Ruth is one of the shortest, sweetest books in the Bible, and the more I read it over the years the more deeply I love it. But it can be an interesting story to introduce kids to, dealing as it does with themes of grief, displacement, bitterness, and ancient cultures. So I love that Katy Morgan has translated the story of Ruth into The Outsider, a middle-grade novel that reads beautifully, engagingly, and that illuminates some of the cloudier cultural customs for young readers (and, let’s be honest, for us parents too!).
In expanding the book of Ruth this way, Morgan has clearly taken great care: The Outsider includes an appendix detailing where Morgan stuck closely to the biblical text and where she enjoyed imagining the scenes between the verses of Scripture. Her attention to and reverence for Scripture is clear, and this makes The Outsider feel trustworthy and transparent about its origins.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the care with which Morgan introduced the tensions between Israel and Moab, giving readers a believable picture of what it might have looked like for Naomi to live as a refugee in Moab, and for Ruth to become a refugee in Israel. The contrast between the two nations was well-handled and felt like it respected the history of both nations without setting Moab as a foil for Israel.
Another strength of the book lies in Morgan’s thoughtful development of the cultural customs involved—handing over a sandal to conclude a business transaction, for example, or the whole notion of the “redeemer.” She explains these in a way that suits the story, not burdening the book’s narrative with lengthy teaching passages but instead weaving them into the story in a way that feels organic and believable (these customs were new to Ruth, too, after all!). I also loved the way she developed the characters: Naomi felt fittingly prickly, Ruth had a stubborn streak that made sense with what we know of her from Scripture, and Boaz was big and gentle and somehow just right.
On the whole, The Outsider1 offers a beautiful retelling of the book of Ruth—one that reminds readers that the people in Scripture lived full lives before and after the verses recorded in the Bible, and that the story we’re in now is every bit as rich and beautiful because of the One at work within it.
You can find more (many more!) books reviews like this one at Little Book, Big Story.
Though I did receive a free copy of this book for review, I am not being paid to promote it. My enthusiasm for this book is abundant and purely voluntary.
Thanks so much for telling us about this lovely book!
I always enjoy your book reviews but don't always take the time to tell you. So I'm trying to do better ;-) This was lovely and made me want to rush out and read this book!