Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar - REVIEWED


This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Harvest of Rubies
River North; New Edition edition (May 1, 2012)
by
Tessa Afshar


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


TESSA AFSHAR was voted "New Author of the Year" by the Family Fiction sponsored Reader's Choice Award 2011 for her novel Pearl in the Sand. She was born in Iran, and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She moved to England where she survived boarding school for girls and fell in love with Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte, before moving to the United States permanently. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of her life forever. Tessa holds an MDiv from Yale University where she served as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School. She has spent the last thirteen years in full-time Christian work.


My Thoughts: 
" The vine needs to suffer.  Going down into this earth - fighting to survive among the stones, among the lime rock - this is what gives it its aroma. It's taste.  It's unique character."  (p 165)

This story took me on an unexpected, profound journey of discovery and truth.  Tessa Afshar has taken a character out of the confines of history and developed a story that will touch everyone - regardless of their station in life, their background, their circumstances - she weaves a story that is filled with conflict, intrigue, complex relationships and very profound discoveries of God's truth and His power to redeem lives, relationships and circumstances in a real way!

I really don't want to give away a single detail of this story.  Everyone who reads it should experience the subtle nuances of the story development so that the impact of the truth contained within the character's lives just takes your breath away!  This is what I have experienced as I read this story, and I am forever grateful that God brought both the story and the author into my life!! 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Remarkable Talent Threatens to Cloud a Life

The prophet Nehemiah’s cousin can speak several languages, keep complex accounts, write on tablets of clay, and solve mysteries. Her accomplishments catapult her into the center of the Persian court – working long hours, rubbing elbows with royalty, and becoming the queen’s favorite scribe.

Not bad for a woman living in a man’s world: so why does Sarah feel like a failure?

A devastating past has left Sarah with two conclusions: that God does not love her, and that her achievements are the measure of her worth – a measure she can never quite live up to.

Darius Pasargadae is accustomed to having his way. A wealthy and admired aristocrat, the last thing he expects is a wife who scorns him.

Can two such different people help one another overcome the idols that bind them?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Harvest of Rubies, go HERE.

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