The Christian fiction Francine Rivers books in order have become her legacy, but Rivers got her start in publishing as a romance author. This ultimate guide will cover both eras of her career for a comprehensive look at all the books by Francine Rivers.
About Francine Rivers
Francine Rivers began writing in 1977 with her debut publication coming two years later. At this time, Rivers was writing romance novels for the general market. She did this for nearly a decade, publishing nearly a dozen novels, before she became a born-again Christian.
Following this conversion, Rivers took a step back from writing to determine what stories she wanted to tell, which resulted in the publication of Redeeming Love in 1991. From this point onwards Rivers has exclusively written Christian fiction.
As well, Rivers bought the publishing rights to her back catalogue of romance novels. This was to eliminate the possibility of the books being reprinted when they went out of print. Furthermore, Rivers no longer recommends these books because of the subject matter.
Rivers says that she had more freedom to write what she wanted to in the Christian publishing market compared to the general market. She has found great success in this market, with Redeeming Love having sold more than three million copies.
A movie adaptation of Redeeming Love also came out in January 2022. The movie stars Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis, Eric Dane, Nina Dobrev, and more.
Rivers said the adaptation took 30 years to get right because she wanted to make sure the right message was being conveyed. Even still, the subject matter and depiction of sex did spark controversy around the release.
In December 2023 the rights for a new Rivers novel were acquired by Tyndale House. The novel will take place in the same setting as Redeeming Love, but a few decades later, and will explore the cost of revenge.
The announcement said that the protagonist must choose between cutting ties with her father or the man she loves. It has a working title of Mercy and a planned publication date of 2026.
Is Redeeming Love part of a series?
Redeeming Love is not strictly part of a series. However, Rivers does return to the 19th-century setting of California in her most recent novel, The Lady’s Mine. She will also return to this setting with her upcoming novel.
For that reason, Redeeming Love can be read as the first book in a connected world. The Lady’s Mine would be the first companion novel in this world and the scheduled 2026 novel will be the second.
It is not necessary to read these books in any particular order, but the reading experience will be enhanced for those who begin with Redeeming Love. This also marks the beginning of the chronological timeline of this world.
Redeeming Love takes place in 1850, while The Lady’s Mine takes place in 1875. In the announcement of the upcoming book tentatively titled Mercy, it was said that is will also take place in the 1870s.
Francine Rivers Books in Order
Christian Fiction Standalone Books
Since her debut novel is now out of print, our list of the Francine River books in order begins with her Christian fiction standalone books. This list of books includes both contemporary and historical storylines with various amounts of romance. However, all the titles focus primarily on a relationship with faith.
- Redeeming Love (1991)
- The Scarlet Thread (1995)
- The Atonement Child (1997)
- The Last Sin Eater (1998)
- Leota’s Garden (1999)
- And the Shofar Blew (2003)
- Bridge to Haven (2014)
- The Masterpiece (2018)
- The Lady’s Mine (2022)
- Mercy (Expected: 2026)
Mark of the Lion Books
Next is a Christian historical trilogy that takes place within the Roman Empire during the first Jewish-Roman War. The focus of the first book is Hadassah’s faith as well as her romance as a slave with the brother of her owner, Marcus, who is also a handsome aristocrat. These Francine Rivers books should be read in order of publication.
- A Voice in the Wind (1993)
- An Echo in the Darkness (1994)
- As Sure as the Dawn (1995)
Lineage of Grace Books
The Lineage of Grace books are slim biblical Christian fiction novellas. Each book focuses on one woman and their contribution to the lineage of Christ. It is not necessary to read these books in order of publication as each story is self-contained, but it is recommended since this follows the chronological order.
- Unveiled: Tamar (2000)
- Unashamed: Rahab (2000)
- Unshaken: Ruth (2001)
- Unspoken: Bathsheba (2001)
- Unafraid: Mary (2001)
Sons of Encouragement Books
Similar to the previous series in our list of the Francine Rivers books in order, this is a companion series of novellas. Each title focuses on one man this time and their contribution to the legacy of Christ. Just like the Lineage of Grace books, it is not necessary to read the Sons of Encouragement in order of publication, but it is recommended as this will match the chronology.
- The Priest: Aaron (2004)
- The Warrior: Caleb (2005)
- The Prince: Jonathan (2005)
- The Prophet: Amos (2006)
- The Scribe: Silas (2007)
Marta’s Legacy Books
The final series in our list of the Francine Rivers books in order is Marta’s Legacy which is a duology that spans four generations down a maternal line. Her Mother’s Hope begins near the turn of the 20th century into the Second World War while Her Daughter’s Dream continues through the 1950s into the present day. For that reason, these books should absolutely be read in order of publication.
- Her Mother’s Hope (2010)
- Her Daughter’s Dream (2010)
Other Works
Francine Rivers has also written a holiday novella, The Shoe Box, as well as a collection of bible stories for children.
- The Shoe Box (1999)
- Bible Stories for Growing Kids (2007) (Out of Print)
Nonfiction Books
Rivers has also collaborated on three nonfiction books with fellow Christian authors. The first two titles below are devotionals, while the third title is a more in-depth look at her novel Redeeming Love.
- Earth Psalms (2016) (With Karin Stock Buursma)
- A Path to Redeeming Love: A Forty-Day Devotional (2020) (With Karin Stock Buursma)
- Redeeming Love: The Companion Study (2020) (With Angela Hunt)
Historical Romance Standalone Books
Finally, our list of the Francine Rivers books in order ends with the historical romance standalone novels which began her career. All of the below titles are now out of print, but links to second-hand copies have been included whenever possible. The setting and themes of the below books vary, but the Gold Rush era in California does appear in several titles as that is an era Rivers has always had an interest in.
- Kathleen (1979)
- Rebel In His Arms (1981)
- Heart’s Divided (1983)
- This Golden Valley (1983)
- Sarina (1983)
- Heart in Hiding (1984)
- Not So Wild a Dream (1985)
- Pagan Heart (1985)
- Sycamore Hill (1985)
- Outlaw’s Embrace (1986)
- Fire in the Heart (1987)
A Summary of Francine Rivers Books in Order
Below you will find the summaries to the standalone Christian fiction Francine Rivers books in order. This list of books begins with the novel that marks the transition in her career from general market romance to Christian fiction. It also ends with her most recent publication, which is a historical Christian fiction novel.
1. Redeeming Love
As previously mentioned, Redeeming Love takes place during the California Gold Rush in 1850. Angel was sold into prostitution as a child and survives by nurturing a flame of hatred for the men who use her. She expects nothing but betrayal from them.
Then she meets Michael Hosea. He is a devout man of God, who answers His call to marry Angel and show her unconditional love. Slowly, Michael defies every bitter expectation Angel has and her heart begins to thaw.
But then Angel feels unworthy and fearful, so she runs. As she runs back to the darkness, Angel must realize that her final healing will come from God’s love.
2. The Scarlet Thread
Once more Rivers focuses on God’s love in The Scarlet Thread, but this time with two characters from different eras. In the present-day, Sierra Madrid’s life has just gone awry.
Then she discovers the quilt and journal of her ancestor, Mary Kathryn McMurray. Sierra learns that Mary Kathryn was a young woman who was uprooted from her home to endure harsh conditions on the Oregon Trail.
Despite the time and circumstance that separates them, the issues that Sierra faces are remarkably like her ancestor’s. Through learning about Mary Kathryn, Sierra learns how to forge her own path forward.
3. The Atonement Child
Dynah Carey knew where her life was headed. Engaged to a wonderful man, the daughter of doting parents, a faithful child of God — she has it all. Then her perfect life is irrevocably changed when she is raped and it results in an unwanted pregnancy.
Her family is torn apart and her faith is pushed to the limits as she faces the decision to embrace or to end the pregnancy.
This is a pro-life tale of three women, as Dynah’s plight forces her mother and grandmother to confront the choices they made.
4. The Last Sin Eater
This is another historical novel that takes place during the 1850s in Appalachia. Within the misty peaks and valleys of the region there is the sin eater, who is as much a myth as a man. The sin eater absolves the sin of dying villagers, but when a young girl uncovers the dark secret behind the tradition, she vows to show her village the truth.
Cadi Forbes needs to find the one man who can absolve her from the sin that plagues her. The sin stole her mother’s love from her and makes Cadi want to flee life and its terrible injustice. But the sin eater is looking as well.
Before their journeys are over, Cadi and the sin eater must face themselves, each other, and the One who will demand everything from them in exchange for the answers they seek.
5. Leota’s Garden
Leota’s garden was once a place of beauty, where flowers bloomed and hope thrived. It was a refuge from the deep wounds of a devastating war, her sanctuary where she knelt before God and prayed for the children who couldn’t understand her silent sacrifices.
Now, Leota is 84, alone, and her garden is in ruins. All her efforts to reconcile with her adult children have been fruitless and she voices her despair to God, her only friend. Then God brings a wind of change through unlikely means.
The first is a college student with an agenda all his own who thinks he has all the answers. The second is a granddaughter that Leota never hoped to know. But can the devastation wrought by keeping painful family secrets be repaired before she runs out of time?
6. And the Shofar Blew
Paul Hudson is a young preacher who seems like the perfect man to turn the struggling Centerville Christian Church around. Attendance is up and everything seems to be going well, but at what cost?
His wife Eunice appears to be the perfect pastor’s wife, but behind closed doors their marriage is crumbling and she does not know what to do.
7. Bridge to Haven
Lena Scott is a rising star in 1950s Hollywood, but few know her real name is Abra and even fewer know the price she has paid to finally feel like she’s somebody. Meanwhile, to Pastor Ezekiel Freeman, she will always be the crying newborn that he found under a bridge on the outskirts of Haven.
Zeke and his son Joshua, who is Abra’s closest friend, have watched her grow into an exotic beauty. But Zeke knows that the circumstances of her birth have left deep scars in her heart, which left her vulnerable to the charmer who lured her to Tinseltown.
Hollywood feels like a million miles away from Haven, and Abra quickly learns what’s expected of an ambitious girl with stars in her eyes. But fame comes at a devastating price. She burned every bridge to get what she thought she wanted, but now all she wants is a way back home.
8. The Masterpiece
Roman Velasco is a successful LA artist who appears to have everything he could want. Only Grace Moore — his reluctant, newly-hired personal assistant — knows how little he truly has. The demons of his past echo through his empty mansion.
But Grace doesn’t know that her boss secretly wrestles with those demons by tagging buildings as a notorious, unidentified graffiti artist. His alter ego of the Bird could destroy his career and land him in prison.
Grace is also wrestling with her own ghosts and secrets. A disastrous marriage threw her life off course and made her swear to never let love steal her dreams again. But as she gets to know Roman, the jagged pieces of their pasts begin to slot together…until something so unexpected happens that it changes the course of their lives forever.
9. The Lady’s Mine
Calvada is a tiny mining town nestled in the Sierra Nevadas. When Kathryn Walsh arrives in 1875, falling in love is the farthest thing from her mind. She has been exiled from Boston by her wealthy stepfather and come to collect an inheritance from an uncle she never knew.
Her uncle left her a defunct newspaper office on a main street overflowing with brothels and saloons. Kathryn decides to relaunch the paper and finds herself in the middle of a maelstrom against Calvada’s most powerful men. But Kathryn is steadfast in her determination to publish whatever she pleases.
Matthais Beck owns a local saloon and hotel in town and instantly recognizes Kathryn’s uncle’s tenacity in her. But he also knows how dangerous that family trait can be. When the handsome hotelier keeps finding himself on the same side of issues as the opinionated Miss Walsh, Matthias’s restless search for purpose becomes all about answering the call of his heart.
Final thoughts on Francine Rivers books in order
While her debut novel came out in 1979, the current trajectory of her career began in 1991 with the publication of Redeeming Love. This marks the divide in the Francine Rivers books in order from general market romance fiction to Christian fiction. Her Christian fiction has become the largest chunk of her bibliography and her legacy.