Also by this author: The Promise and the Light: A Christmas Retelling, The Friend Who Forgives Family Bible Devotional: 15 Days Exploring the Story of Peter, The Songs of a Warrior: Saul and David: A Retelling, The Songs of a Warrior, The Friend Who Forgives Family Bible Devotional: 15 Days Exploring the Story of Peter (Devotions on the cross and forgiveness, for Lent and Easter, ... at home.) (Tales That Tell the Truth), Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer Family Bible Devotional: 15 Days Exploring How We Can Talk with God, A Short Guide to the Bible: Exploring the Most Important Book You'll Ever Read
Series: Bible Retellings Collection #3
Published by Good Book Company on May 1, 2025
Genres: Children's, Bible Stories
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
The biblical story of Ruth brought to life in this gripping chapter book for middle school readers.
The Bible story of Ruth is imaginatively brought to life in this biblically faithful chapter book that helps kids 8+ engage with God’s word. Readers will find themselves immersed in the hearts and minds of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz as they experience difficulty, uncertainty, danger, and rescue.
With an emphasis on God's relationship with his people, this retelling is careful to depict human relationships appropriately and in light of God’s love for his people. Kids will learn that God’s providence, provision, and kindness extend to all kinds of people, even to those who are outsiders.
Includes a Bible-reading plan and notes that differentiate the known facts from the imaginative parts.
Makes a wonderful gift for children 8+ years. A discussion guide is also included, making it ideal for book clubs and homeschool co-ops.
The Outsider is the third book in Katy Morgan’s biblical fiction series. It retells the story of Ruth for a middle-grade audience, and it is faithful to the Scriptural narrative while also including fictionalized elements. The imagined details fit with the story’s historical and cultural context, and they build on the story’s themes about loyalty, kindness, and God’s hand at work in difficult circumstances.
The book of Ruth in the Bible is about four pages long, and this novel is 158 pages long. As a result, there’s a lot of added detail! However, none of the fictionalized aspects change the substance of the story. They just flesh out the details of what Ruth and Naomi might have been thinking and feeling, add some other supporting characters to the story, and more fully dramatize things that Scripture summarized within a compressed timeline. At the end of the novel, there are detailed notes that specify what the the author got directly from the Bible, versus what she made up. She also includes some additional cultural and historical explanations here. There is also a discussion guide at the end, which is great for family use or for book clubs.
The Outsider: Ruth: A Retelling is an engaging, well-written novel that builds upon a familiar story with additional details, and which offers deep reflections about God’s love and kindness. This book will appeal to people who enjoy biblical fiction and TV shows like The Chosen, and even though the publisher is marketing this book for kids, it is a gripping story for all ages.
