mary Madison. Each character will live with me for a long time. This book has strengthening my belief and trust in Jesus thank you Karen. Thank you God.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved it would have like a different ending for Mary but regardless it was beautiful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5She brought a lot of God in her book. I like that.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very good story by an excellent author, but some of the statements regarding drug addiction may be dangerously misleading. For instance, the statement that most physical symptoms of drug (crack) withdrawal end after three days is simply not true. Physical withdrawal symptoms from crack and other drugs can last from one to three months. Also, withdrawal should always be done under medical supervision because of the risk of life threatening withdrawal symptoms. This didn't appear to be the case in this story. I don't usually comment on parts of a story that I don't agree with, but I have a little experience in this area and know the danger that misinformation can pose to an addict. Regardless, I love Karen Kingsbury books and can't wait to read the next one.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Once again this author writes a very compelling story that deals with a very detestable subject and does it very well. A story about Mary Madison, a woman who had horrible things done to her as a child and just when she thought her life was going to get better, her life once again became one of addiction and promiscuity. Only the power of God, His 'divine' power could save her and bring her life to one where she can now help those women that she once was a part of. And you will see how Mary shares her story with Emma Johnson, a mother fleeing abuse with her two young daughters. Emma is desperate, broken, and unloved, and tempted to take her own life. But as Mary shares her story and tells her about the greatest love either of them could ever imagine, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, this will change Emma's life also.This wasn't an easy story to read as many bad things happen to these two ladies. Sin is not pretty, but God is able to deliver anyone from the power of darkness because of His great love for us. I also appreciated the power of prayer; the prayers of Mary's Grandma Peggy and the prayers of Emma's mother. I am also more aware of how some women think when they are in an abusive situation, and it has opened my eyes to why some continue to live the way they do. A story that stuck with me long after I closed it's pages.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5All I can say is that this really wrenched my heart. I was halfway through tonight and just couldn't put the book down. I found so much of myself in this book, and my past, and I am also thankful for all that Jesus has done in my life.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I liked the overall premise of the story, but felt there were plot holes that one could drive a truck through. For example, when Grandma Peggy gave Mary the purse with the Bible verse inside, why did she not also think to include her phone number and some $ for Mary to use in the phone to call her?
Though I know it happens often in real life, I had a hard time understanding why Mary and Emma would go back to men who treated them so poorly. I excused Mary a bit more because she was only 10 when kidnapped and so most of her childhood was warped. Emma had a childhood where she was supposedly raised in a Christian home, and I felt she should have more grounding in what true love was really like to draw from in her adulthood.
I do like the idea that God can be everything you need. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I started off really liking this book, but unfortunately it ended up going way over the top, and I ended up only finding it okay. The bad parts were really, really, bad; the good parts were toothache-inducing saccharine; every Christian was a wonderful person, and every non-Christian was an evil, evil monster (or, at the very best, neutral). All in all, it was just so black and white that it just got annoying.
I loved the relationship between Mary and Emma, but didn't buy the relationship between Terrance and Emma at all, and the relationship between Mary and Nigel just bugged me. Karen Kingsbury means well, but I think she tries too hard to give her books a Christian message, that it comes out as being unrealistic and stylized. I have read one amazing book by her though (Halfway to Forever) so I'm willing to not quite give up on her yet. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5great story, powerful message, can get a tad preachy at times, but overall a great story.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Thanks to Barnes and Nobles Free Friday Giveaways for introducing to this author and novel. I enjoyed reading it how ever difficult at times. It was wonderful how Ms. Kingsbury parallels the life of her main character Mary Madison to that of the life of Mary Magdalene. What a triumphant ending for all of the characters.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5At the age of 10 Mary was abducted from an already difficult life and forced into slavery for 5 years. Unfortunately her life did not get an better after she was rescued. As an adult, Mary is an advocate for abused women and it is her mission to help save women by telling them her difficult story, showing them Jesus is the path to true freedom and love regardless of what has happened in the past.This is a amazing book of one woman's triumph over an unbearable life, showing that regardless of the circumstances things can work out in the end.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Over the top preachy with a side of "holier than thou" attitude. It's a work of fiction, but several of the few facts the author presented were inaccurate.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5While difficult to read because of the story's sensitive nature, every time I finish it, I am in awe once more by the true power of God's ability to save us from even the deepest of darkness. Karen Kingsbury has taken what the world would view as an unspeakable tragedy and given it to God for a wonderful victory!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a book about the grace of God in all circumstances. It is a very emotionally hard book to read because of the life experiences of the main character. But her redemption in the end makes it well worth the trip.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I really enjoyed this book, as I do all Karen Kingsbury's. She covers topics that others steer away from.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a contemporary/modern version of Mary Magdalene. Throughout the story, we learn about a women named Mary who is helping a young women escape from an abusive relationship. We learn about Mary's colored past of abuse, part of which she had no control over and some that was led to by circumstances as she tells her story to help a young women. This is unlike Kingsbury's other books, but is a wonderful thought provoking story that makes you wonder more about the real Mary Magadalene in the Bible.