The Story of Naomi—The Book of Ruth

"An exquisite and daring performance of an ancient story that many dismiss as benign. Giles and Doan capture nuances of the book of Ruth that will delight readers and at the same time problematize twenty-first-century social norms. Bravo!"

--Louis Stulman, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Findlay



"Two very able scholars lead us into new (oral) perspectives of viewing biblical literature in general and the book of Ruth (really the story of Naomi) in particular. We experience rich new depths and dimensions of the human experience."

--Robert T. Anderson, Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University



"With thorough research, grounded in the literature on the oral traditions of the Bible, Giles and Doan argue convincingly for the oral and subversive origins of the book of Ruth as part of a female storytelling tradition. After establishing the likelihood of an oral tradition, the second half of their book provides a script, complete with staging directions, for The Naomi Story, allowing modern performers to make the oral tradition of this significant female perspective come alive for modern audiences."

--Barbara O. Korner, Dean, College of Arts & Architecture, Penn State University