This book is a Bible study on the covenant that Ruth made to Naomi as they left Moab. It explores multicultural marriage (Ruth and Boaz) as well as diversity and racism in Scripture. Women will relate to its discussion of issues that impact their lives, such as making critical decisions, handling relationships, and renewing the self. "Ruth is depicted as the ideal daughter-in-law, the wife and Gentile....Yet, underlying these idealistic representations are complex social issues, gender relations, and personal motivations. The narrative's focus on the lot of single women in rural Palestine and the problem of inter-ethnic marriages makes the book of Ruth substantially more than the unambiguous, pious idyll." --From the Preface